Welcome to Daily Bitachon: Erev Shabbat HaGadol Welcome to our Erev Shabbat series. Today is EREV Shabbat HaGadol , and we will explore its connection to Bitachon (trust in God) based on a beautiful insight from the Meshech Chochma (Devarim 10:20). The Universal vs. The Unique Shabbat The Meshech Chochma notes that, theoretically, Shabbat should apply to all of humanity. Since God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, every nation should seemingly have a connection to that rest. Yet, only the Jewish people received the commandment of Shabbat. Why? Because keeping Shabbat requires a specific level of Bitachon —a reliance on God that is unique to the Jewish people. To truly rest, you must know with certainty that your parnassah (livelihood) is set by God. The Meshech Chochma points out that in Jeremiah (17:7), right after the prophet discusses Bitachon — "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem" —he immediately speaks about Shabbat. A person who trusts in Hashem welcomes Shabbat because they view weekday labor as a "tax" or a necessity to cover miracles (as discussed in Chovot HaLevavot ). The servant of Hashem is happy to stop working because they believe they will lose nothing by taking the day off. The Power of Yetziat Mitzrayim This level of trust was forged during Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). We witnessed Hashgacha Pratit (Divine Providence) firsthand—such as when a glass of water remained water for a Jew but turned to blood for an Egyptian. This direct experience gave us the power to keep Shabbat. The Midrash Rabbah on the verse "The blessing of Hashem brings wealth" explains that this refers specifically to Shabbat. Other nations aren't commanded to keep Shabbat because, without the historical experience of the Exodus and the resulting Bitachon , it would be an impossible burden. God does not give a mitzvah that a person is incapable of fulfilling. The Desert and the Manna This explains why Shabbat was given to us at Marah , even before the revelation at Sinai. When we followed God into a desolate wilderness without asking, "How will we survive?", we demonstrated the "kindness of our youth" ( Chesed Ne'urayich ). By following Him into the desert, we proved we were ready for Shabbat. This is why Shabbat and the Manna were introduced together. The Manna was the ultimate exercise in Bitachon : "My cupboard is empty today, but I know there will be enough tomorrow." Only those with that level of trust ( Ba'alei Bitachon ) can truly keep Shabbat. The Connection to Shabbat HaGadol On the 10th of Nissan in Egypt—which fell on a Shabbat—the Jewish people faced a tremendous test of faith. They were commanded to take a sheep (an Egyptian deity) and tie it to their bedposts. When asked by their neighbors what they were doing, they boldly proclaimed their intent to slaughter it and that the Egyptian firstborns would soon die. It took immense Emunah (faith) to make such a proclamation openly. This act of reliance is the core of Shabbat HaGadol. We celebrate it as "The Great Shabbat" (rather than just the 10th of Nissan) because it marks the moment we showed we were ready to keep Shabbat by displaying our absolute Bitachon . Cleaving to Hashem The Meshech Chochma writes this immediately following his essay on the mitzvah of "U'vo Tidbak" (To Him you shall cleave). He explains that "cleaving" to God is the mitzvah of Bitachon . When you rely on Hashem, He is always on your mind, and you are constantly connected to Him. He poignantly notes that in his own generation, spiritual levels dropped because people worried too much about the future and how to support their families, leading them to turn away from Torah study. He attributed the challenges of European Jewry to a lack of Bitachon . This Shabbat is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our own Bitachon. Just as our ancestors did on that first Shabbat HaGadol in Egypt, let us reaffirm our reliance on Hashem, knowing that He provides for all our needs. Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat HaGadol Shalom!