Shabbat Ha'gadol - by Yaacov Jacob

My teacher, Rav Shmulewitz, taught us on Thursday: The first time Shabbat Ha'gadol shows up in text, is in a Rashi sefer about tefillah. Rashi writes that "the Shabbat before Pesach is Shabbat hag' ". Some early Rabanim say what Rashi meant was Shabbat Hag'gadah, and learn out from this, that on the Shabbat before Pesach one is supposed to read the Haggadah. The Vilna Gaon says it's ah-ssure, prohibited to read the Haggadah on the Shabbat before Pesach. But Sephardim don't usually hold specifically by the Vilna Gaon. In any case the Sephardim seem to never question this Rashi, and always took it to simply mean Shabbat Hag'adol.

The Really Cool hing Is This:

The Tur says that the Shabbat before Pesach is called Shabbat Ha'gadol. The Chidah comments that the Tur is a halacha sefer, so this must be meant l'halacha. Meaning that this Shabbat it is not proper to wish someone the normal way with a "Shabbat Shalom", rather one should say "Shabbat Ha'gadol Shalom (Um'Vorach) ". Ok, so "Shabbat Ha'gadol Shalom" to you all!!!