For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and all the doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming — said the Lord of Hosts — shall burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stock nor boughs. 20 But for you who revere My name a sun of victory shall rise to bring healing. You shall go forth and stamp like stall-fed calves, 21 and you shall trample the wicked to a pulp, for they shall be dust beneath your feet on the day that I am preparing — said the Lord of Hosts. (Mal. 3:19-21)

This week’s Parashat is Achrei Mot (After the Death). This week it corresponds with another special Shabbat HaGadol (the Great Sabbath). I will attempt with the help of God to link the weekly Parashat with this special Shabbat.

Achrei Mot is usually read together with Parashat Kedoshim (Holy Ones), but this year we are reading both separately. So what is the significance of Achrei Mot in conjunction with Shabbat HaGadol?

Achrei Mot begins when God tells Moses that Aaron cannot come to the Temple at will as his sons who died had done. We also must remember not approach God in a haphazard manner. HaGadol to me represents the Great judgement of God between the righteous and the wicked. The verse above represents the fact that God will trample the wicked, but give victory to the righteous.

How do the righteous obtain victory?

This is the Sabbath before Pesach (Passover). This is the Sabbath when we should be taking stock of our lives. We should be preparing to get rid of the Chametz (yeast) in our homes. Chametz also represents sin in our life.

The Israelites were told to leave Egypt in haste not even to allow the bread to rise and this is why we eat Matzah (Unleavened Bread) for seven days. Leaving Egypt for Israel was a picture of leaving their old lives behind and entering a new life in the Promised Land.

There is another great death which took place. That is the death of our Maran Rabbi Yeshua Hamashiach. After the death of Yeshua, we have the ability to approach God in the merit of our Rabbi and obtain the victory of the righteous.

As we reflect this week in preparation for Pesach let us get rid of the Chametz in our lives. So that next week we can give thanks for the Great death of our Rabbi Maran Yeshua.