Kaisipang Hudyo sa Mikas 7:15: Akeidat Yitzchak

Shemot Rabbah 15 quotes Psalm 33,12, "Hail the nation whose G-d is the Lord." Since G-d chose the universe, He established new moons and years. When G-d chose Jacob and his sons, He established the new moon of redemption on which Israel would be redeemed in the future. This is based on what we read in Michah 7,15, "As in the days when you sallied forth out of Egypt, so I will show wondrous deeds then." During that month, Isaac was born, during that month he was bound on the altar, during that month Jacob received the blessings, and during that month G-d hinted to Israel that it would be the beginning of the redemption, since it is written, "It is the first for you of the months of the year" (Exodus 12). This can be compared to a king who took his son out of prison and said, "Make this day a festive day every year from now on, since my son came out of darkness into light, and out of slavery into freedom."

The Midrash quoted at the beginning has this idea in mind. Once G-d chose the world, He determined the dates of new moons, and new years. The new years were indicative of the natural law that was to govern the universe, i.e. the system based on the month of Tishrey. Once G-d saw that the universe could not function successfully on this basis of midat hadin, attribute of justice, He chose Jacob and his descendants, i.e. tzaddikim. Because of the latter's good deeds, G-d was prepared to flood the world with midat hachessed, harachamim, mercy, Personal Intervention. He set aside the beginning of the month of Nissan for commencement of this method of guiding history towards His objectives. "The work of the Lord is great, and consists of the day the Jews took the lamb" (yom hashem hagadol- Compare Tossaphot Shabbat 87). The word hagadol, the great, is used on another day when ideologies of idol-worshippers are upset. This is on the Day of Atonement when the scapegoat is thrown down the abyss to demonstrate how we feel about people who sacrifice to such creatures, and how such an action by us helps our own kapparah, atonement, forgiveness (Yalkut Shimoni Yael, item 2). The word hagadol, the great, may also be a reference to G-d Himself, rather than an adjective describing the importance of that day and date in the calendar. The grammatical construction then would be yom hashem hagadol, the day of the Lord who is great. We find in Jeremiah 10,6, "Great are You O Lord, and great is Your name. This points out the difference between the Lord G-d from mortal kings. The latter are praised, exalted, only to reveal weaknesses after all. Not so with G-d, who lives up to all His advance billing. On the contrary, it is impossible for mere mortals to express all the praise due Him (compare Chronicles I 29,11 "Yours, O G-d is the greatness, the Power etc.")! G-d’s characteristics are unlike those of human kings. As long as the latter enjoy physical power, they are hardly concerned with real justice, rely on might rather than right. Not so with G-d. He always has power at His disposal, but He employs justice nonetheless (Psalms 99,4).