The common practice on Shabbat Hagadol is to read the Haftorah from Malachi ch. 3,  "Then the offering of Yehuda and Yerushalayim will be pleasing to Hashem as in the days of old and in previous years." (Malachi 3:4) Yet, other than the concluding verses, "Behold, I send to you Eliya the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem" (3:23) – which some say is the reason for the name "Shabbat Hagadol" – there is no connection between the Haftorah and this Shabbat, which precedes Pesach. It would have been proper to read something relating to Pesach or the Exodus from Egypt, whereas reflection on the verses of the Haftorah, "I will draw near to you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness..." (Malachi 3:5), shows that whole idea of the Haftorah is the awesome Day of Judgment.

Furthermore, the Brisker Rav asks a number of questions regarding verses in the Haftorah:

1.      "Bring all the tithes into the storage house, and let it be sustenance in My Temple. Test Me, if you will, with this, says Hashem, Master of Legions, [see] if I do not open up for you the windows of the heavens and pour out upon you blessing without end" (3:10) – Why does the pasuk link the giving of the tithes to receiving blessing, "Test Me, if you will...," since giving tithes is a positive commandment from the Torah, and we are obligated to fulfill it without connection to receiving reward?

2.      "Your words have become harsh against Me, says Hashem; but you say, 'How have we spoken against You?' You have said, 'It is for naught to serve G-d! What gain is there for us that we have kept His watch, and that we walk submissively before Hashem, Master of Legions?'" (3:13-14) – This is extremely difficult. If they said, "It is for naught to serve G-d," this is absolute denial, G-d forbid, so how do they claim, "How have we spoken against You?"

3.      "They will be a precious treasure for Me, says Hashem, Master of Legions, on the day which I bring about; and I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who serves him." (3:17) – What is the addition of the words, "who serves him?" It would have been sufficient to say, "as a man has mercy on his son," as it says, "As a father is merciful towards his children." (Tehillim 103:13)?

The Brisker Rav explains as follows. The Gemara (Brachot 35b) says: "Come and see that the later generations are not like the earlier generations. The earlier generations would bring their produce into the house through the door in order to obligate it in tithes; the later generations would bring their produce through the roof ... in order to exempt it from tithes."

The fact is, one who brings his fruit through the roof is, in truth, exempt from tithes, so what is the claim against the later generation? They thought that service of G-d means that a person must do only what is incumbent upon him. However, if there is financial expenditure, and a person can exempt himself from the mitzvah – there is no problem. Just the opposite; let him not lose his money and let him be exempt from the mitzvah. This is their mistake, since the true servant of Hashem is one who does out of love and seeks to fulfill as many mitzvot as possible, not to evade the fulfillment of mitzvot. This is what G-d tells them, "Test me..." If you work harder in fulfilling Hashem's will and His mitzvot by fulfilling the mitzvah of tithes, and you bring the produce in through the door and fulfill the mitzvah – "I will ... pour upon you blessing without end." This is what our Sages comment, "Gives tithes – so that you should become wealthy." (Ta'anit 9a)

This also answers the second question: "You have said, 'It is for naught to serve G-d.'" They did not mean to say that the service of G-d is pointless, but rather that only the service of G-d which is "for free" (lashav) must be fulfilled, but when there is financial loss, there is need to find a means whereby to be exempt from the mitzvah. This is what they said, "What gain is there for us that we have kept His watch." Why should we spend money in order to observe mitzvot if it is possible to be exempt from the mitzvah (as with the mitzvah of tithes)? Therefore, G-d requests of them, "Bring all the tithes into the storage house." Be like the earlier generations, increase the service of G-d, and do not seek means to be exempt from it. G-d promises them that then, "I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who serves him" – not like the regular compassion that is inherent in a father towards his son, but rather like the mercy on a son who serves him, who tries to serve Hashem more. He is not only a son who fulfills what is incumbent upon him, but rather one who seeks ways to serve G-d more.

This is the conclusion of the Haftorah, "Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant." (3:22) The true servant of Hashem was Moshe Rabbeinu, who submitted himself completely to G-d. So, too, each Jew must behave in this way, to be a servant of Hashem. This is our preparation before the holiday of Pesach, which is the festival when we left slavery to freedom. We must bear in mind, however, that the true freedom is, "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain" (Shemot 3:12) – since, "The servant of Hashem – he alone is free" (R. Yehuda Halevi), and, "The only free person is one who is involved in Torah." (Pirkei Avot 6:2)

Pesach Kasher V'Sameach