Commentaire de citation sur Le Lévitique 23:34

I have seen a comment by the outstanding scholar Rabbi Yehudah Rosenish, author of Mishneh Lamelech (commentary on the יד החזקה by Maimonides) on Hilchot Chametz Umatzah 6,2, where he quotes a Baraitha similar to the one we have quoted before whose text is as follows ( Torat Kohanim chapter 11 on Leviticus 23,6): the words הזה חג המצות, mean that on this day matzot are mandatory; on Sukkot, however, matzot are not mandatory. We could have learned a קל וחומר reasoning that if a festival (Passover) which does not require that we move into a Sukkah still requires us to eat matzot, then surely a festival on which we have to move into a Sukkah requires us to eat matzot. The Torah therefore wrote הזה חג המצות to make it clear that matzot are mandatory only on Passover. In chapter 14 of the same Torat Kohanim on Leviticus 23,34 on the sequence of the words הזה חג הסוכות, the following Baraitha is quoted: These words mean that only the festival of Sukkot requires us to move out into huts whereas the festival of Passover does not include such a requirement. I could have learned a קל וחומר saying that if this festival which does not require us to eat matzot nonetheless requires us to move into huts, then a festival, i.e. Passover, which does require us to eat Matzot most certainly also requires us to move into huts. The Torah therefore writes הזה to teach us that only on the festival of Sukkot are we required to move into huts. The author of Lechem Mishneh there raises the same questions we have raised in connection with the Baraitha concerning the words מן הצרעת and וטהרו in our portion. It will be worth your while to see what Rabbi Rosenish answers there although I consider his words slightly forced. There are a number of authorities who do not consider it worth their while to examine Maimonides' rulings critically when what is at issue is a lenient ruling concerning a matter whose biblical origin is doubtful at best. [This is relevant because Maimonides' ruling concerns whether it is adequate to swallow the bitter herbs without tasting them. Ed.]

SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: WHEN YE ARE COME INTO THE LAND. Since He establishes a new commandment here in connection with each of the festivals, in addition to their being days of rest and holy convocation, therefore He singled out for each festival a special section, which begins with the charge, Speak unto the children of Israel.²⁴²So also further on in Verse 24 [in connection with the New Year], and Verse 34 [in connection with the Festival of Tabernacles]. The reason why that expression is not found in connection with the Festival of Weeks and the Day of Atonement will be explained in the text. And since the time of the Festival of Weeks is dependent upon the omer,²⁴³Literally: “a measure.” This refers to the meal-offering of the new barley brought on the second day of Passover, which is the sixteenth day of Nisan. From that day on we count the forty-nine “days of the omer,” and on the fiftieth day is the Festival of Weeks. Thus it is clear that the time of this festival is dependent upon the omer. therefore He stated it all in one section. And because the Day of Remembrance [i.e., the New Year] and the Day of Atonement are in one month [Tishri], and both relate to one subject — the [Divine] Judgment concerning man’s sins and the atonement [achieved] by those who do repentance — therefore He did not say concerning the Day of Atonement “speak unto the children of Israel,” since the first statement [about the New Year] was sufficient in this case. He made, however, two separate sections [of the omer and the Festival of Weeks, as also the New Year and the Day of Atonement], because they are different matters.