Commento su Levitico 23:5

בין הערבים AT EVENTIDE — i. e. the period from six hours onwards (reckoning from six o’clock in the morning) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 11 1; cf. Rashi on Exodus 12:6).

'בין הערבים פסח לה; although the day on which the Passover is being slaughtered is the 14th of Nissan, not one of the days listed as מקרא קודש, the Torah relates to it as if it were, seeing that this sacrifice, signifying the Exodus from Egypt, the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery, is at the root of the whole legislation governing the Jewish calendar. The sages are empowered to see to it that the annual calendar date which the Torah legislated for this sacrifice to be offered coincides with the month in which the spring equinox occurs, so as to ensure that we do not violate the concept of היום אתם יוצאים בחודש האביב, “on this day you left (Egypt) it was during the month of spring.” The concept of “spring” and its message of resurrection of nature which had hibernated during the winter is so strong that it is part of the אלה מועדי ה' concept. (compare Deuteronomy 16,1)

בין הערבים פסח לשם, "at dusk it is the Lord's passover." This means that the part of the passover offering which belongs to G'd, i.e. the sprinkling of the blood and the burning of the fat parts of the lamb must occur on the eve of the 14th of Nissan. However, the part of that sacrifice which is to be consumed by every Jew has to occur after nightfall in conjunction with the eating of unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Furthermore, the expression "a passover to G'd" is a reminder of the very first passover sacrifice, the one the Jews slaughtered in Egypt. That Passover was of immediate benefit to the Jewish people so that the sacrifice could hardly be called "a passover for G'd." It included elements which were never repeated. In Shemot Rabbah 19 we are told concerning the Passover of Moses (not he personally but the one he commanded at the time) that it contained the fragrance carrried by the winds from Paradise. Compare what I have written in my commentary on Exodus 12,43 in this connection. In addition to that, the first Passover was responsible for G'd killing the firstborn of the Egyptians. Now that the Passover was merely a commemoration of what had occurred as part of the first Passover the people offering it could truly claim that they did so for G'd i.e. that it is a "passover for G'd."

From six hours onward. I.e., from the beginning of the day until six hours [midday], the day is brightest. And from six hours onwards it is less bright than before, therefore from six [hours] onwards is called evening. The real evening is when night approaches and it becomes very dark. Thus the entire period from immediately after six hours [into the day] onwards until nightfall is called “between the evenings.”

A Pesach (offering) for Adonoy. This time period is also called an “appointed time” because melachah is prohibited while bringing the Pesach offering, and it is a “holy assembly” for reciting Hallel during the offering of the Pesach. Therefore, it says here “in the afternoon” because it is only called an “appointed time” in the afternoon.

בין הערבים, פסח, “at dusk, a Passover;” on the eve of the first day of Passover. The night between the fourteenth and the fifteenth of that month is called “Passover.” The reason is that during that night the people were busy consuming the meat of that offering. The remaining days of that festival are called: חג המצות, “the festival of the unleavened bread.”

פסח לה׳ [AT EVENTIDE] IS THE פסח OF THE LORD — i. e. the offering of the sacrifice which bears the name פסח‎.

The sacrifice whose name is Pesach. Because “Pesach” refers not to the festival, but to “the bringing, etc.”