신명기 16:8의 주석

ששת ימים תאכל מצות SIX DAYS THOU SHALT EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD — But in another passage it states, (Exodus 12:15): “seven days [ye shall eat unleavened bread]’’! But the explanation is: seven days ye may eat Mazzoth prepared from the old produce and six days (out of the seven. i.e. the last six days, after the Omer has been offered and the new crop has become permitted as food) ye may eat Mazzoth prepared from the new crop (Sifrei Devarim 134:5). Another explanation is: It teaches regarding the eating of unleavened bread on the seventh day of Passover that it is not obligatory; and from here (from this law concerning the seventh day) you may derive the law for the other six days. For the seventh day was included in the general statement (“seven days, thou shalt eat unleavened bread’’), and in the text: “six days thou shall eat unleavened bread” it has left the general statement, to teach ... eating unleavened bread on it is not obligatory but optional. Now, according to the well-known rule, it did not leave the general statement in order to teach this regarding itself alone but regarding everything that is included in the general statement. Now how is it with the seventh day? It is optional as regards the eating of unleavened bread (as explained in the earlier portion of this comment)! This, too, according to the rule, applies also to everything that was included in the general statement, and therefore all the other days are also optional in this respect, with the exception, however, of the first night of Passover, for which Scripture has fixed it (the eating of unleavened bread) as an obligation, as it is said, (Exodus 22:18) “at evening ye shall eat unleavened bread” (Pesachim 120a; cf. also Rashi on Exodus 12:15).

Now he said, And on the seventh day [of Passover] shall be a solemn assembly to the Eternal thy G-d; thou shalt do no work therein.³⁴⁸Verse 8. But he did not mention the prohibition of work on the first day [of Passover]; he likewise did not state such a prohibition for the Festival of Weeks, nor for Tabernacles, nor did he mention the commandment of the palm-branch [on the Festival of Tabernacles] and he likewise did not mention here the Day of Remembrance [i.e., the New Year] and the tenth of that month [i.e., the Day of Atonement] — the reason, as I have explained, is that now he came to mention only the [commandment to make an] appearance [in the Sanctuary] and the [commandment of] festivity, for all Israelites are obligated to make a pilgrimage on these three festivals to the place which G-d shall choose and celebrate there every man as he is able, according to the blessing of G-d which He hath given him,³⁴⁹Verse 17. to rejoice before Him, to thank for all the good which He hath bestowed on us according to his compassions, and according to the multitude of His mercies.³⁵⁰Isaiah 63:7.
He [Moses] added, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly³⁴⁸Verse 8. meaning: Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread³⁴⁸Verse 8. and in addition to them is a solemn assembly on the seventh day, the purport being that they be further detained before Him to eat the unleavened bread. And because he said that [the seventh day] is Atzereth it might possibly mean that they be “restrained” only for the eating of the unleavened bread as on the [six] preceding days, therefore it was necessary to admonish [also in the same verse] that you are not to do work therein. Similarly He said with reference to the eighth day of the Festival of Tabernacles in the section on the festivals in the Book of Leviticus, Seven days ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Eternal; on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Eternal; it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no manner of servile work,³⁵¹Leviticus 23:36. meaning that [the eighth day] is restrained in addition to the first [seven] days with respect to the bringing of a fire-offering, and it has a further prohibition against [doing therein any manner of] servile work, [a prohibition shared only by the first day of Tabernacles, but not by any of the intermediate days].
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala, the verse stating that the seventh day of Passover] Atzereth³⁴⁸Verse 8. is “the congregation of Israel,”³⁵²Here used as a Cabalistic term, alluding to the first seven Emanations. and the verse comes to each us the secret of the day. But it is not like Atzereth of the eighth day of Tabernacles, for the eighth day is a separate festival³⁵³Rosh Hashanah 4b. See Ramban to Leviticus 23:36 (Vol. III, pp. 392-394). and the offering brought then, is for the congregation of Israel, but it is unlike the offerings brought on the seven days [of the Tabernacles]. The seventh day of Passover, however, is part of the Festival [of Passover] and it is Atzereth, for, sometimes it is counted as the eighth³⁵⁴See Vol. I, p. 27, Note 64. It is thus considered “eighth” if the count of the Emanations begins with Kether (crown). See L’vush Ha’orah to Ricanti here. and sometimes it is included [as part of the seven]. Thus it is like the Sabbath in which there is the [commandment to] remember and [the commandment to] observe, the honor for the day and honor for the night.³⁵⁵See Vol. II, pp. 308-309. [Thus the offering on the seventh day of Passover is part of the festival], and therefore he said here, a solemn assembly to the Eternal thy G-d, while there [with reference to the eighth day of Tabernacles] it is said, and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Eternal; it is a solemn assembly,³⁵¹Leviticus 23:36. meaning that the offering is the Atzereth and therefore “the meal” is small.³⁵⁶This is a reference to the fact that the Additional Offering on the eighth day of Tabernacles was smaller than those of the preceding seven days, and also smaller than the Additional Offering of the seventh day of Passover. The student learned in the mystic teachings of Cabala will understand.
He [Moses] did not mention here the eighth day of the Festival of Tabernacles, because it has already been mentioned, and [because] there is no obligation that we go up in pilgrimage to the Sanctuary another time [in honor of the eighth day].

וביום השביעי עצרת, on that day the Israelites are to be assembled together in communal worship of the Lord. They will sing the song sung by the Israelites after they had crossed the Sea of Reeds on dry ground. This is why this day has been given a special sanctity.

וביום השביעי עצרת לה' אלוקיך לא תעשה מלאכה, “and on the seventh day you will observe an assembly for Hashem; on that day no work is to be performed.” Nachmanides draws to our attention that Moses here has not referred to the prohibition to carry out work on the first day of Passover, neither did he refer to the work prohibition on Shavuot or Sukkot, just as he did not refer to the commandment of the four species to be used on the Sukkot festival. The New Year holiday and the Day of Atonement are similarly omitted altogether in this chapter. The reason is that Moses’ main concern in this chapter is to emphasise the commandment to make the pilgrimages to the Temple on the three festivals on which they are mandatory. The reason why the work-prohibition on the seventh day of Passover is highlighted, is that on that day matzah does not have to be eaten, it is eaten voluntarily only because leavened bread is prohibited, a law that had as yet not been sufficiently defined. The wording וביום השביעי, וגו' is a hint that though we might have thought that by eating matazh for 6 days, as mentioned in our verse, that this concludes the Passover festival, it is not so, but the seventh day is special, including a work prohibition. We might have thought it is special only in that we continue to eat מצה, but the fact is that it is a full-scale festival, no work is to be performed. It is distinguished as such by the presentation of another fire offering of a communal character in honour of the day. [It is, of course, the anniversary of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, and the drowning of the Egyptian army in its waves and, being so, concludes the celebration of the Exodus. Ed.]

ששת ימים תאכל מצות, “for six days you shall eat unleavened bread.” How do we reconcile this verse with verse 3 earlier where the Torah commanded that in connection with the Passover we are to eat unleavened bread for seven days? Our sages in Pessachim 120 explained that the reason that the seventh day has been exempted from the general rule, meaning that eating unleavened bread on the seventh day of Pesach is not an obligation but is voluntary, derives from the fact that leavened bread is prohibited. The exemption is used as a model, teaching that just as it is not obligatory to eat unleavened bread on the seventh day, so what is written in our verse about eating unleavened bread during six days of the Passover holiday is also voluntary (though highly recommended). The only time the consumption of unleavened bread is obligatory is on the first evening when the Passover lamb is being consumed. This is why this legislation appears already in that connection in Exodus 12,18.

Elsewhere it is said seven days. See Re”m for further elaboration. But I have previously stated that I do not mention whatever is not necessary for the simple understanding.

V. 8. ששת ימים וגו׳. Es heißt im vorigen Verse ופנית בבקר וגו׳, und nach allgemeinster Auffassung ist, wie wir dort bemerkt, dieser Tag der Heimkehr der sechzehnte Nissan. Hier folgt nun, dass von diesem Tage an noch sechs Tage Mazzot gegessen werden, resp. kein Chamez gegessen werden darf, und am siebten Tage des Festes (es ist dies der sechste dieser sechs Tage) sei ein Azerettag, der (wie der erste) keine מלאכה gestattet. Dieser Auffassung entspricht die Menachot 66 a allegierte ברייתא des ספרי: ששה מן החדש שבעה מן הישן (so ist die Lesart in der מכילתא בא), dass nämlich, wenn hier von sechs Mazzottagen gesprochen wird, obgleich es oben V. 3 heißt שבעת ׳ימים וגו, hier die sechs Tage zu verstehen seien, an welchen die Mazzot bereits von חדש, von der neuen Frucht gegessen werden können (siehe Wajikra 23, 14). Es ist damit entschieden klar, dass diese ברייתא die sechs Tage unseres Textes von dem sechzehnten bis zum zweiundzwanzigsten inkl. zählt. Der sechzehnte Tag, eben der Tag der Heimkehr, ist auch der Tag der Omerdarbringung, mit welchem die neue Frucht zum Genuss gestattet wird, der Tag, an welchem ja auch das folgende שבעה שבועות usw. anknüpft. Vergegenwärtigen wir uns aber, wie die ganze Omerinstitution und der sich an sie knüpfende איסור חדש immer aufs neue zum Bewusstsein bringt, dass nicht nur die im פסח zu begehende persönliche Freiheit, sondern auch die durch das Land gewährte Selbständigkeit ein unmittelbares Geschenk aus Gottes Händen ist, und dieses Land noch Gottes Eigentum bleibt, so bleibt, dass kein Ackerbesitzer die Sichel an sein Getreide legen darf, bevor am sechzehnten Nissan mit dem Omer vom neuen Schnitt Gott die Huldigung dargebracht ist: so begreifen wir das Bedeutsame dieser ברייתא. Es ist der Omertag, an welchem die Heimkehr in die häuslichen Kreise gestattet ist; und wenn sie die Bekenntnismazza am Peßachabend und das Mazzabrot am ersten Tage des Mazzotfestes nur von der vorjährigen Frucht essen durften und erst die Omerhuldigung am sechzehnten, dem Heimkehrtage, ihnen die neue Frucht gestattet, so gibt ihnen eben diese Gestattung die Mahnung mit in die Heimat, und jedes Stückchen Mazza, das sie nun die sechs Tage von der neuen Frucht essen dürfen, wiederholt ihnen die Mahnung: dass sie auch mit Haus und Hof, zu denen sie nun zurückkehren, sich nur als Lehnsassen zu begreifen und zu bewähren haben, und nun in Haus und Hof und mit Haus und Hof das wahr machen sollen, was namens der Gesamtnation Gott, dem Lehnsherrn von Haus und Hof eines jeden, im עומר התנופה aufs neue angelobt worden.

ששת ימים תאכל מצות, “for six consecutive days you must eat unleavened bread;” this too is basically a repetition as the commandment to eat unleavened bread only during all the days of Passover has already been spelled out, so that this line adds only that whereas during six of these days the eating of bread is optional (unleavened bread only of course,) on the first day, when the Passover is being eaten to the accompaniment of the eating of matza, i.e. eating “bread,” is mandatory. The subject of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover therefore is to be understood as follows: you will go up to Jerusalem no later than so that you time your arrival to be not later than noon, and having gotten rid of any chametz, something leavened, you proceed to slaughter your Passover lamb, and prepare it for consumption in the evening, and in the meantime you have baked your which does not take long. When you have performed all the rituals on that evening, you are free to leave Jerusalem in the morning, [if you live within the distance that travel is allowed on a festival. Ed.] During the remaining six days, when you feel the desire to eat bread, you may bake fresh matzot every day.

עצרת לה' אלהיך [AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY SHALL BE] A RESTRICTION IN HONOR OF THE LORD — i.e., restrict yourself from work (Chagigh 18a). — Another explanation is that עצרת denotes a gathering for eating and drinking (a banquet), like the expression used (Judges 13:15) “Let us detain (נעצרה) thee [that we may make ready a kid for thee]”.

ולא תעשה מלאכה, if not for that, the seventh day would not be recognisable as holy at all, just as the seventh day of Sukkot is not called a מקרא קודש, holy convocation.

וביום השביעי עצרת, “and on the seventh day is a concluding festival.” The reason the Torah chose the word עצרת to describe this day is that the people are perceived as “detained” by G’d for another day. They are all gathered in the various synagogues and houses of study (compare Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 23,36). The people are detained in the sense of being unable to perform their regular activities, i.e. due to the work prohibition.”
Onkelos translates the word as כנישו, ”festive assembly.” We (author) have explained the deeper significance of the word (and the meaning of the day) under the heading: a kabbalistic approach on Numbers 29,38 [see translation there].

Seven from the old crop, six from the new. For on the sixteenth of Nisan the omer is brought, and that permits the new crop. But if one wishes to eat from the old crop all seven days, he is permitted [to do so].

In dieses Kompendium für die Zukunft der Dezentralisation gehört diese Mahnung in allererster Linie hinein.

וביום השביעי, “and on the seventh day;” this is the seventh day when you started counting from the night of the Seder.

לא תעשה מלאכה, “you are not to perform work.” Whereas in connection with the Sabbath the work prohibition is described as “you must not do “any” work, the word “any” does not appear here. It could not have appeared seeing that on festivals preparation of food and work connected with it is permitted (Ibn Ezra).

Another interpretation. This teaches that eating matzoh on the seventh day is not obligatory, etc. This has been explained in Parshas Bo (Shmos 12:15), see there.

Die Auffassung einer anderen ברייתא (Peßachim 120 a) ist schwieriger. Ihr zufolge wären die ששת ימים unseres Textes die ersten sechs Tage und wäre, obgleich der siebte Tag bereits (V. 3) hinsichtlich der אכילת מצה mit den sechs vorangehenden Tagen zusammen begriffen ist, שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות hier אכילת מצה nur von den sechs Tagen ausgesprochen, und für den siebten mit Übergehung derselben nur die עצרת-Pflicht geboten, um damit die אכילת מצה überhaupt für die ganzen sieben Tage mit Ausnahme des ersten Peßachabends als רשות und nicht als מצוה zu begreifen: מה שביעי רשות אף ששת ימים רשות. Wir glauben dieser ברייתא gemäß den Sinn unserer Stelle also zu verstehen: nach den positiven Pflichten des Peßachabends haben die folgenden sechs Tage nur das negative Gebot der אכילת מצה, das nur מצה-Brot mit Ausschluss des חמץ gestattet (siehe Schmot 12, 15); erst am siebten Tage tritt wieder ein positives Gebot: עצרת לה׳ אלהיך ein. Es konnte das Gesetz neben עצרת nicht auch תאכל מצות am siebten Tage aussprechen, weil der Pflichtwert dieser beiden Aussprüche ein völlig verschiedener sein soll. עצרת soll ein absolutes, positives Gebot, תאכל מצות aber nur ein relatives, nur אכילת חמץ verneinendes sein. Damit ist denn überhaupt dem שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות: nur der relative, חמץ versagende, רשות-Charakter vindiziert. Es ist dies infolge des hermeneutischen Kanons: דבר שהיה בכלל ויצא מן הכלל ללמד לא ללמד על עצמו יצא אלא ללמד על הכלל כולו יצא so war auch hier die אכילת מצה des siebten Tages mit derjenigen der übrigen Tage בכלל שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות, und wurde nun hier aus dem כלל besonders hervorgehoben, יצא מן הכלל ללמד um dadurch, dass das Gesetz sie nicht der עצרת-Pflicht zur Seite nennen konnte, den רשות-Charakter zu erhalten; dieser למוד ist damit nicht nur für die אכילת מצה des siebten Tages, sondern auch für die אכילת מצה aller übrigen Tage gegeben, לא ללמד על עצמו יצא וכו׳ (daselbst).

עצרת, “shall be a solemn an assembly;” on that day you will abstain from all the activities that you have abstained from during the preceding six days. [This translation of the word: עצרת is borrowed from the commentary of Rash’bam Ed.]

עצרת לה׳ אלהיך (siehe zu Wajikra 23, 36 und Bamidbar 29, 35). Der siebte Tag bringt uns die Aufgabe, alle die Erkenntnisse, Gesinnungen und Vorsätze, die die יציאת מצרים-Tage in uns aufs neue geweckt haben sollen, nun in Sammlung vor Gott, also zusammenfassend festzuhalten, dass wir sie als "bleibendes" Gut ins tätig schaffende Leben mit hinausnehmen. Bamidbar 29, 35 heißt es: עצרת תהיה לכם, hier עצרת לה׳ אלהיך, und wird daran Beza 15 b gelehrt: חלקהו חציו לה׳ וחציו לכם, dass wir diese innere Sammlung vor Gott sowohl ׳לה in rein geistiger Zuwendung zu Gott, als auch לכם, unserem leiblich irdischen Menschendasein zugewendet zu lösen haben, oder wie es im ספרי z. St. heißt: וביום השביעי עצרת לה׳ אלהיך יכול יהא אדם עצור כל היום כלו בבית המדרש ת׳׳ל עצרת תהיה לכם הא כיצד תן חלק לבית המדרש ותן חלק לאכילה ולשתיה. Es fließt dies ganz aus der jüdischen Wahrheit der Lebensaufgabe, die den ganzen Menschen mit Geist und Leib in das Bereich gottnahen sittlichgeistigen Strebens gehoben wissen will.

לא תעשה מלאכה (siehe Schmot 12. 16). Der עצרת-Charakter des Tages schließt עשית מלאכה aus.