הַ֨נִּסְתָּרֹ֔ת לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת לָ֤ׄנׄוּׄ וּׄלְׄבָׄנֵׄ֙יׄנׄוּׄ֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ (ס)
Co tajne należy do Wiekuistego, Boga naszego; ale co jawne - do nas i do synów naszych na wieki, abyśmy spełniali wszystkie słowa zakonu tego.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אלה מועדי ה' מקראי קודש אשר תקראו אותם, “These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations, which you are to proclaim, etc.” The Torah describes all the festivals as related to the attribute Hashem. The reason the word אלה is used to introduce them is that that word symbolises something permanent, enduring. The message is that these festivals will not become redundant through historic developments in the future. As long as this physical universe will continue to exist the Jewish people will continue to observe these festivals. This is also what is meant when the Torah wrote the words לנו ולבנינו עד עולם, “for us and our children forever” (Deut. 29,28), i.e. the laws of the Torah apply for all foreseeable future times.
Tanchuma Pinchas 17 relates that a Gentile once asked Rabbi Akiva why the Jews were still celebrating the festivals when the prophet (Isaiah 1,14) had told the people that “G’d hated your new moons and your festivals, etc.” Rabbi Akiva answered that if Isaiah had spoken of “My new moons, My festivals,” instead of: “your new moons and your festivals,” he would have a point. What G’d hated were the festivals introduced by King Jerobam which were meant to supplant the festivals described in the Torah here. We have been told in Kings I 12,32 that King Jerobam introduced a festival in the eighth month (to supplant Sukkot in the seventh month), a month he had chosen of his own will (verse 34).
Furthermore, it is written in verse 38 of our chapter “apart from the Sabbaths days of the Lord,, etc.” The repetition of the word אלה, “ these,” in verse 37 of our chapter plus the word מלבד in verse 38 are the Torah’s way of saying that no other festivals are to be considered as “G’d’s” festivals. The ones listed in our portion will never be abolished; this is why they are called “G’d’s festivals.” Concerning these festivals the psalmist said in Psalms 111,8: “they are well-founded for all eternity, wrought of truth and equity.”
Tanchuma Pinchas 17 relates that a Gentile once asked Rabbi Akiva why the Jews were still celebrating the festivals when the prophet (Isaiah 1,14) had told the people that “G’d hated your new moons and your festivals, etc.” Rabbi Akiva answered that if Isaiah had spoken of “My new moons, My festivals,” instead of: “your new moons and your festivals,” he would have a point. What G’d hated were the festivals introduced by King Jerobam which were meant to supplant the festivals described in the Torah here. We have been told in Kings I 12,32 that King Jerobam introduced a festival in the eighth month (to supplant Sukkot in the seventh month), a month he had chosen of his own will (verse 34).
Furthermore, it is written in verse 38 of our chapter “apart from the Sabbaths days of the Lord,, etc.” The repetition of the word אלה, “ these,” in verse 37 of our chapter plus the word מלבד in verse 38 are the Torah’s way of saying that no other festivals are to be considered as “G’d’s” festivals. The ones listed in our portion will never be abolished; this is why they are called “G’d’s festivals.” Concerning these festivals the psalmist said in Psalms 111,8: “they are well-founded for all eternity, wrought of truth and equity.”
Kli Yakar
And so we find in the portion of Pinchas (Numbers 27:18) regarding Joshua, that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Take for yourself Joshua son of Nun, a man who has spirit within him, and you shall lay your hand upon him — implying one hand. But in practice it is stated (Numbers 27:23): And he laid his hands upon him — implying two hands. Similarly here, in the command it says and he shall lay his hand, but in practice it is written: and Aaron shall lay both his hands. And likewise in the portion of Pinchas, the passage about the daily burnt offering is placed next to Joshua’s appointment, to tell you that just as the regular offerings bear the guilt of the people — for the morning daily offering atones for sins committed at night, and the afternoon daily offering atones for sins committed throughout the day — and this is the reason for the laying of hands, to place the taint and blemish of all Israel upon the offering, so too the leaders of Israel are a guilt offering for the people, as our Sages learned (Sifrei, Deuteronomy 1:13) from the verse and I will make them heads over you — that the guilt of the people is dependent on their leaders. And this is the reason for the laying of hands upon Joshua, saying: “Behold, the guilt of the people is dependent upon you, both sins of action and sins of thought.” And this specifically applies to “a man who has spirit within him” like Joshua, who knows how to go against the spirit of each and every person, for he is able to see through the holy spirit that is upon him all that comes upon the spirit of each and every person. And when he sees in someone that a spirit of confusion has been drawn into them, not the spirit of God (1 Kings 19:11), then it is incumbent upon him to turn them from their way, to rebuke them, and to chastise them. And if he does not rebuke them, then the sin is dependent on him. But a person who does not have spirit within him and cannot go against the spirit of each and every person is not held accountable for the sins of thought of their fellow, for the hidden things belong to the Lord our God (Deuteronomy 29:28), and none of us knows the extent of our fellow’s spirit and thoughts.
Abarbanel
The first introduction in the matters of the kings memorialized in this book and it appropriate that we discuss ten topics: The first topic is the ??? according to their dates. For of the kings mentioned in these books, only a few ruled the whole nations: Shual, David, and Solomon who reigned over all the tribes united. You will see that all three were Men of Valor, G-d fearing and Men of Truth. As I explained in the Book of Samuel that the reigns summed to 100 years, keep this memory aid to hand (Kings 1, 20:31) "Magnanimous kings are they" for 'Melchi' adds to 100. These kings were unique in reigning over all the tribes without divisions because once the kingdom was divided in the days of Rechavem and Yeravam. King Rechavam and all the progeny of House of David ruled over the tribes of Yehuda and Binyamin, majority of the tribe of Levi and the fraction of the tribe of Shimon whose patrimony was amid the patrimony of the sons of Yehuda. You will see in their stories, which of them walked in peace and wealth along the path of their father, David and which among them ?betrayed? G-d and went wayward to serve other gods. The length of the reign of the Kings of Judah, good and bad, was 393 years. A hint to this (Proverbs 15:3) "The eyes of G-d observe both bad and good, since the words 'raim and tovim' sum to 393 [translator's note: the gemateria is 392 +1 for the phrase]
Rashi
The Lord counts in the script of the peoples, “This one, etc.” This is a transposed verse, and סלה, forever, which is said at the end, refers to the beginning: When the Lord counts in the script of the peoples forever. That means that in the future, when the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes the nations for an abhorrence, He will count the Israelites who are assimilated among them and those who were coerced [to abandon Judaism] among them and extract them from their midst, and [He shall] say, “This one was born of those of Zion,” and He will choose them for Himself. This is what Isaiah says (66:21): “And from them, too, will I take for priests and for Levites.” From the nations bringing them for tribute, I shall take those assimilated among them. And there will be among them priests and Levites who are unrecognizable, but they are revealed to Me, says the Lord. Now where did He say it? (Deut. 29:28) “The secret things belong to the Lord, our God.”