חָדְשֵׁיכֶ֤ם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֙ שָׂנְאָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י הָי֥וּ עָלַ֖י לָטֹ֑רַח נִלְאֵ֖יתִי נְשֹֽׂא׃
Ang inyong mga Bagong Buwan at ang inyong mga takdang kapistahan ay kinapopootan ng Aking kaluluwa; ang mga ito ay naging pabigat sa Akin; pagod na Ako sa pagpasan sa mga ito.
Kli Yakar
Another explanation: “which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” This proclamation refers to words of Torah, that they should engage in the laws of Passover during Passover, etc. Therefore it states at their appointed times, and concerning this proclamation it says These are My appointed times. However, when they are not engaged in them but rather only in eating and drinking, they are not the appointed times of God at all, and concerning them it is said Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates (Isaiah 1:14). And regarding what is written, These you shall offer to the Lord on your appointed festivals (Numbers 29:39), it is because one needs to give half to God and half for yourselves.
Sforno
אלה הם מועדי, “these are the appointed dates on which I will demonstrate My pleasure in your company.” If you were to treat these dates as ordinary days, week days, they would turn from being מקראי קודש to מקראי חול assemblies devoted exclusively to the transient life on earth and the physical pleasures people want to experience in this life. They would then not be מועדי, “My appointed times,” but would turn into מועדיכם שנאה נפשי, “your appointed times, the ones My soul detests.” (same chapter in Isaiah 1,14)
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.”