(ח) שֵׁ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים תֹּאכַ֣ל מַצּ֑וֹת וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י עֲצֶ֙רֶת֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מְלָאכָֽה׃ {ס}
(8) After eating unleavened bread six days, you shall hold a solemn gathering*solemn gathering Precise meaning of Heb. ‘aṣereth uncertain. Cf. Lev. 23.36; Num. 29.35. for your God יהוה on the seventh day: you shall do no work.
דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֜ר י֗וֹם לַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי֙ הַזֶּ֔ה חַ֧ג הַסֻּכּ֛וֹת שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים לַיהֹוָֽה׃ בַּיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן מִקְרָא־קֹ֑דֶשׁ כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים תַּקְרִ֥יבוּ אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהֹוָ֑ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֡י מִקְרָא־קֹ֩דֶשׁ֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם אִשֶּׁ֤ה לַֽיהֹוָה֙ עֲצֶ֣רֶת הִ֔וא כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃
Say to the Israelite people:On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Feast of Booths to the LORD, [to last] seven days. The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations; seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn gathering: you shall not work at your occupations.
וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֛וּ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֖י עֲצָ֑רֶת כִּ֣י ׀ חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ עָשׂוּ֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים וְהֶחָ֖ג שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
On the eighth day they held a solemn gathering; they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the Feast seven days.
בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְרָקִים הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן, בְּפֶסַח עַל הַתְּבוּאָה, בַּעֲצֶרֶת עַל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן, בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם עוֹבְרִין לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים לג) הַיּוֹצֵר יַחַד לִבָּם, הַמֵּבִין אֶל כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. וּבֶחָג נִדּוֹנִין עַל הַמָּיִם:
At four times of the year the world is judged: On Passover judgment is passed concerning grain; on Shavuot concerning fruits that grow on a tree; on Rosh HaShana, all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15); and on the festival of Sukkot they are judged concerning water, i.e., the rainfall of the coming year.
(6) 6. When a week of weeks has passed over after this sacrifice, (which weeks contain forty and nine days,) on the fiftieth day, which is Pentecost, but is called by the Hebrews Asartha, which signifies Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf, made of wheat flour, of two tenth deals, with leaven; and for sacrifices they bring two lambs; and when they have only presented them to God, they are made ready for supper for the priests; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the day following. They also slay three bullocks for a burnt-offering, and two rams; and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats, for sins; nor is there anyone of the festivals but in it they offer burnt-offerings; they also allow themselves to rest on every one of them. Accordingly, the law prescribes in them all what kinds they are to sacrifice, and how they are to rest entirely, and must slay sacrifices, in order to feast upon them.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים, בִּשְׁנֵי נְעָלִים, אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא לִשְׁנֵי פְּרַגְמָטִיטִין שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לִמְדִינָה, עָנָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְאָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ אִם פּוֹתְחִין אָנוּ שְׁנֵינוּ כְּאֶחָד בַּמְּדִינָה, אָנוּ עוֹשִׂין אַפְרַגְיֵיס בַּמְּדִינָה, אֶלָּא פְּתַח אַתָּה שַׁבַּתְּךָ וַאֲנִי שַׁבַּתִּי. רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אַיְּבִי אָמַר מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנַּעַל, אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא בַּנְּעָלִים, שְׁתֵּי נְעָלִים, נְעִילָה בְּפֶסַח וּנְעִילָה בֶּחָג, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתֶּם נוֹעֲלִים לְפָנַי בַּחַג וַאֲנִי נוֹעֵל לִפְנֵיכֶם בַּפֶּסַח. אַתֶּם נוֹעֲלִים לְפָנַי בַּחַג, וַאֲנִי פּוֹתֵחַ וּמַשִּׁיב רוּחוֹת וּמַעֲלֶה עֲנָנִים וּמוֹרִיד גְּשָׁמִים וּמַזְרִיחַ חַמָּה וּמְגַדֵּל צְמָחִים וּמְדַשֵּׁן פֵּרוֹת וְעוֹרֵךְ שֻׁלְחָן לִפְנֵי כָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד צְרָכָיו, וּלְכָל גְּוִיָּה וּגְוִיָּה כְּדֵי מַחְסוֹרָהּ, וַאֲנִי נוֹעֵל לִפְנֵיכֶם בְּפֶסַח, וְאַתֶּם יוֹצְאִים וְקוֹצְרִים וְדָשִׁין וְזוֹרִים וְעוֹשִׂים כָּל צָרְכֵיכֶם בַּשָֹּׂדֶה וּמוֹצְאִין אוֹתָהּ מְלֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי רְאוּיָה הָיְתָה הָעֲצֶרֶת שֶׁל חַג שֶׁתְּהֵא רְחוֹקָה חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד הָעֲצֶרֶת שֶׁל פֶּסַח, אֶלָּא עֲצֶרֶת שֶׁל חַג עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵן יוֹצְאִים מִן הַקַּיִץ לַחֹרֶף לֵית בְּיוֹמַיְהוּ דְּיֵיזְלוּן וְיֵיתוּן, מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ בָּנוֹת הַרְבֵּה, מֵהֶן נְשׂוּאוֹת בְּמָקוֹם קָרוֹב, וּמֵהֶן נְשׂוּאוֹת לְמָקוֹם רָחוֹק, יוֹם אֶחָד בָּאוּ כֻּלָּם לִשְׁאֹל שְׁלוֹם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲבִיהֶם, אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלּוּ שֶׁנְּשׂוּאוֹת בְּמָקוֹם קָרוֹב אִית בְּעוֹנָתָהּ לְמֵיזַל וּלְמֵיתֵי, וְאִלֵּין שֶׁנְּשׂוּאוֹת בְּמָקוֹם רָחוֹק לֵית בְּעוֹנָתָהּ לֵיזֵיל וּלְמֵיתֵי, אֶלָּא עַד דְּאִינוּן כֻּלְּהוֹן אֶצְלִי הָכָא נַעֲבֵד כֻּלָּן חַד יוֹם טַב וְנֶחְדֵּי עִמָּן. כָּךְ עֲצֶרֶת שֶׁל פֶּסַח עַד דְּאִינוּן נָפְקִין מֵהַחֹרֶף לַקַּיִץ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִית בְּיוֹמָא לְמֵיזַל וּלְמֵיתֵי, אֲבָל עֲצֶרֶת שֶׁל חַג עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵן יוֹצְאִין מֵהַקַּיִץ לַחֹרֶף, וַאֲבַק דְּרָכִים קָשֶׁה, וְיָדוֹת דְּרָכִים קָשׁוֹת, לְפִיכָךְ אֵינָהּ רְחוֹקָה חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵית בְּיוֹמַיָא לְמֵיזַל וּלְמֵיתֵי, אֶלָּא עַד דְּאִינוּן הָכָא נַעֲבֵד כֻּלָּן חַד יוֹם טַב וְנֶחְדֵּי, לְכָךְ משֶׁה מַזְהִיר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם (במדבר כט, לה): בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר: מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים.
Another matter, “how fair are your feet in sandals [bane’alim],” with two closings [ne’alim]. Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: [This is analogous] to two merchants who entered a province. One of them spoke up and said to his counterpart: ‘If both of us open together in the province, we will bring down prices in the province. Rather, you open for your week and I [will open] for my week.’ Rabbi Ḥananya son of Rabbi Aivi said: It is not written here: How fair are your feet in a sandal [bana’al], but rather “in sandals [bane’alim]”; two closings [ne’alim], a closing on Passover and a closing on the Festival [of Sukkot]. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: You close before Me on the Festival [of Sukkot], and I close before you on Passover. You close before Me on the Festival [of Sukkot], and I open, blow winds, elevate clouds, cause rain to fall, cause the sun to shine, cause plants to grow, ripen fruit, and set a table for each and every one according to his needs, and [provide] each and every body all that it lacks. I close before you on Passover, and you go out, reap, thresh, winnow, and perform all your needs in the field, and you find it filled with blessings.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The assembly [atzeret] of the Festival [of Sukkot] should have been fifty days removed, corresponding to the assembly of Passover, but the assembly of the Festival, because [these days] transition from summer to winter, it would not be feasible for them to go and return at this time. To what is this matter comparable? It is to a king who had many daughters, some of whom were married [and living] in a nearby place, and some of whom were married [and living] in a distant place. One day they all came to ask after the welfare of their father the king. The king said: ‘Those who are married at a nearby place can go and return any time, but those who are married in a distant place cannot go and return any time. Therefore, while all of them are here with me, we will all make a festival for one day and celebrate with them.’ So too, the assembly of Passover, since [the days] transition from winter to summer, the Holy One blessed be He said it is [feasible] for them to go and return at this time. However, the assembly of the Festival [of Sukkot], because [the days] transition from summer to winter, and the dust on the roads is difficult and the clods of earth are difficult [for travelers]; therefore, it is not fifty days removed. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘It is not [feasible] for them to go and return at this time. Rather, while all of them are here, we will all make a festival for one day and celebrate.’ Therefore, Moses cautions Israel and says to them: “On the eighth day it shall be an assembly for you” (Numbers 29:35). That is: “How fair are your feet in sandals.”