Pisqa’ 135¹

1

“Then, on the seventh day—it is a Closure-festival ² for HASHEM your God . . .

your shall do no productive work”³ (Dt.16:8-21).

Rabbi says:

is it possible to say that

a person should be cloistered (`atzur)⁴ with the disciple-circle

for the entire day?

The Teaching states:

“Count for yourselves . . . seven complete weeks” (Lv.23:15)⁵—

[for yourselves implies that leisure is permitted on a Festival]!

Is it possible to say that

a person should eat and drink

for the entire day?

The Teaching states:

“It is a Closure-festival for HASHEM your God” (Dt.16:8).

Well now—how is this done?

Devote part of the day to the disciple-circle,

and part of the day to eating and drinking!

2

R. Ishmael says:

Since we have nowhere learned

that the Common-festival days⁶

are prohibited for productive work,

on what basis do we know that

the Common-festival days

are prohibited for productive work?

The Teaching states:

“Six days shall you eat unleavened-bread;

then, on the seventh day—it is a Closure-festival”⁷ (Dt.16:8)—

is it possible to say that

just as you are entirely closeted-in on the seventh day,

you should also be entirely closeted-in on the sixth day?⁸

Or [perhaps this is the proper inference]:

just as you cease productive work on the seventh day,

you should also cease productive work on the sixth day?

The Teaching states:

“Six days shall you eat unleavened-bread,

then, on the seventh day—it is a Closure-festival for HASHEM your God” (Dt.16:8).

Thus, the seventh day is closed-down for all productive work,

but the sixth day is not closed-down for all productive work.⁹

So we see that

Scripture transmits to sages alone

[the right to legislate]

which day is prohibited for productive work

and which day is permitted;

which type of work is prohibited

and which type of work is permitted.

1. H:177-178; JN1:326-327.
2. In rabbinic parlance, the term `Atzeret refers exclusively to the early summer festival of Shavuot (also known as the “First-fruits festival”). The Closure-festivals associated in the Bible with the last day of Passover (Dt.16:8) and the Festival of Huts (Lv. 23:36) have generally been assimilated, by name, to the preceding Common-festival days, despite still being counted as formal days of rest, on which many forms of labor are proscribed.
3. RH includes Dt.16:21 in the quotation. This clarifies the point of the exegesis.
4. Note the assonance with `Atzeret.
5. Commentators dispute precisely which verse is cited. Candidates include: Lv. 23:36 and Nu. 29:35, each of which uses the words “for yourselves” (lakhem) in the context of festival legislation.
6. Heb: yemei mo`ed. This refers to the intermediate days between the festival days of Sukkot and Passover. In rabbinic custom these are days of semi-rest. See M. M.Q. 3:1-4.
7. Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’,. 9.
8. //Sifre Nu. 151
9. //Sifra, ‘emor, par. 12:4.