Chumashחומש

כל הבכור, תקדיש. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ויקרא כ"ז) הוּא אוֹמֵר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ אִישׁ אֹתוֹ", הָא כֵיצַד? אֵינוֹ מַקְדִּישׁוֹ לְקָרְבָּן אַחֵר; וְכָאן לִמֵּד שֶׁמִּצְוָה לוֹמַר הֲרֵי אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ לִבְכוֹרָה. דָּ"אַ — אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", הָא כֵיצַד? מַקְדִּישׁוֹ אַתָּה הֶקְדֵּשׁ עִלּוּי וְנוֹתֵן לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ כְּפִי טוֹבַת הֲנָאָה שֶׁבּוֹ (ערכין כ"ט):

כל הבכור ... תקדיש ALL THE FIRSTLING MALES … THOU SHALT SANCTIFY [UNTO THE LORD] — But in another passage (Leviticus 27:26) it states, “[Only the firstborn of the beasts …] one shall not sanctify it”? How can these be reconciled? The latter passage means: he must not dedicate it as a different sacrifice (i.e. offer it as an עולה or שלמים instead of as a בכור), whilst here it teaches that it is a duty to say: “Thou art holy as a firstborn!” Another comment is: It is impossible to say that “thou shalt sanctify” is to be taken literally, for it already states in another passage “one shall not sanctify it”; it is, on the other hand, also impossible to take “one shall not sanctify it” literally, since it states “thou shalt sanctify it”. How can these be reconciled? In the following manner: by taking תקדיש in our verse to imply: “thou mayest dedicate” so far as the dedication of its value (הקדש עלוי) is concerned, and then he must give a sum corresponding to the טובת הנאה in it to the Temple treasury, but you must not dedicate it as far as the altar is concerned (i.e. dedicate it as any sacrifice other than as a בכור) (Arakhin 29a: cf. Sifrei Devarim 124:4).

לא תעבד בבכור שורך ולא תגז וגו'. אַף הַחִלּוּף לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָסוּר, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהוֹוֶה (בכורות כ"ה):

לא תעבד בבכור שורך ולא תגז וגו׳ THOU SHALT NOT WORK WITH THE FIRSTLING OF THY HERD, NOR SHEAR [THE FIRSTLING OF THY FLOCK] — The converse case also (working with the firstborn sheep and using the hair of the firstborn calf) have our Rabbis derived to be forbidden, but Scripture merely speaks of what usually occurs (Sifrei Devarim 124:6; Bekhorot 25a).

לפני ה' אלהיך תאכלנו. לַכֹּהֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, שֶׁכְּבָר מָצִינוּ שֶׁהוּא מִמַּתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה אֶחָד תָּם וְאֶחָד בַּעַל מוּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י"ח) וּבְשָׂרָם יִהְיֶה לָּךְ וְגוֹ' (בכ' כ"ח):

לפני ה׳ אלהיך תאכלנה THOU SHALT EAT IT BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD — Scripture is speaking to the priest (not to the owner to whom תקדיש in the previous verse refers), for we find already stated that it (the בכור) is one of the dues of the priests whether it is unblemished (and its blood and fat portions are to be sacrificed on the altar and the flesh eaten by the priests), or whether it is blemished (when it must not be offered on the altar), for it states, (Numbers 18:18) “and the flesh of them (the firstborn animals, both the blemished and the unblemished) shall be thine” (the priest’s) (cf. Bekhorot 28a).

שנה בשנה. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מַשְׁהִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר עַל שְׁנָתוֹ; יָכוֹל יְהֵא פָּסוּל מִשֶּׁעָבְרָה שְׁנָתוֹ, כְּבָר הֻקַּשׁ לְמַעֲשֵׂר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים י"ד) וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ, מַה מַּעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל מִשָּׁנָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אַף בְּכוֹר אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל, אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּצְוָה תּוֹךְ שְׁנָתוֹ (בכ' כ"ז):

שנה בשנה [THOU SHALT EAT IT BEFORE THE LORD …] YEAR BY YEAR — From here we derive the law that one should not defer it (i.e. sacrificing and eating it) beyond its first year (Bekhorot 28a). If so, one might think that it becomes invalid as a sacrifice as soon as its first year has passed! This is not the case, for it has been put in comparison with the second tithe, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 14:23; cf. Rashi on that verse): “and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds, and thy flocks”. How is it in the case of the second tithe? It does not become invalid if left over from one year to the other (cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 14:28 and 29), so, too, does the firstborn animal not become invalid under the same circumstances, only that it is a meritorious act to offer and consume it within its first year.

שנה בשנה. אִם שְׁחָטוֹ בְּסוֹף שְׁנָתוֹ אוֹכְלוֹ אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם וְיוֹם אֶחָד מִשָּׁנָה אַחֶרֶת, לִמֵּד שֶׁנֶּאֱכָל לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים וְלַיְלָה אֶחָד (שם):

שנה בשנה (may also be translated A YEAR WITH ANOTHER YEAR) — If one slaughtered it at the end of its first year (an the last day) he may eat it that day and the first day of the next year. This teaches us that it (a firstborn animal) may in all cases be eaten on two successive days and the intervening night (cf. Sifrei Devarim 125; Bekhorot 27b).

מום. כְּלָל:

מום [AND IF THERE BE] ANY BLEMISH [THEREIN, IF IT BE LAME, OR BLIND, OR HAVE ANY ILL BLEMISH, THOU SHALT NOT SACRIFICE IT …] — any blemish is a general statement,

פסח או עור. פְּרָט:

פסח או עור LAME OR BLIND is a particularization,

כל מום רע. חָזַר וְכָלַל — מַה הַפְּרָט מְפֹרָשׁ מוּם הַגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר, אַף כָּל מוּם שֶׁבַּגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר (שם ל"ז):

כל מום רע ANY ILL BLEMISH — it again comprises them in a general statement. How is it with the blemishes particularised? They have the characteristic that each is a visible (external) blemish and the animal never returns naturally to its original condition (i.e. never becomes free from the blemish). So, too, the general statement includes all such blemishes that are visible and incurable [while in the case of a transitory blemish the animal may be sacrificed when the blemish has disappeared] (Bekhorot 37a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 126:2).

רק את דמו לא תאכל. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְכֻלּוֹ הֶתֵּר הַבָּא מִכְּלַל אִסּוּר הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי קָדוֹשׁ וְנִשְׁחָט בַּחוּץ בְּלֹא פִדְיוֹן וְנֶאֱכָל, יָכוֹל יְהֵא אַף הַדָּם מֻתָּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר רק את דמו לא תאכל:

רק את דמו לא תאכל ONLY THOU SHALT NOT EAT THE BLOOD THEREOF — This prohibition appears to be redundant, since the blood of no animal may be eaten, but it is mentioned, in order that you should not think: since it (the blemished firstborn animal) is something that in every respect is permitted originally it belonged to a forbidden class of animals — for, you see, it was holy and yet it may be slaughtered outside the Temple, and may be eaten without redemption — and consequently you might think that its blood is also permitted, Scripture therefore states, “However thou shalt not eat its blood”.

שמור את חדש האביב. מִקֹּדֶם בּוֹאוֹ שְׁמֹר שֶׁיְּהֵא רָאוּי לְאָבִיב – לְהַקְרִיב בּוֹ אֶת מִנְחַת הָעֹמֶר, וְאִם לָאו עַבֵּר אֶת הַשָּׁנָה (עי' סנהדרין י"א):

שמור את חדש האביב WATCH THE MONTH OF ABIB — This means: Before it comes watch whether it will be capable of producing ripe ears (אביב), so that one may offer the Omer meal-offering during it, and if not (i.e. if you observe that the ears will not be ripe by the 16th of Nisan), then intercalate the year (i.e. add a month to the winter-period, so that the month Abib falls later than it otherwise would, by which time the ears will be ripened) (cf. Sanhedrin 11b and Note 4 on p. 191 of Leviticus in the Silbermann edition of the Pentateuch).

ממצרים לילה. וַהֲלֹא בַּיּוֹם יָצְאוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ל"ג) מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'? אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁבַּלַּיְלָה נָתַן לָהֶם פַּרְעֹה רְשׁוּת לָצֵאת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות י"ב) וַיִּקְרָא לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן לַיְלָה וְגוֹ' (בראשית ט'):

ממצרים לילה [FOR IN THE MONTH OF ABIB THE LORD THY GOD BROUGHT THEE FORTH] FROM EGYPT BY NIGHT — But did they not go forth by day , as it is said, (Numbers 30:3) “on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out … [in the sight of all the Egyptians]”? But it states that they went out by night because Pharaoh gave them permission to go forth by night, as it is said, (Exodus 12:31) “And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, [and said, Rise up, go forth from among my people etc.]” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 128:5; Berakhot 9a).

וזבחת פסח לה' אלהיך צאן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות י"ב) מִן הַכְּבָשִׂים וּמִן הָעִזִּים תִּקָּחוּ:

וזבחת פסח לה' אלהיך צאן THOU SHALT THEREFORE SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER UNTO THE LORD THY GOD OF SHEEP, as it is said of the Passover offering, (Exodus 12:5) “Ye shall take it from the sheep or from the goats”,

ובקר. תִּזְבַּח לַחֲגִיגָה, שֶׁאִם נִמְנוּ עַל הַפֶּסַח חֲבוּרָה מְרֻבָּה, מְבִיאִים עִמּוֹ חֲגִיגָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נֶאֱכָל עַל הַשֹּׂבַע (פסחים ס"ט); וְעוֹד לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מִפָּסוּק זֶה:

— ובקר AND OXEN thou shalt slaughter as the חגיגה (the festival offering sacrificed on the fourteenth of Nisan in addition to the Passover offering); for if they have counted themselves (formed themselves) into too large a company for the Passover offering (so that one lamb will not suffice for them) they bring together with it a festival offering and this is eaten first, in order that it (the Passover sacrifice) can be eaten in satiety (i.e. after the appetite is satisfied; cf. Pesachim 69b, 70a). — And besides this our Rabbis derived many Halachic matters from this verse (cf. Sifrei Devarim 129; Berakhot 9a).

לחם עני. לֶחֶם שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר אֶת הָעֹנִי שֶׁנִּתְעַנּוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם (ספרי):

לחם עני THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION — i.e. bread that calls to mind the affliction to which they were subjected in Egypt (Sifrei Devarim 130:5).

כי בחפזון יצאת. וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק בָּצֵק לְהַחֲמִיץ וְזֶה יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְזִכָּרוֹן; וְחִפָּזוֹן לֹא שֶׁלְּךָ הָיָה אֶלָּא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁכֵּן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וַתֶּחֱזַק מִצְרַיִם עַל הָעָם וְגוֹ'" (ספרי):

כי בחפזון יצאת FOR THOU CAMEST FORTH [FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT] IN HASTE, and the dough therefore had no time to become leavened, and this (the eating of unleavened bread) shall be unto you as reminder of this. The haste, spoken of here, was not on thy part, but on Egypt’s part, for so it states, (Exodus 12:33) “And Egypt was urgent upon the people [hastening to send them out of the land]” (Sifrei Devarim 130:6; cf. Berakhot 9a).

למען תזכר. עַל יְדֵי אֲכִילַת הַפֶּסַח וְהַמַּצָּה את יום צאתך:

למען תזכר THAT THOU MAYEST REMEMBER through the eating of the Passover sacrifice and the unleavened bread, את יום צאתך THE DAY WHEN THOU CAMEST FORTH [OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT].

ולא ילין מן הבשר אשר תזבח בערב ביום הראשון לבקר. אַזְהָרָה לַמּוֹתִיר בְּפֶסַח דּוֹרוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא בְּפֶסַח מִצְרַיִם; וְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן הָאָמוּר כָּאן הוּא י"ד בְּנִיסָן, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר "אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְׂאוֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם" (שמות י"ב); וּלְפִי שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק הַכָּתוּב מֵעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל פֶּסַח וְהִתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר בְּחֻקּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, כְּגוֹן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת, וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה לְךָ שְׂאֹר בְּכָל גְּבֻלְךָ, הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ בְּאֵיזוֹ זְבִיחָה הוּא מַזְהִיר, שֶׁאִם כָּתַב וְלֹא יָלִין מִן הַבָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר תִּזְבַּח בָּעֶרֶב לַבֹּקֶר הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר שְׁלָמִים הַנִּשְׁחָטִים כָּל שִׁבְעָה כֻּלָּן בְּבַל תּוֹתִירוּ וְאֵינָן נֶאֱכָלִין אֶלָּא לְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה, לְכָךְ כָּתַב בערב ביום הראשון. דָּבָר אַחֵר בַּחֲגִיגַת י"ד הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְלִמֵּד עָלֶיהָ שֶׁנֶּאֱכֶלֶת לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים, וְהָרִאשׁוֹן הָאָמוּר כָּאן בְּיוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְכֵן מַשְׁמָעוּת הַמִּקְרָא – בְּשַׂר חֲגִיגָה אֲשֶׁר תִּזְבַּח בָּעֶרֶב לֹא יָלִין בְּיֹ"טֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן עַד בָּקְרוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁנִי, אֲבָל נֶאֱכֶלֶת הִיא בְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר וּבַחֲמִשָׁה עָשָׂר, וְכָךְ הִיא שְׁנוּיָה בְמַסֶּכֶת פְּסָחִים (דף ע"א):

ולא ילין מן הבשר אשר תזבח בערב ביום הראשון לבקר NEITHER SHALL ANY OF THE FLESH, WHICH THOU HAST SACRIFIED THE FIRST DAY AT EVEN, REMAIN ALL NIGHT UNTIL THE MORNING — This is a prohibition addressed to one who might, in the case of the Passover sacrifice offered in later generations (i.e. after the first that was offered in Egypt), leave over night any of its flesh. And it was necessary to state this because so far it has been mentioned only with regard to that one Passover sacrifice that was offered in Egypt (פסח מצרים) (Exodus 12:10). — The “first day” spoken of here is the fourteenth day of Nisan (not the, fifteenth which is the first day of the Festival), just as you must explain that term in the passage (Exodus 12:15): “even the first day (ביום הראשון) ye shall put away leaven out of your houses” (cf. Rashi on that verse). — And because Scripture has digressed from the subject of the Passover Sacrifice with which this section begins and has begun to speak of the ordinances relating to the seven days of the festival, as, for instance, (v. 3) “seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread therewith”, and (v. 4) “and there shall be no leaven seen with thee in all thy boundaries [seven days]”, it was compelled to specify with regard to which offering it states the prohibition of leaving the flesh over night. For if it had written only “neither shall any of the flesh which thou sacrificedst at even (not mentioning ביום הראשון) remain all night until the morning”, I might have thought that the peace offerings which are slaughtered during all the seven days all come under the prohibition of “and thou shalt not leave any of it until the morning” (Exodus 12:10), and may therefore be eaten one day and the following night only (which is not so); therefore it wrote “[neither shall any of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst] at even on the first day [remain all night]”. — Another explanation is that Scripture speaks here of the festival offering brought on the fourteenth of Nisan (חגיגת י״ד, not of the קרבן פסח) and that it teaches with reference to it that it may be eaten during two successive days and the intervening night (cf. however, Rashi on Exodus 7:14 and Note 2 thereon). As regards the first day” that is mentioned here — according to this explanation — Scripture is speaking of the first day of the festival (the fifteenth of Nisan), and what the verse implies is the following: None of the flesh of the festival offering which you slaughtered at even (i.e. towards eventide on the fourteenth of Nisan) shall remain on the first day of the festival until the morning of the second day of the festival (the sixteenth of Nisan), but it may be eaten on the fourteenth and the fifteenth (and the intervening night). So is it set forth in Treatise Pesachim 71b.

בערב כבוא השמש מועד צאתך ממצרים. הֲרֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה זְמַנִּים חֲלוּקִים, בָּעֶרֶב מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה זָבְחֵהוּ, וּכְבֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תֹּאכְלֵהוּ, וּמוֹעֵד צֵאתְךָ אַתָּה שׂוֹרְפֵהוּ, כְּלוֹמַר נַעֲשֶׂה נוֹתָר וְיֵצֵא לְבֵית הַשְּׂרֵפָה (ספרי; ברכות ט'):

בערב כבוא השמש מועד צאתך ממצרים [THERE THOU SHALT SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER] AT EVEN, AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN, AT THE APPOINTED TIME THAT THOU CAME FORTH OUT OF EGYPT — But these are three different points of time! The explanation is: at evening, i.e. from the sixth hour (reckoning from six o’clock in the morning) and onwards you shall slaughter it (תזבח בערב); and when the sun goes down you shall eat it, and at the time when you left Egypt (in the early morning) you shall burn it — that is to say, if in the morning there is any flesh left, it becomes what is technically termed נותר and must be removed to the “place of burning” (not actually burnt, for this is not permissible on a festival) (Sifrei Devarim 133:1; cf. Berakhot 9a).

ובשלת. זֶהוּ צְלִי אֵשׁ, שֶׁאַף הוּא קָרוּי בִּשּׁוּל:

ובשלת is identical with צלי אש “roast with fire” mentioned in Exodus 12:9, for it (roasting) also comes under the term בשול “cooking” (Mekhilta).

ופנית בבקר. לְבָקְרוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁנִי, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁטָּעוּן לִינָה לֵיל שֶׁל מוֹצָאֵי י"ט (ספרי; פסחים צ"ה; חגיגה י"ז):

ופנית בבקר AND THOU SHALT TURN IN THE MORNING [AND GO INTO THY TENTS] — i.e. in the morning of the second day of the Passover week. — It teaches us that he (the pilgrim) is required to stay in Jerusalem during the night when the festival terminates (Sifrei Devarim 134:2; Pesachim 95b; Chagigah 17).

ששת ימים תאכל מצות. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר (שמות י"ב) הוּא אוֹמֵר "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים"? שִׁבְעָה מִן הַיָּשָׁן וְשִׁשָּׁה מִן הֶחָדָשׁ (ספרי; מנחות ס"ו); דָּ"אַ — לִמֵּד עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה בַּשְּׁבִיעִי שֶׁאֵינָהּ חוֹבָה, וּמִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד לְשֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁבִיעִי בִּכְלָל הָיָה וְיָצָא מִן הַכְּלָל לְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין אֲכִילַת מַצָּה בּוֹ חוֹבָה אֶלָּא רְשׁוּת, וְלֹא לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמוֹ יָצָא, אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא, מַה שְּׁבִיעִי רְשׁוּת אַף כֻּלָּם רְשׁוּת, חוּץ מִלַּיְלָה הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהַכָּתוּב קְבָעוֹ חוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות י"ב) "בָּעֶרֶב תֹּאכְלוּ מַצֹּת" (מכילתא; פסחים ק"כ):

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).

עצרת לה' אלהיך. עֲצֹר עַצְמְךָ מִן הַמְּלָאכָה; דָּ"אַ — כְּנוּפְיָא שֶׁל מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה, לְשׁוֹן "נַעְצְרָה נָּא אוֹתָךְ" (שופטים י"ג):

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]”.

מהחל חרמש בקמה. מִשֶּׁנִּקְצַר הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהוּא רֵאשִׁית הַקָּצִיר (עי' ספרי; מנחות ע"א):

מהחל חרמש בקמה [BEGIN TO NUMBER SEVEN WEEKS] FROM THE TIME THOU BEGINNEST TO PUT THE SICKLE TO THE CORN — i.e. from when the “Omer” has been cut (from the sixteenth of Nisan) which is the first produce to be harvested (Leviticus 23:10) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 136:2-3; Menachot 71a).

מסת נדבת ידך. דֵּי נִדְבַת יָדְךָ, הַכֹּל לְפִי הַבְּרָכָה הָבֵא שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה וְקַדֵּשׁ קְרוּאִים לֶאֱכֹל:

מסת נדבת ידך means sufficient (די) free-will offerings of thy hand (i.e. of thy possession) (cf. Targum on Deuteronomy 15:8, which renders די מחסרו by כמסת חסרונה); everything must be in accordance with the blessing which God has bestowed upon you (אשר יברכך): offer peace-offerings of rejoicing and invite guests for the meal.

לוי גר יתום ואלמנה. אַרְבָּעָה שֶׁלִּי כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה שֶׁלְּךָ – בנך ובתך ועבדך ואמתך, אִם אַתָּה מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת שֶׁלִּי אֲנִי מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת שֶׁלְּךָ:

לוי גר יתום ואלמנה THE LEVITE THE STRANGER, THE FATHERLESS, THE WIDOW — these four are Mine, corresponding to four that are yours, viz., בנך ובתך ועבדך ואמתך THY SON, THY DAUGHTER, THY MAN-SERVANT AND THY MAID-SERVANT; if you gladden Mine, I will gladden yours (Midrash Tanchuma, Re'eh 18).

וזכרת כי עבד היית וגו'. עַל מְנָת כֵּן פְּדִיתִיךָ, שֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר וְתַעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה:

וזכרת כי עבד היית וגו׳ AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A SERVANT [IN EGYPT] — Only on this condition did I deliver you from Egypt: that you keep and do these statutes.

באספך. בִּזְמַן הָאָסִיף שֶׁאַתָּה מַכְנִיס לַבַּיִת פֵּרוֹת הַקַּיִץ; דָּ"אַ — באספך מגרנך ומיקבך, לִמֵּד שֶׁמְּסַכְּכִין אֶת הַסֻּכָּה בִּפְסֹלֶת גֹּרֶן וְיֶקֶב (ראש השנה י"ג; סוכה י"ב):

באספך [THOU SHALT KEEP THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES …] AFTER THAT THOU HAST GATHERED IN THE PRODUCE — i.e. at the usual harvest time, when thou bringest into the house the summer fruits. Another explanation is: באספך מגרנך ומיקבך teaches that one should cover the Succah only with the פסולת (lit., the chips, — that which falls off) of the barn and the wine-press [i.e. with vegetable matter] (Rosh Hashanah 13a; Sukkah 12a).

והיית אך שמח. לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ אֵין זֶה לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הַבְטָחָה, וּלְפִי תַלְמוּדוֹ לָמְדוּ מִכָּאן לְרַבּוֹת לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָאַחֲרוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה (שם מ"ח):

והיית אך שמח ONLY BE REJOICED — According to its plain sense this is not the expression of a command but expresses an assurance: “thou will be rejoicing”. But according to the Halachic interpretation they (the Rabbis) derived from here that the night before the last day of the festival (that preceding the eighth day) is to be included in the obligation of rejoicing (Sukkah 48a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 142:4).

ולא יראה את פני ה' ריקם. אֶלָּא הָבֵא עוֹלוֹת רְאִיָּה וְשַׁלְמֵי חֲגִיגָה:

ולא יראה את פני ה׳ ריקם AND THEY SHALL NOT APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD EMPTY, but — bring the burnt offerings that are obligatory when one appears before the Lord, and the peace offerings of the festival.

איש כמתנת ידו. מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אוֹכְלִין הַרְבֵּה וּנְכָסִים מְרֻבִּין יָבִיא עוֹלוֹת מְרֻבּוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים מְרֻבִּים (ספרי; חגיגה ח'):

איש כמתנת ידו EVERY MAN [SHALL BRING] ACCORDING TO THE ABILITY OF HIS HAND TO GIVE — i.e. one who has a large household (lit., many eaters) and great possessions brings many burnt offerings and many peace offerings (Sifrei Devarim 143:10; Chagigah 8b).