Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 16:8/אבן עזרא על דברים ט״ז:ח׳
אששת ימים. אמרו הקדמונים מהחל חרמש ויתכן להיות ביום השביעי דבק עם ששת ימים והבדילו מפאה אל פאה אחרת להזהיר לא תעשה מלאכה ולא אמר כל מלאכה והטעם כל מלאכת עבודה ובמקום שאמר כל מלאכה שם כתוב אך וכאשר הזכיר הפסח שהוא חייב לבא אל מקום הכבוד הזכיר החג השני גם השלישי ולא הזכיר יום תרועה ויום העשור כי אין הצבור מתחבר במקדש:
1SIX DAYS. The ancients said six days from the lifting of the sickle.45 This took place on the second day of Passover. See Lev. 23:9-12. Scripture prohibits eating of the new crop of grain before a measure (an omer) of new grain is cut and offered on the altar. Now, the Torah commands that matzot be eaten for seven days (v. 3). This contradicts our verse which states that matzot be eaten for six days. The Talmud (Menachot 66a) explains that our verse refers to matzot baked from the new crop, which could not be eaten before the second day of Passover, while the verse that tells the Israelites to eat matzot for seven days speaks of matzot made from grain from the previous year. See Rashi. It is possible that and on the seventh day is connected to six days.46 And on the seventh day was separated from the first half of the verse and placed in the second half of the verse because Scripture wanted to warn against doing work.47 refers to both the first part of the verse and to the second. Our verse is to be understood as follows: Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread; and [so too] on the seventh day; and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly …thou shalt do no work therein. Scripture does not say all manner of work.48 The reason for the latter is that only servile work49 is prohibited. Where Scripture does state all manner of work,50 it reads, “Save” [that which every man must eat].51 When Scripture mentions that one is obligated to offer the Passover sacrifice in the glorious place, it also mentions the second festival (v. 9)52 and the third festival (v. 13).53 It does not mention the day of shofar sounding54 and the tenth day,55 because the congregation does not gather then in the sanctuary.56