Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:14/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ג:י״ד
אשלש רגלים. פעמים, לי לבדי תהיה עבד שתעבוד שלש רגלים בשנה, ותבא לפני כעבד שיביא דורון לאדונו על כן כתוב אחריו את פני האדון ה' (פ' יז) כמו לפני האדון ה', וכן ולא יראו פני ריקם (פ' טו) והזכיר זה בעבור כי יש ימים ידועים הולכים עו"ג להבליהם, על כן כתוב תחוג לי לבד:
1[THREE TIMES.] The meaning of regalim60 means a foot. Hence I.E.’s comment. is times. You shall serve only Me. You shall serve Me three times a year by coming before Me like a servant who comes before his master to bring him a gift. Scripture therefore afterwards reads, el61. This is probably a scribal error, as verse 17 reads el. pene ha-adon Adonai (v. 17),62 (to the face of) has the same meaning as li-fene (before the face of, i.e., in front of or before). the meaning of which is, before the Lord63 (master). In other words, Scripture employs the term Lord or Master because we must come before Him as a servant comes before his master. God (v. 17). And none shall appear before Me empty (v. 15) is similar.64 Scripture mentions this because pagans go to worship their vanities on specific days.65, 3:45,46. Scripture therefore reads, thou shalt keep a feast unto Me, the meaning of which is, only unto Me.
בומלת תחוג. תזבח כמו אסרו חג בעבותים (תה' קיח כז):
2[THOU SHALT KEEP A FEAST.] The word tachog (thou shalt keep a feast) means thou shalt sacrifice. It is similar to the word chag (sacrifice) in tie the sacrifice with ropes (Ps. 118:27).66
גרגלים. מגזרת רגל כי רובם רגלים הם:
3TIMES. The word regalim comes from the same root as regel (foot), for most of the people come on foot.67