Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:15/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ג:ט״ו
אאת חג המצות. החל ממנו, כי הוא ראשון לחדשי השנה, והנה כתוב שבעת ימים תאכל מצות, כמו חג הסוכות תעשה לך שבעת ימים (דבר' טז יג) והנה הוא חיוב ואין כמוהו ששת ימים תעשה מעשיך (פ' יב) כי אחריו כתוב שתשבות ביום השביעי ואין ככה שבעת ימים תאכל מצות ועוד למה לא כתב שבעת ימים לא תאכל חמץ:
1THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. Scripture starts with the festival of unleavened bread68 because it falls in the first month of the year.69 Now Scripture states, seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread. This is similar to Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernacles seven days (Deut. 16:13). It is thus an obligation.70 120a. However, I.E. spoke only from the point of view of the plain meaning of the text. However, Six days thou shalt do thy work (v. 12) differs.71 For Scripture immediately states that one has to rest on the seventh day (Ibid.).72 is you may do your work during the first six days of the week but you must rest on the Sabbath day. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread differs from it.73. For seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread is an obligation, but, Six days thou shalt do thy work is not an obligation. Furthermore, why doesn’t Scripture read, seven days you shall not eat leavened bread?74 merely means seven days you shall not eat leavened bread, then Scripture should have so stated.
בחדש האביב. פירשתיו:
2IN THE MONTH ABIB. I have already explained this.
גרבים חשבו כי לא יראו פני ריקם, כמו ופני לא יראו (למטה לג כג) וזה איננו נכון, כי הבאים אל בית השם הם נראים והעד ונראה את פני ה' (ש"א א כב) גם יראה כל זכורך את פני השם (דבר' טז טז) כמו לפני השם:
3[AND NONE SHALL APPEAR BEFORE ME EMPTY.] Many think that ve-lo yera’u fanai rekam (and none shall appear before Me empty) is like u-fanai lo yera’u (but My face shall not be seen) (Ex. 33:23).75 means: and My face shall not be seen when [the worshipper is] empty-handed. According to this interpretation the words lo yera’u refer to God’s face (fanai). However, this is incorrect, for those who come to the house of the Lord are there seen.76 means: and none shall appear before My face [or before Me] empty. I.E.’s point is that ve-lo yera’u in ve-lo yera’u fanai refers to the worshipper but lo yera’u in u-fanai lo yera’u refers to God’s face. Venireh et pene Adonai (That he may appear before the Lord) (I Sam. 1:22) is proof of this.77 The phrase et pene Adonai in yera’eh khol zekhurekha et pene Adonai (shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God) (Deut. 16:16) means before the Lord.78 is a nifal and refers to khol zekhurekha (all thy males) rather than to et pene Adonai. I.E. comments thus because et pene Adonai might be taken to mean the face of God.