Vayikra 23:4-8 ויקרא כ״ג:ד׳-ח׳

אלה מועדי ה'. לְמַעְלָה מְדַבֵּר בְּעִבּוּר שָׁנָה וְכָאן מְדַבֵּר בְּקִדּוּשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ:

'אלה מועדי ה THESE ARE THE APPOINTED FESTIVALS OF THE LORD [EVEN CONVOCATIONS OF HOLINESS WHICH YE SHALL PROCLAIM] — Above (v. 2), where similar words are used, Scripture is speaking of proclaiming the year to be a leap-year, here it is speaking of the קדוש החדש, sanctification of the month (a technical expression denoting proclaiming when is the New Moon — the beginning of a month) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 10 1).

בין הערבים. מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה (שם):

בין הערבים AT EVENTIDE — i. e. the period from six hours onwards (reckoning from six o’clock in the morning) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 11 1; cf. Rashi on Exodus 12:6).

פסח לה'. הַקְרָבַת קָרְבָּן שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ פֶּסַח:

פסח לה׳ [AT EVENTIDE] IS THE פסח OF THE LORD — i. e. the offering of the sacrifice which bears the name פסח‎.

והקרבתם אשה וגו'. הֵם הַמּוּסָפִין הָאֲמוּרִים בְּפָרָשַׁת פִּינְחָס, וְלָמָּה נֶאֶמְרוּ כָאן? לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין הַמּוּסָפִין מְעַכְּבִין זֶה אֶת זֶה:

'והקרבתם אשה וגו‎‎ BUT YE SHALL OFFER A FIRE-OFFERING etc. — This is identical with the additional offerings due on the first day of Passover which are mentioned in the section of פנחס (Numbers 28:19). But why are these referred to here? In order to intimate that the additional offerings do not impede one another (i. e. that if a particular animal of these מוספים cannot be sacrificed, it is still lawful to bring the others) (Menachot 49a), because it states: —

והקרבתם אשה לה'. מִכָּל מָקוֹם — אִם אֵין פָּרִים הָבֵא אֵילִים, וְאִם אֵין פָּרִים וְאֵילִים הָבֵא כְבָשִׂים (שם):

‎'והקרבתם אשה לה‎ YE SHALL BRING THE FIRE-OFFERING OF THE LORD — bring it under any circumstances — if there are no bullocks available as prescribed, offer the prescribed rams; and if there are neither bullocks nor rams, offer the lambs (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 11 5).

שבעת ימים. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שִׁבְעַת שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא — שָׁבוּעַ שֶׁל יָמִים, שטי"נא בְּלַעַז, וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן שְׁמוֹנַת שֵׁשֶׁת חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁלוֹשֶׁת:

שבעת ימים SEVEN DAYS — Wherever the term שבעת is used it is a noun (not a cardinal numeral), so that the words here mean a septaine of days (a period of seven days), in old French Similar is the meaning of all the expressions שמנת ,ששת ,חמשת ,שלשת.

מלאכת עבדה. אֲפִלּוּ מְלָאכוֹת הַחֲשׁוּבוֹת לָכֶם עֲבוֹדָה וְצֹרֶךְ — שֶׁיֵּשׁ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס בְּבַטָּלָה שֶׁלָּהֶן — כְּגוֹן דָּבָר הָאָבֵד, כָּךְ הֵבַנְתִּי מִתֹּ"כֹּ, דְּקָתָנֵי יָכוֹל אַף חֻלּוֹ שֶׁל מוֹעֵד יְהֵא אָסוּר בִּמְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדָה וְכוּ':

מלאכת עבדה [YOU SHALL DO NO] SERVILE WORK — Not even such labors as are regarded by you as an obligation and a necessity, the neglect of which involves loss of money, as, for instance, a matter that may become lost (that cannot be postponed without irretrievable loss). I understand this (that the above is the meaning of מלאכת עבדה) from Torat Cohanim (on .v 36 of this chapter), since it states there: I might think from what Scripture states (vv. 36, 37) כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי‎ that‎ מלאכת עבדה is forbidden also on the intermediate days of Passover and Tabernacles (lit., the week-days of the festivals). Scripture, however, states, “it (the eighth day) is a festival and ye shall do no מלאכת עבדה” thus intimating that on a day which is not a festival such work is permitted. The intermediate days are not regarded as a festival and the rule is that דבר האבד may be attended to. Hence the very question: “may מלאכת עבדה be done on the intermediate days?”, implies that the term denotes דבר האבד.