וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The appointed times of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations, gatherings, these are My appointed times.

שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ כָּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ שַׁבָּ֥ת הִוא֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מֽוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (פ)

The Sabbath precedes the festivals: Six days labor shall be performed, both by man and by his animals. The passive form indicates that engaging in labor during the six days of the week is permitted but is not an obligation. And on the seventh day, a sabbatical rest, a complete rest from all types of labor, in contrast to the festivals mentioned below, during which certain types of labor are permitted. It is a holy convocation, a sacred gathering for the acceptance of the sanctity of the Sabbath and to mark the day. You shall not perform any labor. It is the Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings, wherever you are. In contrast to the festivals, the sanctity of the Sabbath is not determined by the Jewish people. Whereas the days of the festivals are determined by the nation, the day of the Sabbath is predetermined by God as part of the order of Creation. The Jewish people accept the Sabbath and observe its sanctity, but in essence it is not a festival day of the Jewish people, but the day of God, commemorating His creation of the world. The character of the Sabbath is therefore the same everywhere.

אֵ֚לֶּה מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה מִקְרָאֵ֖י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם בְּמוֹעֲדָֽם׃

These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations, that you shall proclaim at their appointed time. This verse introduces the subsequent list of festival days. While these festivals are “the appointed times of the Lord,” their dates are determined by the Jewish people. The order of this list of festivals follows the order of the months of the year.

בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ בֵּ֣ין הָעַרְבָּ֑יִם פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה׃

During the first month, Nisan, which was established as the first month because the exodus from Egypt took place during this month, on the fourteenth of the month in the afternoon, there is the Festival of a Paschal Lamb to the Lord. The paschal lamb is mentioned here only as the name of the festival on which it is offered. The laws of Passover were discussed in Exodus (chap. 12), and will be discussed again in Numbers (28:16–25). Since Leviticus focuses on the offerings, the festivals are defined in this section chiefly by the offerings presented on those days.

וּבַחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יוֹם֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֔ה חַ֥ג הַמַּצּ֖וֹת לַיהוָ֑ה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים מַצּ֥וֹת תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃

On the fifteenth day of that month it is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Two festivals take place one after the other: The fourteenth of Nisan is the Festival of the Paschal Lamb, which is immediately followed on the fifteenth of Nisan by the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Passover, which lasts for seven days.

בַּיּוֹם֙ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן מִקְרָא־קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃

On the first day of the seven days of Passover, it shall be a holy convocation for you, a time to gather together and concern yourselves with sacred matters. You shall not perform any toilsome labor, labor that is not required for the immediate preparation of food.

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֛ה לַיהוָ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ (פ)

You shall present a fire offering to the Lord seven days. On the seventh day too it shall be a holy convocation; you shall not perform any toilsome labor. Of the seven days of Passover, labor is prohibited only on the first and seventh days. The intermediate days of the festival are known as Ḥol HaMoed , the non-sacred days of the festival. Although they are part of the festival, in some aspects they are similar to weekdays.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם אֶת־עֹ֛מֶר רֵאשִׁ֥ית קְצִירְכֶ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving to you, as this commandment does not apply outside the Land of Israel, and you will reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of barley, from which one can extract one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, of the first of your grain harvest to the priest. This is the barley harvest, as at the time of Passover the wheat has not yet ripened.

וְהֵנִ֧יף אֶת־הָעֹ֛מֶר לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם מִֽמָּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת יְנִיפֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

He, the priest, shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, for your propitiation [ lirtzonekhem ], in order to find favor in God’s eyes. Additionally, the word lirtzonekhem connotes that the offering is a gift freely given out of devotion to God. On the day after the sabbath, which refers here to the first day of Passover, the priest shall wave it.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֕ם בְּי֥וֹם הֲנִֽיפְכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָעֹ֑מֶר כֶּ֣בֶשׂ תָּמִ֧ים בֶּן־שְׁנָת֛וֹ לְעֹלָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

You shall present on the day of your waving of the sheaf an unblemished lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering to the Lord.

וּמִנְחָתוֹ֩ שְׁנֵ֨י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֜ים סֹ֣לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֛מֶן אִשֶּׁ֥ה לַיהוָ֖ה רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֑חַ וְנִסְכֹּ֥ה יַ֖יִן רְבִיעִ֥ת הַהִֽין׃

Its accompanying meal offering is two-tenths of an ephah of high-quality flour, a dry measure of volume corresponding to around 5 L, mixed with oil. The offering is brought as a fire offering to the Lord for a pleasing aroma, and its libation is wine, one-fourth of a hin, a liquid measure equivalent to three log , which is approximately 1 L according to the standard opinion. This is the same amount of wine as is brought as a libation with a burnt offering or peace offering.

וְלֶחֶם֩ וְקָלִ֨י וְכַרְמֶ֜ל לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֗וּ עַד־עֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה עַ֚ד הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־קָרְבַּ֖ן אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)

Before you bring the sheaf offering you shall not eat bread, roasted grain or flour made from it, or fresh kernels, raw grain that has not yet dried. You shall not eat the new produce in any form until that very day, the day after the sabbath, until your bringing of the sheaf

וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃

You shall count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day of your bringing of the sheaf of the waving, seven weeks; they shall be complete.

עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

Until the day after the seventh week, you shall count up to fifty days, not including the fiftieth day. Seven weeks are forty-nine days, and then, on the fiftieth day, you shall present a new meal offering, a meal offering from the new produce, to the Lord.

מִמּוֹשְׁבֹ֨תֵיכֶ֜ם תָּבִ֣יאּוּ ׀ לֶ֣חֶם תְּנוּפָ֗ה שְׁ֚תַּיִם שְׁנֵ֣י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֔ים סֹ֣לֶת תִּהְיֶ֔ינָה חָמֵ֖ץ תֵּאָפֶ֑ינָה בִּכּוּרִ֖ים לַֽיהוָֽה׃

From your dwellings you shall bring two loaves of waving, two meal offerings, from two-tenths of an ephah, one-tenth of an ephah for each loaf. Of high-quality wheat flour, ground and sifted they shall be, baked as leavened bread, unlike other meal offerings, which must be baked as unleavened bread (see 2:11), a first offering to the Lord.

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֣ם עַל־הַלֶּ֗חֶם שִׁבְעַ֨ת כְּבָשִׂ֤ים תְּמִימִם֙ בְּנֵ֣י שָׁנָ֔ה וּפַ֧ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר אֶחָ֖ד וְאֵילִ֣ם שְׁנָ֑יִם יִהְי֤וּ עֹלָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וּמִנְחָתָם֙ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֔ם אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃

You shall offer with the bread seven unblemished lambs in their first year, and one young bull, and two rams. They shall all be a burnt offering to the Lord, and their meal offering and their libations shall be in accordance with the quantities stated elsewhere in the Torah, which depend on the species of animal brought as an offering. They shall be a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֛ם שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּ֑את וּשְׁנֵ֧י כְבָשִׂ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָ֖ה לְזֶ֥בַח שְׁלָמִֽים׃

You shall also present one goat as a sin offering. A communal sin offering is presented on all of the festivals and New Moons. The Sages teach that these sin offerings atone for cases in which a ritually impure person defiled the Temple’s sanctity. And a unique offering of two lambs in the first year shall be presented as a peace offering. Unlike all other peace offerings, which are presented by individuals, these lambs are presented as a communal peace offering.

וְהֵנִ֣יף הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ אֹתָ֡ם עַל֩ לֶ֨חֶם הַבִּכּוּרִ֤ים תְּנוּפָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁנֵ֖י כְּבָשִׂ֑ים קֹ֛דֶשׁ יִהְי֥וּ לַיהוָ֖ה לַכֹּהֵֽן׃

The priest shall wave them, the lambs, with the loaves of the first offering as a wave offering before the Lord. He shall wave them with, or alongside, the two lambs. They shall be sacred to the Lord, and their flesh shall be given as a portion for the priest, that is, God acquired the offering and gave it to the priest.

וּקְרָאתֶ֞ם בְּעֶ֣צֶם ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם בְּכָל־מוֹשְׁבֹ֥תֵיכֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃

The fiftieth day is not only the day on which the two loaves are presented; it is also a festival: You shall proclaim on that very day, a holy convocation it shall be for you; you shall not perform any toilsome labor; it is an eternal statute in all your dwellings for your generations.

וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)

Since the Torah mentioned the first harvest, the following law is addressed to the owners of fields: When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish the corner of your field in your reaping; rather, you shall leave an unharvested area. And the gleanings of your harvest, the sheaves that fall during the harvest, you shall not gather. For the poor and for the stranger you shall leave them, both the unharvested area and the fallen sheaves. I am the Lord your God.