שמות, פרק י״ב, פסוק ט״ז

The opening and closing days of the festival are framed by public gatherings and a deliberate pause from regular labor. These days establish a fundamental distinction between the Sabbath and a festival. While the Sabbath requires a complete cessation of all creative work, festival days are dedicated to joy and the service of God, featuring a unique allowance for food preparation. Historically, the first day commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, while the seventh day marks the drowning of Pharaoh in the sea [אבן עזרא]. The requirement for a holy convocation is not merely a descriptive term but an active event, an assembly where the people gather to celebrate and hear the word of God [שד״ל, ביאור יש״ר]. This holiness demands practical expression, requiring individuals to honor the day with special food, festive drink, and clean clothing [רש״י, מזרחי, העמק דבר, תורה תמימה, הירש, נתינה לגר]. Beyond physical celebration, there is an internal demand for purity, cautioning the people to eat their festival meals in a state of spiritual cleanliness to elevate themselves to a higher level of holiness [הכתב והקבלה].

The prohibition against labor on these days is absolute, extending beyond the individual to include work done on their behalf by others [הכתב והקבלה, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, קאסוטו]. Commentators discuss the identity of these others. Some explain that the restriction applies to a person's minor sons and daughters [ריב״א, רא״ש, הדר זקנים]. A broader perspective applies the restriction to labor performed by a non-Jew on behalf of an Israelite. While certain scholars maintain that instructing a non-Jew to work on a festival is a direct biblical prohibition [מזרחי, פרדס יוסף], the primary approach among commentators is that this specific ban is rabbinic in nature. In this view, the biblical law serves as a foundational support ensuring that a person does not command a non-Jew to perform their tasks, even though the non-Jew remains entirely free to work for their own purposes [רמב״ן, ריב״א, רא״ש, הדר זקנים, דברי דוד, מלבי״ם].

In a clear departure from the strict laws of the Sabbath and Yom Kippur, the festival laws permit activities that alter raw materials for the sake of nourishment, such as slaughtering, cooking, and baking [אבן עזרא, רשב״ם, רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, this allowance is carefully defined. It is limited to standard practices common to all people and strictly excludes luxury indulgences or pampering, such as smoking or washing the entire body in hot water [תורה תמימה, הירש]. The permission to prepare food extends to providing for domestic animals, as their sustenance is a direct human responsibility [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, שפתי חכמים, פענח רזא]. Conversely, one may not go out of their way to prepare food for wandering dogs that are fully capable of finding their own sustenance [תורה תמימה, חזקוני].

Further boundaries govern who may be the recipient of this food preparation. The commentators agree that preparing food for non-Jews on the festival is forbidden, though they differ slightly on exactly how this exclusion is derived from the nuances of the text [ריב״א, חזקוני, פענח רזא], [רש״י, רמב״ן, ברטנורא]. Additionally, the allowance is strictly for personal human consumption rather than for divine service, meaning one cannot bake breads intended for altar sacrifices on the festival [הכתב והקבלה, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. Finally, the permission is restricted exclusively to the food itself or to essential preparations that were impossible to complete before the holiday began. Any tools, aids, or preparatory actions that could have been arranged on the eve of the festival must be completed beforehand and remain strictly forbidden to perform on the holy day itself [רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה, גור אריה, שפתי חכמים, ברטנורא].