במדבר, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ט״ז

The cycle of the yearly festival offerings begins with the first month, Nissan, and the very first appointed time: Passover [אברבנאל, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Historically, this instruction was given to the Israelites as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Up until this point, the Passover sacrifice had only been performed in Egypt and once in the desert. This command transforms the offering into a permanent duty for all future generations [מלבי״ם, העמק דבר]. It serves as a future-oriented directive, instructing the people on how to act whenever this special time of year arrives [שפתי כהן].

On a deeper level, this month represents the birth of the Israelite nation. The day the Passover sacrifice is brought acts as a recreation of the original moment of redemption. By bringing the offering on the fourteenth day of the month, the Israelites rededicate themselves to God. This act highlights their profound transition from physical slavery under Pharaoh to true spiritual freedom and the service of God [רש״ר הירש].

The instruction regarding the offering is notably brief, mentioning the sacrifice only by name without detailing any of its specific rules. Since the detailed laws of Passover are already explained at length elsewhere, the purpose of mentioning it here is simply to serve as an introduction and a reminder before outlining the additional offerings required for the upcoming Festival of Unleavened Bread [הטור הארוך, רלב״ג].

While the requirement to bring the offering in the afternoon is a known part of the Passover laws, it is not explicitly mentioned at this juncture. The primary approach among commentators is that this time frame was left out because it is already well-known and detailed in other passages [רבנו בחיי, אבן עזרא, העמק דבר]. Instead, the instruction specifically emphasizes that the event occurs during the day, teaching an important rule: the offering must be slaughtered before the sun sets, and not into the night [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, introducing Passover in this context establishes the fourteenth day of the month as a festival in its own right. This means that work is forbidden for the person bringing the sacrifice, though rules established elsewhere limit this restriction on work specifically to the afternoon hours [העמק דבר].