## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 135

###### Sifrei Devarim 135:1
[Sifrei Devarim 135:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/135:1)

**וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עֲצֶרֶת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ**, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: יָכוֹל יְהֵא אָדָם עָצוּר בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (במדבר כט לה): ״לָכֶם״. יָכוֹל יְהֵא אָדָם אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **עֲצֶרֶת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ**. הָא כֵּיצַד? תֵּן חֵלֶק לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְתֵן חֵלֶק לַאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 135**⁴⁵¹
1. “Then, on the seventh day—it is a *Closure-festival* ⁴⁵² refers exclusively to the early summer festival of *Shavuot* (also known as the “First-fruits festival”). The Closure-festivals associated in the Bible with the last day of Passover (Dt. 16:8) and the Festival of Huts (Lv. 23:36) have generally been assimilated, by name, to the preceding Common-festival days, despite still being counted as formal days of rest, on which many forms of labor are proscribed. for HASHEM your God . . .
your shall do *no productive work*”⁴⁵³ (Dt. 16:8-21).
Rabbi says:
is it possible to say that
a person should be cloistered (`*atzur*)⁴⁵⁴ with the disciple-circle
for the entire day?
The Teaching states:
“Count *for yourselves* . . . seven complete weeks” (Lv. 23:15)⁴⁵⁵) in the context of festival legislation.—
[*for yourselves* implies that leisure is permitted on a Festival]!
Is it possible to say that
a person should eat and drink
for the entire day?
The Teaching states:
“It is a Closure-festival *for HASHEM your God*” (Dt. 16:8).
Well now—how is this done?
Devote part of the day to the disciple-circle,
and part of the day to eating and drinking!

footnotes:
⁴⁵¹ H:177-178; JN1:326-327.
⁴⁵² In rabbinic parlance, the term `Atzeret
⁴⁵³ RH includes Dt. 16:21 in the quotation. This clarifies the point of the exegesis.
⁴⁵⁴ Note the assonance with `Atzeret.
⁴⁵⁵ Commentators dispute precisely which verse is cited. Candidates include: Lv. 23:36 and Nu. 29:35, each of which uses the words “for yourselves” (lakhem


###### Sifrei Devarim 135:2
[Sifrei Devarim 135:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/135:2)

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁיְּמֵי מוֹעֵד אֲסוּרִים בִּמְלָאכָה, מִנַּיִן לִימֵי מוֹעֵד שֶׁאֲסוּרִים בִּמְלָאכָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עֲצֶרֶת**, מַה שְּׁבִיעִי עָצוּר – אַף שִׁשִּׁי עָצוּר.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. R. Ishmael says:
Since we have nowhere learned
that the Common-festival days⁴⁵⁶ This refers to the intermediate days between the festival days of Sukkot and Passover. In rabbinic custom these are days of semi-rest. See M. M.Q. 3:1-4.
are prohibited for productive work,
**on what basis do we know that**
**the Common-festival days**
***are* prohibited for productive work?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“Six days shall you eat unleavened-bread;**
**then, on the seventh day—it is a Closure-festival”**⁴⁵⁷. 9. (Dt. 16:8)—
**is it possible to say that**
**just as you are entirely closeted-in on the seventh day,**
**you should also be entirely closeted-in on the sixth day?**⁴⁵⁸

footnotes:
⁴⁵⁶ Heb: yemei mo`ed.
⁴⁵⁷ Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’,
⁴⁵⁸ //Sifre Nu. 151


###### Sifrei Devarim 135:3
[Sifrei Devarim 135:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/135:3)

אוֹ מָה שְׁבִיעִי עָצוּר מִכָּל מְלָאכָה, אַף שִׁשִּׁי עָצוּר מִכָּל מְלָאכָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עֲצֶרֶת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״, שְׁבִיעִי עָצוּר מִכָּל מְלָאכָה, וְאֵין שִׁשִּׁי עָצוּר מִכָּל מְלָאכָה. הָא לֹא מְסָרוֹ הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא לַחֲכָמִים, לוֹמַר אֵיזֶה יוֹם אָסוּר וְאֵיזֶה יוֹם מֻתָּר, אֵיזוֹ מְלָאכָה אֲסוּרָה וְאֵיזוֹ מְלָאכָה מֻתֶּרֶת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Or [perhaps this is the proper inference]:**
**just as you cease productive work on the seventh day,**
**you should also cease productive work on the sixth day?**
The Teaching states:
**“Six days shall you eat unleavened-bread,**
**then, on the seventh day—it is a Closure-festival for HASHEM your God” (Dt. 16:8).**
**Thus, the seventh day is closed-down for all productive work,**
**but the sixth day is not closed-down for all productive work**.⁴⁵⁹ par. 12:4.
So we see that
Scripture transmits to sages alone
[the right to legislate]
which day is prohibited for productive work
and which day is permitted;
which type of work is prohibited
and which type of work is permitted.

footnotes:
⁴⁵⁹ //Sifra, ‘emor,