The Torah describes the holidays of the Jewish calendar in many different ways, but never as yomim tovim. These descriptions contain subtle differences which offer hints as to why the name yom tov eventually gets attached to holidays. I've included only a few of the many mentions of holidays in the Torah.
(23) Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel.
The three pilgrimage festivals are mentioned here in Parshas Ki Sisa. The practice of making a pilgrimmage is how we get the term regalim for "holiday," for we walked on our legs -- regel in Hebrew.
(ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵקֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יקוק אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃
This segment from Parshas Emor begins a passage where Hashem lists the different holidays of the Jewish year. The word moed appears, as well as the expression mikrei kodesh. These two expressions link holidays to the ideas of appointments and to holiness.
(י) וּבְי֨וֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶ֥ם וּֽבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֮ וּבְרָאשֵׁ֣י חָדְשֵׁיכֶם֒ וּתְקַעְתֶּ֣ם בַּחֲצֹֽצְרֹ֗ת עַ֚ל עֹלֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעַ֖ל זִבְחֵ֣י שַׁלְמֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לְזִכָּרוֹן֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יקוק אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (פ)
This verse from Parshas Bahalosecha uses the word moadim to describe holidays. It highlights the celebratory nature of the holiday.
This verse of Parshas Pinchas, through the final verse of the chapter, describes the various offerings brought for each holiday.
This entire chapter of Parshas Re'eh describes the different holidays, starting here with Pesach. We see here a link to a season and a historical event, and the other holidays in the following verses are linked to seasonal events.
(יז) וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֨ה וּמְדִינָ֜ה וּבְכָל־עִ֣יר וָעִ֗יר מְקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתוֹ֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ שִׂמְחָ֤ה וְשָׂשׂוֹן֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה וְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב וְרַבִּ֞ים מֵֽעַמֵּ֤י הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִֽתְיַהֲדִ֔ים כִּֽי־נָפַ֥ל פַּֽחַד־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
This is the first place in Tanach where we actually see the expression yom tov being used to indicate "holiday."
(ד) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹקִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹקִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
(4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.
Here, in Parshas Bereishis, we see the first use of the word "good" in Tanach. The first place a word appears in Tanach is supposed to be important.
A glimpse into what "good" means will help us understand just what is good in a yom tov.
(א) וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב ויבדל אַף בָּזֶה אָנוּ צְרִיכִין לְדִבְרֵי אַגַּדָה רָאָהוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְדַאי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵשׁ בּוֹ רְשָׁעִים, וְהִבְדִּילוּ לְצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא וּלְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ כַּךְ פָּרְשֵׁהוּ רָאָהוּ כִּי טוֹב, וְאֵין נָאֶה לוֹ וְלַחֹשֶךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בְּעַרְבּוּבְיָא, וְקָבַע לָזֶה תְחוּמוֹ בַיוֹם, וְלָזֶה תְחוּמוֹ בַלָּילָה:
(1) וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב ויבדל AND GOD SAW THE LIGHT THAT IT WAS GOOD, AND GOD CAUSED A DIVISION — Here, also, we must depend upon the statement of the Agada: He saw that the wicked were unworthy of using it (the light); He, therefore, set it apart (ויבדל), reserving it for the righteous in the world to come (Chagigah 12a). But according to the plain sense explain it thus: He saw that it was good, and that it was not seemly that light and darkness should function together in a confused manner. He therefore limited this one’s sphere of activity to the daytime, and this one’s sphere of activity to the nighttime (see Genesis Rabbah 3:6).
(ב) והנה מה שהורונו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה הוא, שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על יקוק ולהנות מזיו שכינתו שזהו התענוג האמיתי והעידון הגדול מכל העידונים שיכולים להמצא. ומקום העידון הזה באמת הוא העולם הבא, כי הוא הנברא בהכנה המצטרכת לדבר הזה.
(2) Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose.
(ה) וכשתסתכל בדבר תראה כי השלמות האמיתי הוא רק הדביקות בו יתברך, והוא מה שהיה דוד המלך אומר (תהלים עג): ואני קרבת אלקים לי טוב. ואומר (שם כז): אחת שאלתי מאת יקוק אותה אבקש שבתי בבית יקוק כל ימי חיי וגו', כי רק זה הוא הטוב. וכל זולת זה שיחשבוהו בני האדם לטוב, אינו אלא הבל ושוא נתעה.
(5) When you look further into the matter, you will see that true perfection lies only in clinging to G-d. This is what King David said "But as for me, closeness to G-d is my good" (Ps. 73:28) and, "one thing I asked from G-d; that I seek, that I may dwell in G-d's house all the days of my life, to gaze on the pleasantness of G-d..." (Ps. 27:4). For only this is the good, while anything besides this that people consider good is really emptiness and mistaken worthlessness.
Questions:
- Shabbos is often called "me'ein Olam Haba. Could a holiday be "me'ein Olam Haba?"
- If so, how do Shabbos and holidays differ? Would you call Shabbos a yom tov?
- How does this understanding affect the way you view Jewish holidays?