(ב) אבל ה'ימים הטובים' הם כולם לשמחה ולקיבוצים שיש בהם הנאה שבני אדם צריכים אליהם ברוב; ויש מהם תועלת גם כן בענין האהבה שצריך שתהיה בין בני אדם בקיבוצים המדיניים. - ויחוד הימים ההם יש לו סיבה: 'פסח' - ענינו מפורסם והיותו שבעה ימים - מפני שהקף השבעה ימים הוא הקף בינוני בין היום השמשי והחודש הירחי וכבר ידעת שלזה ההקף מבוא גדול בענינים הטבעיים וכן הוא עוד בענינים התוריים - כי התורה תדמה בטבע תמיד ותשלים הענינים הטבעיים על צד אחד כי הטבע אינו בעל מחשבה והסתכלות והתורה - שיעור והנהגת האלוק שחנן השכל לכל בעל שכל. - ואין זה כונת הפרק ונשוב למה שאנחנו עתה בו:
(ג) ו'שבועות' הוא יום 'מתן תורה'. ולהגדיל היום ההוא ימנו הימים מן המועד הראשון אליו - כמי שממתין בוא הנאמן שבאוהביו שהוא מונה היום וגם השעות. וזאת היא סיבת 'ספירת העומר' מיום צאתם ממצרים עד יום 'מתן תורה' שהוא היה הכונה והתכלית ביציאתם - כאמרו "ואביא אתכם אלי". ולא היה המראה הגדול ההוא אלא יום אחד - כן זכרונו בכל שנה יום אחד. אבל אכילת 'מצה' אילו היה יום אחד לא היינו מרגישים בו ולא היה מתבאר ענינו כי הרבה פעמים יאכל האדם מין אחד מן המאכלים שני ימים או שלושה; ואמנם יתבאר ענינו ויתפרסם בהתמיד אכילתו הקף שלם:
(2) Other holy days [not Shabbat or Yom Kippur] are appointed for rejoicing and for such pleasant gathering as people generally need. They also promote the good feeling that men should have to each other in their social and political relations. The appointment of the special days for such purposes has its cause. The reason for the Passover is well known. It is kept seven days, because the period of seven days is the unit of time intermediate between a day and a month. It is also known how great is the importance of this period in Nature, and in many religious duties. For the Law always follows Nature, and in some respects brings it to perfection; for Nature is not capable of designing and thinking, whilst the Law is the result of the wisdom and guidance of God, who is the author of the intellect of all rational beings. This, however, is not the theme of the present chapter: let us return to our subject.
(3) The Feast of Weeks is the anniversary of the Revelation on Mount Sinai. In order to raise the importance of this day, we count the days that pass since the preceding festival, just as one who expects his most intimate friend on a certain day counts the days and even the hours. This is the reason why we count the days that pass since the offering of the Omer, between the anniversary of our departure from Egypt and the anniversary of the Lawgiving. The latter was the aim and object of the exodus from Egypt, and thus God said, "I brought you unto myself" (Exod. 19:4). As that great revelation took place only on one day, so we keep its anniversary only one day: but if the eating of unleavened bread on Passover were only commanded for one day, we should not have noticed it, and its object would not have been manifest. For it frequently happens that we take the same kind of food for two or three days. But by our continuing for a whole period [of seven days] to eat unleavened bread, its object becomes clear and evident.
(2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: These are My fixed times, the fixed times of the LORD, which you (pl.) shall proclaim them as sacred occasions.
Rabbi Akiva said to him: My teacher, allow me to say before you one matter that you yourself once taught me. He said to him: Speak. He said to him: It states: “The appointed seasons of the Lord, which you shall proclaim them [otam] to be sacred convocations (Leviticus 23:2). And it is written: “These are the appointed seasons of the Lord, sacred convocations; you shall proclaim them [otam] in their season” (Leviticus 23:4). And it is written: “These are the appointed seasons of the Lord; you shall proclaim them [otam] to be sacred convocations” (Leviticus 23:37). Three times the verses use the term: Them [otam], which can also be read as you [atem], in plural.
'...it seems clear that our chapter intends merely to list those festivals whose sanctity results from the beit din's determination of the calendar - "These are My festivals... WHICH YOU SHALL PROCLAIM AS SACRED OCCASIONS." Therefore, the verses here present only those features that directly relate to this quality of mikra kodesh - having been declared sacred by the people themselves. As such, three main points appear in the discussion of each festival:
1) "mikra kodesh;"
2) the prohibition of work;
3) a brief reference to the musaf sacrifice.'
'It should be noted that these elements are COMPONENTS of a mikra kodesh. The DEFINITION of a mikra kodesh, however, lies in their having been established by the beit din, which creates the sanctity and infuses it within a given time-frame. Once the beit din has done so, these days turn into festivals of God, "mikra'ei kodesh."'
Source: https://www.etzion.org.il/en/festivals-god-mikraei-kodesh
(י) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּנָּצוּ֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה בֶּ֚ן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְאִ֖ישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִֽי׃ (יא) וַ֠יִּקֹּב בֶּן־הָֽאִשָּׁ֨ה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֤ית אֶת־הַשֵּׁם֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם אִמּ֛וֹ שְׁלֹמִ֥ית בַּת־דִּבְרִ֖י לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן׃ (יב) וַיַּנִּיחֻ֖הוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֥י יי׃ (פ)
(10) There came out among the Israelites one whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. And a fight broke out in the camp between that half-Israelite and a certain Israelite. (11) The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy, and they brought him to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan— (12) and they placed him in custody, until the decision of the LORD should be made clear to them.