“On the eighth day” – what did He see that led Him to diminish37The number of bulls. each day? The Torah taught you etiquette from the offerings. If one goes to an inn and his friend38The innkeeper. received him, on the first day he receives him nicely and feeds him fowl; on the second, meat; on the third, fish; on the fourth, he feeds him vegetables. In that way he gradually diminishes until he feeds him legumes.
“It shall be…for you” (Numbers 29:35) – what is “it shall be…for you”? He said to them: The festivals are seemly for you. A certain idolater asked Rabbi Akiva, he said to him: ‘Why do you observe festivals? Did the Holy One blessed be He not say to you: “My soul loathes your New Moons and your festivals” (Isaiah 1:14)?’
Rabbi Akiva said to him: ‘Had He said: “My soul loathes My New Moons and My festivals,” I would say so. He said only, “your New Moons and your festivals.” It is due to those festivals which Yerovam instituted, as it is stated: “Yerovam instituted a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that is in Judah” (I Kings 12:32).” “He ascended onto the altar that he had crafted in Beit El [on the fifteenth day in the eighth month], in the month that he fabricated from his own heart; and he made a festival for the children of Israel, and he went up onto the altar to burn offerings” (I Kings 12:33).
But these festivals will never be annulled, nor will the New Moons. Why? It is because they are for the Holy One blessed be He, as it says “These are the festivals of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:37); “These are My festivals” (Leviticus 23:2); and likewise, “And Moses spoke the festivals of the Lord [to the children of Israel]” (Leviticus 23:44). That is why they will never be annulled, and in their regard it is stated: “They are set firmly for all eternity, fashioned in truth and uprightness”’ (Psalms 111:8).