Parshas Pinchas

Parshas Pinchas contains 6 positive mitzvos

  1. The laws of inheritance [27:8ff.].
  2. The daily burnt-offerings [28:2].
  3. The additional offering of Shabbos [28:9].
  4. The additional offering of Rosh Chodesh [28:11-15].
  5. The additional offering of Shavuos [28:26].
  6. To sound the shofar on Rosh Hashanah [29:1].

[ THE COMMUNAL SHEMINI ATZERE S OFFERINGS [
29:35 The eighth day will be a time of restriction for you:
You may not perform any manual work.
36 You should bring a burnt-offering, a fire-offering as a pleasant aroma to God: One bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, perfect (and unblemished).
37 (Offer) their accompanying meal-offerings and their libations, for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, according to the legally required number.
38 (Offer) one young male goat for a sin-offering (to atone for your inadvertent ritual contamination of the Temple).
(All this is) in addition to the daily burnt-offering, its accompanying meal-offering and libation.
39 All the above is what you should offer to God on your festivals, in addition to (voluntary offerings that) you vowed and (other) voluntary offerings—your burnt-offerings, your meal-offerings, your libations, and your peace offerings.
30:1 Moshe told the children of Israel everything that God had commanded Moshe.

Rashi was troubled why all the other festivals which are referred to this Parsha are described by scripture as a (“a holy celebration”), with the exception of Shemini Atzeres, which is merely described as “a day of restriction.” This suggested to Rashi that the Torah is giving here a new definition to the festival of Shemini Atzeres that differs in nature from all the other festivals recorded in the Torah.