Three loves of the three festivals

במשנה חביבין ישראל שניתן להם כלי חמדה.

In the Mishnah: "Beloved are Bnei Yisrael, for they were given a precious vessel (the Torah)." (Avos 3:14)

The Mishnah praises the love Hashem showed Bnei Yisrael by entrusting them with the Torah, the "precious vessel."

חבה יתירה נודעת להם שניתן להם כלי חמדה כו'.

"An extra measure of love was made known to them, that they were given the precious vessel," etc.

Beyond the gift itself, the Mishnah stresses that Hashem made this special love known to them.

פי' כמש"ל שהקב"ה נותן מתנותיו בעין יפה ולבד גוף המתנה שנתן לנו התורה נתן לנו ג"כ התקשרות ודביקות לקבל התורה.

The explanation, as above, is that the Holy One gives His gifts with a generous eye: beyond the body of the gift itself — that He gave us the Torah — He also gave us the connection and attachment (deveikus) to receive the Torah.

Hashem's generosity is twofold: not only the Torah itself, but also the very bond and deveikus that enable us to receive it — He gives both the gift and the capacity to grasp it.

וי"ל הרמז נודעת להם הוא המועד של חג השבועות שעשה זכר למתן תורה ביום זה לעולם כמ"ש זכר עשה לנפלאותיו.

And it may be said that the hint of "was made known to them" refers to the festival of Shavuos, which He made as a remembrance of Matan Torah forever on this day, as it is written, "He made a remembrance for His wonders." (Tehillim 111:4)

The "making known" of this love is renewed each year through Shavuos, a permanent zecher to the giving of the Torah.

ובימים הטובים מתעורר דביקות ודעת בלבות בנ"י להשי"ת.

And on the festival days, deveikus and da'as (awareness) are awakened in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael toward Hashem.

Each Yom Tov reawakens the inner attachment and consciousness of Hashem within Bnei Yisrael.

וי"ל כי כל הג' חיבות שנזכרו במשנה רמזו על הג' מועדות.

And it may be said that all three expressions of love mentioned in the Mishnah hint at the three festivals.

The Mishnah's three "beloveds" correspond to the shalosh regalim — Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos.

חביבין ישראל שנקראו בנים למקום ונודעת להם הוא מועד של פסח שנגאלנו מבית עבדים וכ' בני בכורי ישראל.

"Beloved are Bnei Yisrael, for they are called children of the Omnipresent" — and "made known to them" is the festival of Pesach, when we were redeemed from the house of bondage, and it is written, "My firstborn son is Israel." (Shemos 4:22)

Being called Hashem's children was "made known" at Pesach, when, redeemed from Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were declared Hashem's firstborn son.

וחביב אדם שנברא בצלם ונודעת להם הוא חג הסוכות שהוא הצל והגנה שיש לאדם בכח שנברא בצלם אלקים וזה עיקר ההגנה.

"Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (tzelem)" — and "made known to them" is the festival of Sukkos, which is the shade and protection that a person has by virtue of having been created in the image of God; and this is the essential protection.

The love of man being created in the tzelem Elokim is "made known" on Sukkos, whose shade and protection flow from that very Divine image — man's truest shelter.

ולכן רמזו ונקטו כאן אדם ולא ישראל.

And therefore they intentionally used the word "man" (adam) here, and not "Yisrael."

The Mishnah deliberately says "man" rather than "Yisrael" for this clause, pointing to Sukkos.

כי יש אחיזה לכל הע' אומות בקרבנות החג.

For all seventy nations have a portion in the offerings of the festival.

Because the seventy bullocks of Sukkos are brought for the seventy nations, the universal term "adam" fits — Sukkos extends to all of mankind.

וע"ש בס' מדרש שמואל:

And see further in the sefer Midrash Shmuel.

The Sefas Emes refers the reader to the Midrash Shmuel commentary on Avos for further elaboration.

Summary: Hashem gives His gifts generously — not only the Torah, the "precious vessel," but also the deveikus needed to receive it, a love renewed each year on Shavuos. The Mishnah's three expressions of love correspond to the shalosh regalim: being Hashem's children is made known on Pesach (the redemption and "My firstborn son"); being created in the tzelem Elokim is made known on Sukkos, whose protective shade flows from that Divine image — and the universal word "adam" is used because the seventy nations share in the festival's offerings.