Rashi (21;25) points out that the commandments of Shabbes and Yom Tov are put next to each other. Says Rashi that this is to teach us that if one is mechalel (‘breaks’) yom tov it is as if he has broken shabbes. And if one keeps yom tov it is as if one has kept the shabbes. The Kotzker Rav explains what Rashi is saying. He notes that the kedusha of Shabbes is all made by HaShem, whilst the kedusha of Yom Tov starts from our making it holy (eg we need to declare the month for the festival to occur). Therefore, Rashi is telling us that if one keeps yom tov he is keeping shabbes because in observing yom tov he is extending the natural kedusha of shabbes into yom tov by infusing yom tov with kedusha. And if one breaks yom tov, he desanctifies the potential of the kedusha of shabbes to spread out into yom tov too.
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