ביכורים Celebration of the Fruit of the Land

(2) At four times the world is judged: On Pesach, for the crops. On Shavuot, for the fruits of the tree. On Rosh Hashnah, all the world passes before Him like sheep, as it says, "He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their doings." (Tehillim 33:15) And on Sukkot, they are judged for the water.

(3) One only brings Bikkurim from the seven species [special to the Land of Israel, listed in Deut. 8:8], [but] not from the dates of the mountains or from fruits of the valley, nor from oil-olives that are not of the highest quality. One does not bring Bikkurim before Atseret [ Shavuot, the harvest festival]. People from Har Tsevo'im brought their Bikkurim and they [the Kohanim] did not accept [the fruits] because of the verse in the Torah, (Exodus 23:16) "And the harvest festival, the first fruits of your labor that you plant in the field."

(1) How does one designate the Bikkurim [first-fruits that must be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem and given to the Kohen]? A person goes to one's field and sees a date that is bearing fruit, a bunch [of grapes] that is bearing fruit, or a pomegranate that is bearing fruit, and ties it with a string and says, "Behold these are Bikkurim." Rabbi Shimon says, even so, he reiterates and declares them Bikkurim once they have been picked from the ground.

(1) And it shall be, when you come in unto the land which the G-d your Lord gave you for an inheritance, and possess it, and settle it; (2) that you shall take of the first (ראשית) of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that the G-d your Lord given you; and you shall put it in a basket and shall go unto the place which the G-d your Lord shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. (3) And you shall come unto the Kohen that shall be in those days, and say unto him: ‘I profess this day unto the G-d your Lord, that I am come unto the land which the G-d swore unto our fathers to give us.’ (4) And the Kohen shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before the altar of the G-d your Lord. (5) And you shall speak and say before G-d your Lord ‘A wandering Arami was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. (6) And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. (7) And we cried unto the G-d, the Lord of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. (8) And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. (9) And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10) And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which You, O G-d, hast given me.’ And thou shalt set it down before the G-d your Lord, and worship before the G-d your Lord. (11) And you shall rejoice in all the good which G-d your Lord has given unto thee, and unto your house, thou, and the Levi, and the convert that is in your midst.

(3) Those who were close would bring dates and grapes and the far ones would bring dried figs and raisins. A bull would go before them and its horns would be plated with gold and it would have a olive wreath around its head. The flute would play before them until they got close to Jerusalem. Once they got close to Jerusalem, they would send ahead of them [a messenger] and adorned their Bikkurim. The overseers and the officers and the treasurers would go out to greet them; in accordance with the stature of those coming in would they go out. All the artisans of Jerusalem would stand before them and greet them, "Our brothers from so-and-so, come in peace!"

(4) The flute would continue playing before them until they arrived at the Temple Mount. Once they arrived at the Temple Mount, even Agripas the King would carry his basket on his shoulder and enter until he reached the courtyard. Once they got to the courtyard, the Levites would speak in song (Psalms 30:2), "I will extol you, O Lord, because you have raised me and not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me."

(6) With the basket still on one's shoulder, one would recite from "I declare today to the Lord my G-d" (Deuteronomy 26:3-10) until finishing the entire passage. Rabbi Judah says, until "My father was a wandering Arami" (Deut. 26:5). Once one gets to "My father was a wandering Arami", one takes the basket off one's shoulder and holds it by one's lip. The Kohen places his hand under it and waves it. He then recites from "My father was a wandering Arami" until finishing the entire passage and rests [the basket] beside the altar and prostrates and leaves.

(8) Wealthy people would bring their Bikkurim in baskets of silver and of gold. Poor people would bring theirs in reed baskets of woven willow stems. Both the baskets and the Bikkurim were given to the Kohanim.