Parashat Ki Tavo: Bikkurim

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות התורה א׳

(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Torah Blessings 1

(1) Blessed are You, Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with commandments and commands us to be engrossed in the words of Torah.

דברים כ״ו:א׳-י״א

(א) וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ׃ (ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ֞ מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ית ׀ כׇּל־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תָּבִ֧יא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָ֖ךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ בַטֶּ֑נֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃ (ג) וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו הִגַּ֤דְתִּי הַיּוֹם֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כִּי־בָ֙אתִי֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהֹוָ֛ה לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לָ֥תֶת לָֽנוּ׃ (ד) וְלָקַ֧ח הַכֹּהֵ֛ן הַטֶּ֖נֶא מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וְהִ֨נִּיח֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֕י מִזְבַּ֖ח יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (ה) וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גׇר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃ (ו) וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃ (ז) וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ (ח) וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יְהֹוָה֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃ (ט) וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (י) וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְהִנַּחְתּ֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יתָ לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכׇל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

(1) When you enter the land [...] (2) you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that your God Adonai is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where your God Adonai will choose to establish the divine name. (3) You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, “I acknowledge this day before your God that I have entered the land that Adonai swore to our fathers to assign us.” (4) The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of your God Adonai. (5) You shall then recite as follows before your God Adonai: “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. (6) The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. (7) We cried to Adonai, the God of our ancestors, and Adonai heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. (8) Adonai freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents, (9) bringing us to this place and giving us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10) Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, Adonai, have given me.” You shall leave it before your God Adonai and bow low before your God Adonai. (11) And you shall enjoy, together with the [family of the] Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that your God has bestowed upon you and your household.

שמות כ״ג:י״ט

רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}

Exodus 23:19

The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of your God Adonai. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

חזקוני, דברים כ״ו:ב׳:ג׳

כל פרי האדמה פרי אתה מביא בכורים ואין אתה מביא יין ושמן לבכורים.

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 26:2:3

כל פרי האדמה, “you are to bring these specimens in their original state,” i. e. when whole, not the wine you made out of the grapes, or the oil out of the olives, for instance. (Sifri)

חזקוני, דברים כ״ו:ב׳:ד׳

ושמת בטנא דרך כבוד ולא בחיק ולא בכנף הבגד.

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 26:2:4

ושמת בטנא, ”and you shall put it in a basket;” it should be presented in a dignified manner.

משנה ביכורים ג׳:א׳-ו׳

(א) כיצד מפרישין הבכורים, יורד אדם בתוך שדהו ורואה תאנה שבכרה, אשכול שבכר, רמון שבכר, קושרו בגמי, ואומר, הרי אלו בכורים...

(ו) עודהו הסל על כתפו, קורא מהגדתי היום ליי אלהיך (דברים כו:ג)...

Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1-6

(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." ...

(6) With the basket still on one's shoulder, one would recite from "I declare today to the Lord my God" (Deuteronomy 26:3-10) ...

חזקוני, דברים כ״ו:ב׳:ה׳

והלכת אל המקום על ידו של בעל הבכורים יעשה הכל לקיטה והולכה ולא ע״‎י שליח וכן מנהג אם נתן המלך שדה לעבדו העבד עצמו מביא לו דורון מפירות השדה.

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 26:2:5

והלכת אל המקום, “and you will go to the place, etc.;” the owner of the first ripened fruit is to do all this himself, not through someone whom he designated in his place. This refers both to collecting the fruit from the tree or cutting it from the ground. When a King employs a servant to tend to his fields, he also expects that tenant to bring him his share personally, not to delegate someone else with performing that duty.

חזקוני, דברים כ״ו:ב׳:א׳

ולקחת מראשית חזר בה בשביל ללמדך סדר המצוות.

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 26:2:1

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה, “you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground;” the reason why the Torah repeats this commandment which had appeared already in Exodus 23,19, is to list the commandments in a certain order.

רמב"ן על דברים כ״ו:ב׳:א׳

טעם ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה אשר תביא מארצך שתקח מראשית כל הפרי אשר תביא אל הבית מארצך אשר ה' אלהיך נותן לך יצוה שיפריש הפרי בשדה ויקרא עליו שם ויביאנו לביתו וישים אותו בכלי ראוי להוליכו לבית הבחירה ולא נתן הכתוב שיעור בהם אלא אפילו גרגיר אחד מכל המין ההוא פוטר כל השדה כדין תרומה שחטה אחת פוטרת את הכרי:

Ramban on Deuteronomy 26:2:1

THEN THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE FIRST OF ALL THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND, WHICH THOU SHALT BRING IN FROM THY LAND. [The meaning thereof is] that you shall take of the first of all the fruit which you will bring into the house from your Land, which the Eternal your G-d gives you. He commands that one should set aside that fruit in the field and designate it as first-fruit and then bring it into his house and put it in a vessel fit to be taken to the Sanctuary [in Jerusalem]. Now, Scripture did not prescribe an amount for the first-fruits, instead, even one grain [or berry] of that species exempts the entire field, similar to the law of terumah (the heave-offering) where one grain exempts the whole pile of grain.

אור החיים על דברים כ״ו:ה׳:ד׳

ואומרו ולקחת וגו' על דרך אומרו בס' הזוהר (ח''ב נ''ט) כי כל אשר יעשה האדם מהמצות ומעשים טובים בעודו חי מתקבץ על יד על יד עד יום נסיעתו ובהם מקבל פני המלך כדרך אומרו (ישעי נ''ח) והלך לפניך צדקך, והוא אומרו ולקחת מראשית כל פרי וגו' פירוש לא יקח בידו להקביל פני ה' אלא מדברים המובחרים שעשה בעולם הזה: עוד רמז אל התורה שנקראת ראשית (ב''ד פ''א).

Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 26:5:4

ולקחת מראשית, "and you will take from the first, etc." we can understand this according to the Zohar volume two page 59 that all the commandments a person performs in this life together with all the good deeds he does are collected and stored up in the celestial regions awaiting his arrival there at which time they will serve him as an entrance card to an audience with the King of Kings, the Almighty. This idea is based on Isaiah 58,8: "that your righteousness walks ahead of you when the Glory of G'd gathers you in." ולקחת מראשית כל, "and you will take from the first of all, etc." The Torah means that the word ראשית refers to the best, the choicest. When presenting an offering to G'd you will only take the choicest of the products this world has to offer. Another meaning which the Torah alludes to when choosing the word ראשית is the Torah itself. We have it on the authority of Bereshit Rabbah 1 that the Torah itself is called ראשית.

משנה פאה א׳:א׳

(א) אלו דברים שאין להם שעור. הפאה, והבכורים, והראיון, וגמילות חסדים, ותלמוד תורה. אלו דברים שאדם אוכל פרותיהן בעולם הזה והקרן קימת לו לעולם הבא. כבוד אב ואם, וגמילות חסדים, והבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו ותלמוד תורה כנגד כלם.

Mishnah Peah 1:1

(1) These are the things that have no measure: Peah [corner of the field which, while harvesting, must be left for the poor], Bikurim [First-fruits that must be brought to the Temple and given to the priest], the appearance-sacrifice [brought to the Temple on Pilgrimage Festivals], acts of kindness, and the study of the Torah. These are things the fruits of which a man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's father and mother, acts of kindness, and bringing peace between a man and his fellow. But the study of Torah is equal to them all.

Jonathan Sacks, Understanding Sacrifice
What, then, was sacrifice in Judaism and why does it remain important, at least as an idea, even today? The simplest answer – though it does not explain the details of the different kinds of offering – is this: We love what we are willing to make sacrifices for. That is why, when they were a nation of farmers and shepherds, the Israelites demonstrated their love of God by bringing Him a symbolic gift of their flocks and herds, their grain and fruit; that is, their livelihood. To love is to thank. To love is to want to bring an offering to the Beloved. To love is to give. Sacrifice is the choreography of love.
rabbisacks.org/understanding-sacrifice-tzav-5776

משנה ביכורים ג׳:ג׳

(ג) הַקְּרוֹבִים מְבִיאִים הַתְּאֵנִים וְהָעֲנָבִים, וְהָרְחוֹקִים מְבִיאִים גְּרוֹגָרוֹת וְצִמּוּקִים.

Mishnah Bikkurim 3:3

(3) Those who lived near [Jerusalem] would bring fresh figs and grapes, while those who lived far away would bring dried figs and raisins.

The switch between the path of prophecy and the path of Torah took place during the Second Temple period, when prophecy ceased. In preparation for the exile that would follow, those spiritual forces of the nation that had previously focused on prophecy now concentrated their talents on the discipline of Halachah, developing and refining the study of Torah. These efforts enabled the Jewish people to survive as a separate nation in foreign lands, distinguished from other nations by an all-encompassing Halachic lifestyle.
These two paths are reflected in the paradigm of the Bikkurim offerings. Those close to the spiritual center prefer the delicious fresh fruits. However, the gifts from those living far away — dried figs and raisins that may appear to be shriveled and lifeless, but have the advantage of retaining their flavor despite the long journey — are also valued and beloved. Together, the two conduits of Torah and prophecy provide endurance and vitality for the nation’s special service of God.
- Rav Kook Ein Eyah vol. II, p. 412

Rabbi Kook comments: “….When the nation is morally depraved, when individuals’ eyes and heart are only upon money, these two types, those who engage in nature and those who engage in artifice become alienated from one another. The farmers, who dwell in villages close to nature, will be the object of disrespect on the part of the professionals who have figured out how to live by civilization divorced from nature.”
In the colorful ceremony of bikkurim, which involved Jews from all walks of life, Rabbi Kook saw an opportunity to rectify the disrespect and alienation between the farmers and the townspeople. In a God-fearing society, each individual sector of society recognizes the relevance of the other sectors. Among the Jewish nation, farmers were given particular respect. This recognition is exemplified by the townspeople “standing up” before the farmers during the ceremony.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/first-fruits/