It is these moments, actions, words that I want to focus on this morning with you. As the High Holidays approach, and we begin to look over our year, we can see what we have written in the Books of our Lives, and what has been written by others in the Books of our Lives. I don't want us to focus this morning on the regret, on the missteps, and all that. I want to focus on our first fruits, on the things that entered our lives in the past year for which we are grateful.
(א) וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ׃ (ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ֞ מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ית ׀ כׇּל־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תָּבִ֧יא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָ֖ךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ בַטֶּ֑נֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃
(ג) וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו הִגַּ֤דְתִּי הַיּוֹם֙ לַה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ כִּי־בָ֙אתִי֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע ה׳ לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לָ֥תֶת לָֽנוּ׃ (ד) וְלָקַ֧ח הַכֹּהֵ֛ן הַטֶּ֖נֶא מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וְהִ֨נִּיח֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֕י מִזְבַּ֖ח ה׳ אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃
(ה) וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֗יךָ 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־ה׳ אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע ה׳ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ (ח) וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ ה׳ 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 ה׳
וְהִנַּחְתּ֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יתָ לִפְנֵ֖י ה׳ אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃
(יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכׇל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ {ס}
(1) When you enter the land that your God ה׳ is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, (2) you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that your God ה׳ is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where your God ה׳ 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 ה׳ that I have entered the land that ה׳ swore to our ancestors 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.
(5) You shall then recite as follows before your God ה׳: “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 ה׳, the God of our ancestors, and ה׳ heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression.
(8) ה׳ 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, ה׳, have given me.”
You shall leave it before your God ה׳ and bow low before your God
ה׳. (11) And you shall enjoy, together with the [family of the] Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that your God ה׳ has bestowed upon you and your household.
מראשית [THEN YOU SHALL TAKE] OF THE FIRST [OF ALL THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND] — of the first fruits, but not all the first fruits, for not all fruits are subject to the duty of bringing to the Temple their first-fruits, only the seven chief kinds of products of Israel alone [akak the Seven Species], for there is mentioned here, “the land,” and it states there (Deuteronomy 8:8) “a land of wheat, and barley, etc,” (thus suggesting an analogy — that the fruits of the land referred to here are those enumerated there).
What is it that Scripture is speaking of there? Of the seven products through which the land of Israel is distinguished! So, too, here it speaks only of the distinguished products of the land of Israel which are seven species only (Sifrei Devarim 297:4; Menachot 84b).
(ח) אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן אֶֽרֶץ־זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
(8) a land of wheat and barley, of [grape] vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and [date] honey...
These are different kinds of “first fruits.”
Each type represents something you might be grateful for from the past year in your life.
Take one or more of them, with each one representing something from the past year that you are grateful for. Roll each one up with the image on the outside, and tie a piece of straw around it.
Wheat / Nourishment
Wheat is the foundation of bread, symbolizing basic sustenance. What support and nourishment have you received this past year, whether through food, relationships, or personal growth?
Barley / New Beginnings
Barley is one of the first grains harvested. What new beginnings and/or fresh starts have you had this past year?
Grapes /Growth Through Process
Grapes must be pressed to become wine. What tough experiences that led to personal growth and a refined character have you have in the past year?
Figs / Inner Growth
Figs are inward blossoms. What internal growth and self-improvement have you cultivated over the past year?
Pomegranates / Diversity
Each seed is unique, yet part of the same fruit. What diversity of experiences, relationships, and perspectives that enriched your year are you grateful for?
Olives / Endurance
Olive trees thrive in rocky soil and harsh climates. What perseverance and determination have you shown in facing life's difficulties this past year?
Dates / Sweetness
Dates are naturally sweet and nourishing. What sweet memories and experiences have brought joy and comfort to your life this year?
מראשית OF ITS FIRST FRUITS — but not all the first fruits (not even of the seven species mentioned above) but when one goes into their field and sees for the first time that year a fig that has ripened they bind a piece of straw round it as an indication and says “Lo, this is bikkurim" (and it suffices) (Sifrei Devarim 297:7; Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1).
...וְלֹא נָתַן הַכָּתוּב שִׁעוּר בָּהֶם אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ גַּרְגִּיר אֶחָד מִכָּל הַמִּין הַהוּא פּוֹטֵר כָּל הַשָּׂדֶה, כְּדִין תְּרוּמָה שֶׁחִטָּה אַחַת פּוֹטֶרֶת אֶת הַכְּרִי:
...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.
הִגַּדְתִּי הַיּוֹם, בַּפְּרִי הַזֶּה שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי הִגַּדְתִּי וְהוֹדֵיתִי לַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ שֶׁהֱבִיאַנִי לָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ לָתֵת לָנוּ, וְהִנֵּה הַשֵּׁם מְקַיֵּם דְּבָרָיו וַאֲנִי מוֹדֶה וּמְשַׁבֵּחַ לִשְׁמוֹ....
“Through this fruit which I have brought, I talk about and give thanks to the Eternal your God Who brought me into the Land which God swore unto our ancestors to give us. Thus G-d fulfilled God's words, and I give thanks and praise to God's Name."...
When everyone is back with their First Fruits, we will go through each of them, and if you have one or more of those First Fruits, I will invite you to come and add it to the basket up here. You can share what it was or you can just come and add it to the basket privately.
Wheat
Barley
Grapes
Figs
Pomegranates
Olives
Dates
After all of the first fruits have been offered, ask all those who did to stand (if able) and to bow in gratitude. Then conclude with this blessing:
We thank You for the gifts of this past year—the moments of joy and the challenges that have shaped us, the blessings we recognize and those hidden from our eyes.
As we lift our voices in gratitude, we bring our own offerings, just as our ancestors brought the first fruits to You in thanks for the land You gave them.
May the expressions of our hearts be received with love, and may they continue to inspire us to act with kindness, humility, and generosity.
May we see Your hand in all we have and find strength in Your presence as we move forward into the coming year.
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלוקינו מלך העולם, המשפיע שפע ומקיים את כל החיים
Blessed are You, Adonai, who fills the world with abundance and sustains all life.