Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Parshat Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of Bikurim. The Torah commands, "When you come to the Land... that you shall take the first of every fruit... and bring it to Hashem..." The Medrash on this verse suggests that the wording implies that Bnei Yisroel will enter the Land in the merit of this mitzvah. Considering that Bnei Yisroel is still in the desert, Rabbi Bernstein explains that this merit is retroactive, that Hashem anticipates Bnei Yisroel's observing this mitzvah in the future. [Point to ponder: Hashem saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom in the merit of Lot's future descendant, Ruth, great grandmother of King David. CKS]
Although the verse speaks generically of fruit, the Halachah/law is that this mitzvah applies specifically to the seven fruits for which Israel is praised. Rabbi Bernstein, citing the Arizal, explains that this mitzvah is a rectification of the sin of the spies, for these were the fruits the spies brought back from their mission, instilling fear into Bnei Yisroel that the inhabitants of the Land were as big as these fruit. Further, the Torah tells us that the spies embarked on their mission in "yimei bikkurei anavim, in the days of the first fruit of the grapes." Now we understand that this seemingly extraneous detail carries special significance. We further understand why, although the mitzvah applies to all the seven species, why the Mishneh, in giving details of the mitzvah, lists only the fig, the grape and the pomegranate, for these were the precise fruits the spies brought back from the Land.
How does this mitzvah rectify the sin of the spies? Rabbi Bernstein delves into the mindset of the spies. During the forty years in the desert, Hashem sustained Bnei Yisroel through miracles. Now Bnei Yisroel would be entering the Land and they would need to sustain themselves through natural means. They feared that if the miracles ceased, Hashem's presence would also cease to be with them. They were not ready to accept that Hashem would still be with them within nature itself.
That is the precise idea that the mitzvah of bikurim was meant to counter. There is no conflict between Hashem and nature; in fact, we are meant to see Hashem in every aspect of our natural lives and to elevate the natural, the physical to acknowledge Hashem's presence. When Bnei Yisroel would bring the first fruit, they would testify that it was Hashem Who was the Source of this fruit and these blessings. That understanding is why the Jewish People's presence in the Land of Israel is dependent on fulfilling this particular mitzvah. While the verse in Tehillim says, "The heavens belong to Hashem, but the earth He gave to mankind," writes Rav Reiss citing the Kotzker Rav, what is meant is that we are charged with raising the earth to heaven, a task easily forgotten in the necessity of the daily work we must exert in our own sustenance.
This is especially true of a farmer who sees the product of his toil in the earth and could easily proclaim, "Look what I've accomplished, forgetting that Hashem had orchestrated it all for his benefit. It is at that very moment of possible hubris that the farmer must go to Yerushalayim and declare how grateful he is to Hashem, for it was Hashem Who blessed him with these first fruits.
It is not only these fruit that are called ראשית, first. Amalek is also called ראשית גויים, the first among the nations. The mitzvah of the first fruit is a counter to the philosophy of Amalek, the nation who felt that everything was happenstance, there was no supervising Agency -- אשר קרך בדרך, who "happened" upon you as you, Bnei Yisroel, traveled. With our firsts, we negate the philosophy of the first among the nations, writes Rabbi Bernstein, and we counter our doubts about Hashem, for, immediately before Amalek attacked, we questioned, "Is Hashem's [presence] among us or not?"
While it is natural to feel pride in our accomplishments, it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge that everything I've done, everything I have, is a gift from Hashem. As we are approaching Rosh Hashanah when we coronate Hashem as King of the world, we must remember to coronate Him also as the King over each of us individually, He is my King, teaches Rav Nieman zt"l in Yalkut Lekach Tov.
Hashem created the world for the glory of Heaven, and He chose Bnei Yisroel as the ones to recognize His glory and bring it to the world. Therefore, Bnei Yisroel, whom the Prophet Yirmiyahu designates as "holy to Hashem, the ראשית/first of His wheat crop," is tasked with revealing the glory of the very First, before Whom there was no other, to the world. This is the symbolism couched within the bikurim ritual, writes Rav Moshe Shapira zt”l in Mimaamakim. And this is the merit Bnei Yisroel gain when they bring their first fruit to the Beit Hamikdosh and offer it to Hashem.
Rabbi Bernstein now brings a different perspective on the mitzvah of bikurim, based on the work of the Baal Haturim. He notes that there is only one letter of the entire aleph bet that does not appear in the section of bikurim. That letter is "ס", samech. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet carries much symbolic meaning from its very appearance and construction. The letter samech is an enclosed circle, going round and round with no escape. Further, the numerical equivalent of samech is sixty, alluding to ten times the finite limit of creation. We are limited by our ego, and need to break free to remember Hashem. We are commanded to bring our bikurim in a טנא, a basket whose numerical equivalent is also sixty, from which our Sages derive that the bikurim should be one sixtieth.
Bringing the bikurim is a yearly reminder of Hashem, just as our prayer is a daily reminder of Hashem's presence in our lives. Our declaration upon presenting the bikurim to the kohain, writes the Netivos Shalom, testifies that I have reached the goal of coming to the land, and I understand that this success is all from Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
In a similar way that bikurim must impact us for the entire year, so must Rosh Hashanah also impact us for the entire year. We coronate Hashem in every aspect of our lives. We are humble before Him. The shofar must be a bent horn, symbolizing submission, and the Aleinu we recite on Rosh Hashanah is also recited with complete humility, with many people traditionally [those physically able] prostrating themselves on the ground, writes Rabbi Reiss in Meirosh Tzurim. It is a recognition of my complete dependence on Hashem.
Rabbi Shternbach shlita, notes that Rashi connects bringing the bikurim to an expression of gratitude, a gratitude we must feel for the gift of Eretz Yisroel. Therefore, our right to the Land is contingent on bringing the bikurim to express this gratitude. Interestingly, this parshah which is always read shortly before Rosh Hashanah, contains the curses and rebukes, and we pray not to experience any of them in the coming year. But we must also focus on the chesed Hashem extended to us in the past year, and approach the new year with hope. As Rebbetzin Smiles points out this past year has been devastating for Bnei Yisroel. But in addition to mourning the tragedies, we must be cognizant and grateful for the miracles we witnessed but tend to ignore. We must acknowledge these, and build up our hope for the future year.
Rabbi Fryman expresses these thoughts more fully in Shaaray Derech. While we are commanded to, "Say before Me Malchuyot [coronating Me as King], mere rote recitation is inadequate. The recitation must include the emotional expression of gratitude. Gratitude is the catalyst for strengthening the relationship between Hashem and myself. Gratitude makes me realize how much I owe Him for all the small things I receive directly and indirectly from Him.
Rebbetzin Smiles reminds us that it is important to acknowledge the chesed of those around us as well, to express gratitude to all who have benefited us, even indirectly. After all, they are emulating Hashem and are His emissaries of chesed in the world.
There is yet another answer to how Bnei Yisroel merited receiving Eretz Yisroel in anticipation of the mitzvah of bikurim. In Be'er Moshe, the Oshorover Rebbe notes that when Bnei Yisroel received this mitzvah, they expressed tremendous joy in anticipation of fulfilling this mitzvah. It was this joy for the future opportunity, for the desire to perform the mitzvah, that was the basis for the merit of inheriting the Land. It was a similar kind of joy that earns King David the merit of having built the Beit Hamikdosh even though he himself was disqualified from doing the actual construction. Therefore, Psalm 30 credits the inauguration of the Temple to David, in the merit of his deep desire to build a house for the Lord.
Similarly, Bnei Yisroel, upon receiving the instructions for the mitzvah, were already planning how to perform it. As Rabbi Druck says, citing Rabbenu Yonah, Hashem credits us with the mitzvoth even before they are performed when we have the desire and the joy to perform the mitzvah. We have the desire; we can plan, but only Hashem can ensure success. When we have the רצון, the desire, we create a צנור, a pipeline through which Hashem's blessings can flow down to us.
There was great pomp and joy accompanying the bikurim ceremony. Music accompanied the processional parade, the oxen's horns were decorated as were the baskets carrying the fruit. Why did this particular mitzvah warrant such an outpouring expression of joy, asks Rabbi Wolfson zt”l? How do the bikurim themselves generate this joy? Bikurim were brought from "wheat, barley grape, fig and pomegranate... olive oil and date honey." Rabbi Wolfson notes that this is more than just a list of produce, but that each of these is compared to Bnei Yisroel somewhere in Tanach.
We've already noted wheat. Rabbi Wolfson provides the other comparisons: "A leafy olive tree...", "You caused a grapevine to journey out of Egypt", "The fig tree has formed its small figs", "As many as a pomegranate's seeds are your merits...", "...Your stature likened to a towering palm tree."
These are the fruits and the people of the Land. When the Prophet Yirmiyahu was already prophesying the exile of Bnei Yisroel, Hashem instructed him to buy the field of his cousin Chanamel, to pay for, sign the deed before witnesses, seal it, and bury it to preserve it. This was a symbolic act of hope in response to the prophecy, a harbinger of hope that, although the people would be exiled, they would yet return, buy houses and fields, and plant vineyards.
These fruits that represent the Nation are being brought as bikurim in anticipation of receiving the land in the future, and in the merit of these first fruits, Bnei Yisroel will renter the land. And the Prophet concludes, "They will forever inherit the land."
We are still this precious fruit. May it be His will that soon we will have peace, we will rebuild, Hashem will send us Eliyahu and Moshiach to direct us to rebuild the Beit Hamikdosh and merit bringing bikurim to Hashem once again with great joy.