Parashat Ki Tavo: How to Bring Bikkurim

(delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on September 1, 2023)

Tomorrow’s Torah reading speaks of the bringing of bikkurim, first fruits, to the Temple, during which they would make a specific declaration. This declaration presents the precise wording that the farmer used when addressing G!d. Later the Mishnah^[1] records that every farmer was to recite this specific declaration in Hebrew. Those who could not were led by a prompter. Eventually everyone used a prompter to avoid embarrassing those who did not know or did not remember it precisely.

In any event, this declaration conveys what the authors and editors of Deuteronomy hoped farmers would find meaningful. Let’s look at it.

The first declaration you might recall from the Passover Haggadah.

אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גׇר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃

וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃

וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־ה’ אֱלֹקי אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע ה’ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ ה’ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃

וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃

My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there, but there became a great and very populous nation. The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to HaShem, G!d of our ancestors, and HaShem heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. HaShem freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents, bringing us to this place and giving us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

What’s interesting and compelling about this to me, is that the farmer who is bringing his first fruits from his land which he tended diligently daily since planting, recites a brief history of his people. This gives the farmer a sense of the greater context in which he gives bikkurim, for all Israelite farmers bring them. In addition, the farmer links his own agricultural labors to Jewish identity and to G!d, rendering his work precious, connected to the community, and, in the perspective of G!d, becomes holy.

This bringing together of G!d, history, community, and destiny into this declaration is highlighted in the final line. Let’s look at it.

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה

Now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the soil

which You have given me, HaShem.”

Our Sages, too, found this verse significant, and made many comments on it. I have highlighted the first three words in different colors, and will now explore each of them.

The first word, v’atah, translated as “now,” has been understood as the modern Hebrew mi-yad, “immediately.” Mi-yad has a powerful sense of urgency about it. It implies that one must not delay in bringing bikkurim, for when fruits lose their freshness, when bikkurim become stale, they are no longer fit to be brought before the altar of G!d. Hence, v’atah in this context means “forthwith.”

This is one idea to think about as we prepare for the High Holy Days. We all have a lot to offer. If one wishes to bring their personal bikkurim, the best fruits of themselves, if one sincerely desires to make a contribution to the needs of one’s community, one ought to do it miyad–with dispatch. We sometimes procrastinate and wait too long and, suddenly, the moment has passed. Let’s not wait to give each other the benefit of our bikkurim, and start to come to community, to shul, and be more present, more engaged.

The second word of the verse is hinei, literally meaning “here” and often translated as “behold.” Our Sages saw in the usage of this word the nuance of b’simchah, with joy. One must bring bikkurim with a happy heart, with feelings of joy. In life, best practice is to do our tasks and live our lives by being fully present and with full heart.

How relevant is this rabbinic thought to us now! In this time, many of us have struggled to find or experience simchah, joyfulness, in our lives. We should exult in doing a mitzvah, in studying Torah and discovering a new insight, in coming to prayer and getting an emotional lift, in wrapping ourselves in a tallit, from staying for the Oneg or Kiddush following services and reveling in being part of the community, and in basking in the glow of Shabbat candles. Jewish living provides us with so many possible moments of simchah–uplift, delight, and deeply heartfelt joy. When we do acts of social justice or display kindness to others, we should, with the Psalmist, feel that we ivdu et HaShem b’simchah, that we are serving G!d with joy.

Sometimes, and probably too often, we find that Jewish life is a burden, or too challenging, or too exacting. We stop seeking a glorious moment of davening, we stop expecting an I-Thou encounter with G!d, and we start performing mitzvot mechanically, in a perfunctory manner, hoping that we’ll get out of shul five or ten minutes earlier.

We sometimes give someone credit when they observe Shabbat or keep kosher when it may be economically challenging. Well, it can be, but we forget that keeping kosher can bring a sense of meaning and purpose, a dearer sense of identity, and a source of joy and pride.

As we prepare for the High Holy Days, we would do well to consider how we might derive greater simchah, joy, from our Jewishness and from our Jewish commitments, including religious observance.

Finally, the third word of our verse we are highlighting is heiveiti, “I brought.” The Sages suggest that the word implies mi-sheli, “from me.” The bikkurim that are brought must be one’s very own.

We get more out of life, and more out of Judaism, when we are the actors, and do not hold a “Judaism by proxy” attitude. For example, while of course the Rabbi should pay a call to a congregant who is home recovering from a medical procedure, it is not only the rabbi who should do this: It is all of us. We can all reach out by Email, phone, text, tribute cards or through some other avenue. It’s nice that CAH offers classes, but the one who thinks that deepening their Judaism is a positive and meaningful thing cannot merely be grateful that the Synagogue offers these. Rather, one should make a commitment to oneself to be a lifelong Jewish learner.

I remember once a congregant of another community bemoaned the fact that where the family was about to move there was no synagogue in the vicinity, and so they were not going to move just yet. When I complimented the congregant for their forethought and concern about having a synagogue nearby, they reassured me, “Rabbi, please don’t get me wrong. I don’t need a synagogue for myself. It is for my aging father.” Hmmm. I was struck–and rather saddened–that this person felt no need for connection to a Jewish community.

Mi-sheli, “from me” has yet another connotation. It implies that when we bring bikkurim, we ought to give until we feel it. Sometimes when we pitch in to help clean up after kiddush, or when we distribute chumashim to fellow congregants, or otherwise “pitch in,” it is true that in the moment we might have the momentary sense of denying ourselves an extra moment of rest. Yet, part of what it means to be an emotionally mature, spiritually rich person, is to sometimes put our personal needs or pleasures to the side for a brief time, so that we can be part of something greater than ourselves.

Three words that are more than words; they represent concepts.

Ata, “forthwith.”

Hinei, “joyfully.”

Heiveiti, “my own”

This High Holy Day season, let’s strive to experience and accomplish what we say we want ata–now. Let’s take responsibility for making simchah, joy, be a part of our lives. Finally, let’s make sure that we’re not only letting others take the lead or do what we might be better off doing misheli, for ourselves or joining with others.

If we can focus on these areas, then we will already help ensure that to a very large extent that 5784 will be a good, sweet year.

 Alevai. Kein y’hi ratzon. So may it be.

Shabbat shalom.

^[1] Mishnah Sotah 7:2-3, Mishnah Bikkurim 3:7. The Mishnah represents the earliest layer of oral traditions.