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TU BISHVAT READING

osner
R
Rabbi Shalom Rosner
abbi Shalom R
MITZVOT HATLUYOT BAARETZ BIKKURIM

Gi n t ­ B s

he mitzvah of bikkurim requires of such and such a place, we welcome This is the message of bikkurim: to
one to bring his first םיִני ִּ מ ַ ה ת ַ ע ְ ב ִ ׁש you in peace. The flute would play give the most precious and beloved to
Tfruit to the Mikdash, recite before them until they reached the G-d. At the moment that naturally we
a short review of Jewish history, and Temple Mount. When they reached would be focused on our own needs
then to present those fruits to the the Temple Mount even King Agrip- and desires, we instead funnel our
kohen. The midrash tells us – תי ׁ ִ שא ֵ ר ְּ ב pas would take the basket and place assets to G-d.
תי ִ ׁשא ֵ ר ּוא ְ ר ְ קִּנ ֶ ׁש םי ִ רּו ּ כ ִּ ב לי ִ ב ְ ׁש ִּ ב: one of the it on his shoulder and walk as far as This also helps us understand the
purposes of Creation was to give Jews the Temple Court. When he got to the root difference between the korban
the opportunity to bring bikkurim. Temple Court, the Levites would sing
What is so special about this mitz- the song: ‘I will extol You, O L-rd, for of Kayin and of Hevel. Kayin, after
all, had the idea first, so why was his
vah? How does this mitzvah capture You have raised me up, and You have
the essence of our avodah? The ques- not let my enemies rejoice over me.’” korban “rejected”? The answer is in
tion is compounded by the pomp and the text itself. Kayin brought from the
circumstance described by the Mish- (Tehillim 30:2) fruit of the land, while Hevel brought
nayot in Masechet Bikkurim (Chapter Why all the excitement? Why all the from the choicest of his flock. Kayin
3) which accompanied those fulfilling fuss? Why do all the local farmers did not bring his most precious, and
the mitzvah. need to stop what they are doing to that reflected a moral failure in his
outlook in his service of G-d.
1
“An ox would go in front of them, his give them a yashar koach?
horns bedecked with gold and with The Noam Elimelech teaches us the This is one of the purposes of Cre-
an olive-crown on its head. The flute secret. How do I know which fruit to ation: to give our most precious, our
would play before them until they give as bikkurim? When the first little best, to His service. Be it time, be it
would draw close to Jerusalem. When blossom of the first fruit appears, the effort, be it money, be it resources.
they drew close to Jerusalem they owner ties a ribbon on it to remember There are so many areas in which we
would send messengers in advance, which one was first. Imagine after all can give of ourselves for spiritual and
and they would adorn their bikkurim. the blood, sweat and tears of months national pursuits. So many of our
The governors and chiefs and trea- youth here in Israel give of their most
surers [of the Temple] would go out to of plowing, watering, praying for rain, precious years to learning, serving in
greet them, and according to the rank worrying about growth, the farmer the army, and dedicating their time
of the entrants, they would go forth. finally merits to see the fruits of to National Service, sherut leumi. We
All the skilled artisans of Jerusalem his labor. And what does he do? must learn from their sacrifice and
would stand up before them and greet He gives it away to G-d and His commitment to our nation to live a
them saying, “Our brothers, men servants. life with the bikkurim value! Let us
make sure that this Tu BiShvat, we
rededicate ourselves to this end, and
focus our attention to giving our very
best to the One Above.

1 See the Rambam’s beautiful formulation
at the end of Hilchot Issurei Mizbeach.

Rabbi Shalom Rosner is a Rebbe at
Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh and Rabbi of the
Nofei HaShemesh community.

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