Dear Alumni and Friends,
It’s mind boggling! Did you ever pause to think about how different the mitzva of bikurim, how seemingly blown out of proportion this mitzva is both in halacha and Chazal?!
You probably know that a craftsman, artisan or construction worker who is employed to work for a time period, let’s say 8.30am – 4pm, is not allowed to stand up and give the proper respect to a talmid chacham that passes by while he is working (Kidushin 30a). But did you know that when people bringing bikurim pass by, “all the workers, craftsmen and artisans of Yerushalayim stand before them?” Amazing. We know how super important it is to give respect and honor to a Talmid Chacham, and that the Sages chastised those who stand up for a Sefer Torah and not for a Chacham who is in essence a walking Sefer Torah!
Not only that, but even the gisbarim, the CEO’s of the Beis HaMikdash come out to greet the groups of people bringing bikurim. I said groups because we are told to bring bikurim to Yerushalayim (dafka) especially in groups because of “the vastness of the people honors the King.” We don’t find this concerning other similar mitzvos.
If that’s not enough, consider the Sifri that tells us “do this mitzva (bikurim) so that with the reward of this mitzva you will be able to enter the Land.” It is in the merit of bikurim that we were worthy of Eretz Yisrael!
But not even this is enough! The Medrash Raba tells us, “in the beginning Hashem created…there is no raishis (beginning) other than bikurim, as it is said, “the raishis bikurim of the Land.” It seems that the cosmos owes its existence to bikurim as well!
These questions and others were asked by the Nesivos Shalom, (Devorim on our parsha) the Slonimer Rebbe ztz”l and his answer encompasses what I wanted to suggest.
To understand this concept properly you probably need to learn the second and third chapters of Chovos Halevovos (Sha’ar Bechina and Sha’ar Avodas Hashem – not a bad project for Elul.) But for those who haven’t the time let me try to express it in a few words. Hashem created the world for us to appreciate, to be grateful and to recognize and thank Him. Our purpose in this world is to appreciate the unbelievable gifts of the Creator and express in our hearts and prayers our appreciation. Of course not that Hashem needs our thanks, but that this fulfills man’s purpose which is to recognize and connect with the Al-mighty!
A farmer has worked and toiled for months: planting, weeding, pruning, watering, spraying and caring for his crop. Finally, the day has arrived. He excitedly enters his field. He sees luscious figs that have just appeared. He takes a string and wraps it around and says with tears of joy in his eyes, these are bikurim, the first fruit of my labor. You have no idea of how precious these are to him unless you toiled to construct something yourself. I remember as a 9 or 10 year old, I built together with my twin a radio transmitter. In those days you had to solder wires, resistors, condensers and tubes and it was quite a task. Even completed it wasn’t worth that much but to me it was a treasure because of the toil I put into it. The bikurim are treasures and it is this treasure that he gives to the Creator as gratefulness, thus fulfilling the purpose of Creation. Now we understand the special significance of this mitzva.
To celebrate the first Shabbos of the zman (besides Rabbi Mendy Goldman and Shoshana’s bris, bezras Hashem) I am making a Seudas Hodaya and a very special siyum during Seudas Shlishis. I wish you all could come, but at least I shared with you some of the thoughts that I hope to express, thanking Hashem for when He restored my health and for the opportunity to work with Neveh another year.
We are looking forward to a great year, although your tefillos are always appreciated (I was able to daven at the kevorim in Tzefat for those who sent in their requests and for many other alumni as well).
Have a great Shabbos,
Mash
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