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PERASHA KI TAVO

09/21/2022 09:30:51 AM

Sep21

"And you shall take from the first of all the fruit of the soil..." (26,2)

Gratitude

On the verse "And you shall take from the first of all the fruit of the soil" Rashi says "From the first" - A person goes down to his field and sees a fig that has ripened, he ties a band around it as a sign and says, - This is bikurim."

The source is from the Mishna: "How does one put aside bikurim? A person goes down to his field and sees a fig that has ripened, a cluster that has ripened, a pomegranate that has ripened, he ties a band around it and says – These are bikurim."

We must understand this. If a person ties a linen thread around them or a cotton thread as a sign- are they disqualified? They are certainly kosher. So why does the Mishna use the word גמי ?

It says in Likutei btar likutei in the name of Rabbi Moshe Leib Sassov Ob'm that the reason that G-d commanded to bring bikurim is as follows: A person works in his field and sees that through his efforts the ground brings forth beautiful fruits/vegetables and he becomes haughty over his efforts and says: Mine are the best of everyone! And how did I achieve this high-quality produce more than anyone? Because I know how to work! I know how to invest efforts. I he thereby becomes haughty as it says "My strength and the strength of my hands has brought me this valor".

Therefore G-d tells him: The first fruits that you were so proud of – bring to me as bikurim – and thereby you will remember that I am the cause and not you.

That is what Rashi comes to teach us: A person ties a גמי around the fruit as a sign. The letters of גמי  allude to  "גדולים מעשי ה'" – Great are G-d's deeds – to remind a person that he only made the efforts (planting, plowing, reaping, etc.) to bring down the Divine prosperity and that everything is from G-d and he should not be haughty.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784