Deuteronomy · Chapter 26

And it shall be, when you enter the land that Hashem your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and dwell in it —

והיה כי תבוא … וירשתה וישבת בה AND IT SHALL BE, WHEN YOU COME IN [UNTO THE LAND …] AND POSSESS IT AND SETTLE THEREIN — This tells us that they (the Israelites) were not under the obligation to bring first fruits until they had conquered the land and divided it (cf. Kiddushin 37b).

"And it shall come to pass, when you enter." Because it is written [that certain commandments apply] "when Hashem grants you rest," Hashem states that there are commandments that precede "when Hashem grants you rest" — they apply as soon as you enter [the Land]. These are: the first fruits, the tithe, the writing of the Torah on the stones, the building of an altar, and the blessing and the curse upon the two mountains.

והיה כי תבא, "It will be when you come, etc." The Torah introduces this paragraph with the word והיה, indicating a joyous event; the message is that the only true reason for being joyful is when one is privileged to live in the Holy Land. Compare what David had to say about the return to Zion, i.e. (Psalms 126,2) "then our mouths will be filled with laughter." אשר ה׳ אלוקיך נתן לך נחלה וירשתה, "which the Lord your G'd is about to give you as an inheritance and you will dwell in it." What exactly is this verse driving at? If the purpose of our verse is to convey the legislation of בכורים, "the offering of the first fruit," the Torah should have commenced these instructions with the words תקח מראשית כל פרי, "take from the first ripened fruit, etc." seeing this is the beginning of this legislation. Why did the Torah write ולקחת with the conjunctive letter ו when there is no connection to the most recently mentioned commandment? It appears that G'd actually commanded 4 separate commandments here. 1) The Israelite should realise in his heart that it was not he nor his strength which enabled him to conquer the land of Canaan but that it was a gift to him from G'd. This is why the Torah first wrote: "which the Lord your G'd is about to give to you." G'd gives it to you in order for you to realise this. The Torah advisedly used the formula אלוקיך, "your G'd," to remind you that He gave you the land in order for you to recognise Him as such. 2) You must drive out the former inhabitants of this land. You have to do this even if it appears to you that there is a good reason for keeping some former inhabitants in this land. The Torah demands that the enemies of G'd must be expelled from His land. This is why the Torah stresses וירשתה, "and you shall possess it." 3) Dwelling in the Holy Land is a commandment all by itself. We have numerous instances where the Talmud extols the importance of the commandment to dwell in the Holy Land. Compare Ketuvot 111. 4) The bringing to the Temple annually of some of the first ripened fruit which this land produces.

והיה כי תבא אל הארץ, “it will be when you come to the Land, etc.” seeing that Moses had told the people in Deut. 25,19 that the commandment to wipe out Amalek would apply only after Hashem had given the people rest from all their enemies, he has to tell them here that what follows applies as soon as they enter and make their homes in the Holy Land. Some notable commandments that become due as soon as they will reap harvests in that land, are: the bringing to the Temple of the first ripened fruit of the seven species for which the land is famous, tithing the grain harvest by giving the Levites their share, inscribing the text of the Torah in the stones of the Jordan river, building the altar, as well as reciting the blessings and curses detailed in chapter 27,12-26 on the two mountains designates for this.

כבד את ה' מהונך ומראשית כל תבואתך, וימלאו אסמיך שבע ותירוש יקביך יפרוצו, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your harvests; so that your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3, 9-10). With these words Solomon warned us to display faith in the Lord and in His ability and willingness to provide our needs for us. The practical way of demonstrating this faith is the setting aside of a portion of our harvests for the Lord or those whom he has appointed to be the recipient of these “gifts.” One should not begrudge the money or food given to the poor and destitute seeing in them something that impoverishes the giver. On the contrary, one should view such gifts as insuring that one will continue to be the beneficiary of G’d’s bounty. Solomon spells this out even more clearly in Proverbs 28,27 where we read: ”He who gives to the poor will not be in need.” We must truly believe that G’d will add to our resources as a result of our demonstrating this faith by sharing what we have with others. This is the meaning of Proverbs 11,24: יש מפזר ונוסף עוד, “one man gives generously (appears to waste) and winds up with more.” Solomon also said (Proverbs 10,2) ”the treasures of wickedness are useless; whereas charity saves from death.” The author of Proverbs means that the excess accumulated by means of robbery and extortion will prove ineffectual, whereas the very giving up of part of one’s fortune to assist the poor and needy is what will prove effective in determining the individual’s fate, so much so that it may save the donor from what otherwise would have been certain death. Our sages in Ketuvot 66 phrase it thus: מלח ממון חסר, “if someone wants to treat money as if it were salt, i.e. enduring forever, he will find that it decreases.” Others quote the proverb as ממון מלח חסד, “if someone wants his money to endure as does salt, he should use it to perform acts of loving kindness(with it).” Seeing that this is so it behooves a person to spend his money (part of it) on the performance of commandments which involve expense, especially the commandment to give charity. He who gives to the poor in fact gives to the Almighty. [I suppose the meaning is that thereby G’d will not have to trouble Himself to sustain that poor person. Ed]. Similarly, he who donates money for sacred purposes such as the Temple, etc., is only giving to G’d what belongs to G’d in the first place. David spelled this out in Chronicles I 29,14 when he said: “for everything emanated from You and that which comes from Your hand we have given to You.” All of these considerations prompted Solomon to say in the verse quoted above: “honour the Lord with your wealth.” The expression הון used by Solomon includes all kinds of things which a person accumulates in order to keep and preserve them. The word is derived from Psalms 119,14: כעל כל הון, “as over all riches.” Other examples of the word in the Bible occur in Proverbs 30,16 ואש לא אמרה הון, “and the fire never says ‘enough’”. Fire’s appetite to devour things is never satisfied. As long as an object subject to burning is available fire is anxious to devour it. According to a Midrashic explanation found in the Midrash Mishley on our verse, the word “fire” here refers to the fires of hell and Solomon means that there is no end to the sufferings which people who are in Gehinom have to endure. It would seem that the two verses quoted at the introduction to our Parshah both describe the need to be generous with one’s wealth in order to avoid paying for one’s miserliness by undergoing the afflictions of Gehinom. It is in order to “put G’d to the test” by fulfilling the obligation to be charitable, to give away some of one’s accumulated wealth in order to see whether indeed G’d will compensate one for doing so. This is why Solomon added at the outset: “so that the Lord will fill your barns with plenty.” The word וימלאו, “and they will be filled,” is to be understood as the result of one’s fulfilling the first half of verse 9, i.e. to honour the Lord from one’s wealth. The words: “and your vats will overflow with new wine,” are in response to the words: “from the first fruits of all your harvests” in verse 9 of that chapter. This is also why the Torah refers to “the harvest of the vineyard” in Deuteronomy 22,9. Concerning the giving of tithes, the prophet Maleachi 3,10 has stated that if someone were to test the Lord (His promises and if they come true), the only way he is allowed to do this is by means of performing the commandment of giving charity and observing if G’d indeed will enrich him thereby rather than make him poorer. The prophet describes this as an exception to the general rule not to put G’d to the test by saying: “I will perform a certain commandment in order to be enriched materially by the reward.” Compare Deut. 6.16: “you must not put the Lord to the test.” Our sages in Taanit 9,1 have stated that the verse quoted from Malachi represents the single and solitary exception to the prohibition spelled out in Deut. 6,16. They understand the prophet’s words: “bring your tithes, etc.,” as almost an invitation to prove that G’d does reward those who diminish their wealth by sharing the harvest with the poor, as resulting in an addition to those people’s material possessions forthwith. When Solomon spoke about the positive results accruing to the individual who honours the Lord from his wealth, he too meant this not as something given on condition that G’d would reward the individual forthwith but as a statement of fact, of what would ensue as a result of such conduct by those individuals. This is why he did not preface his comments with the words: “if you do such and such.” Basically, the lesson is that although putting the Lord to the test is forbidden, the subject of tithing is an exception to this rule. A Midrashic approach, based on Tanchuma Re'ey 12: the words: “honor the Lord from your wealth (הונך),” are interpreted as related to הנאה, something from which one derives satisfaction or profit. Solomon urges people who have received anything enjoyable from G’d over and above what the average person enjoys (not only their harvest) as obligated to “kick back” something to G’d and to thereby honour His name. As an example of the point just made, consider a person who has been endowed by G’d with an especially beautiful voice, a singer. It behooves such a person to place this gift in the service of the Lord by acting as Cantor in the Synagogue services during communal prayer, provided he does so in order to honor the Lord and not in order to receive personal applause by the congregants in his own honor. If such a person truly intends his vocal contribution to the Synagogue services to be in G’d’s honor, the words of Solomon in Song of Songs 2,15: “Let Me hear your voice for your voice is sweet,” may be applied to him. On the other hand, if such a well endowed person uses his gift to reap personal honor, Scripture applies to him the verse in Jeremiah 12,8: “She raised her voice against Me, therefore I have hated her.” A similar example would be someone endowed with the ability to be a calligrapher of especial talent. He should acknowledge having been granted this talent, by using it in the preparation of sacred texts, to write Torah scrolls, phylacteries, etc. If he does indeed write a Torah scroll from pure motives (not because he wants to sell it at a profit), he has acquired an outstanding merit. Our sages (Menachot 30) went as far as describing a person who wrote a Torah scroll from such motives as comparing him to someone who had literally received the Torah from heaven (at Mount Sinai). The same applies to people who possess exceptional skill in performing the art of circumcision. Such people should strive to use their skill regularly, seeing that the performance of that commandment is linked to 13 covenants between G’d and His people. All people endowed with exceptional skills or talents are duty bound to place it in the service of the Lord as a form of acknowledging that their talent is G’d-given. The words ומראשית כל תבואתך quoted in Proverbs 3,9 are reminiscent of the fact that the Jewish people are described by G’d as “His first harvest (ראשית),” such as in Jeremiah 2,2. It behooves them therefore more than any other nation to know and acknowledge the Lord Who is the First of all Firsts. They must therefore honor the Lord by offering Him the very first of their respective harvests. This is what the Torah had in mind with the commandment governing the bringing of Bikkurim to the Temple as spelled out already in Exodus 23,1. The Torah commanded the Jewish people who have been called ראשית to go to Jerusalem, a place which is known as the first in the universe, i.e. ranking first in beauty, as described in Psalms 50,2 and to offer these firstlings of their harvest to the First, i.e. to the Lord of the universe. They deliver these gifts to the priest who represents the “first” of the nation performing service to the Lord in that capacity, etc. This is the meaning of the opening verse of our Parshah, והיה כי תבוא אל הארץ אשר ה' אלוקיך נותן לך נחלה וירשתה וישבת בה, ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה, “it will come to pass when you arrive in the land which the Lord your G’d is about to give to you as an inheritance and you will inherit it and be settled in it, then you will bring of the first fruit of all the soil, etc.” The commandment to offer the bikkurim does not apply to all categories of harvest produced in the land of Israel. It is applicable only to the seven species for which the land of Israel is famous, This is the understanding of the sages in Sifri Ki Tavo item 297. This is arrived at by the fact that in our verse the Torah writes: “which you will bring from your land,” whereas in Deut. 8,8 the Torah wrote: “a land of wheat, barley, grape, fig and pomegranate; a land of oil-olives, and date-honey.” The seven species mentioned in that verse determine what is meant in our verse here. The seven species mentioned in Parshat Eykev represent the species of farm-products which serve as the staple foods of the Jewish people. The commandment is applicable only at times when the Temple is standing (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 2,1). The reason that the Torah writes the words: “when you inherit it and dwell in it,” is to inform us that the commandment becomes effective only at that time, i.e. 14 years after the Israelites entered the Holy Land. ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה, “You shall take from all the first fruit of the soil, etc.” our sages (Bikkurim 3,1) in describing the exact procedures to be followed when performing this commandment, wrote as follows: “a farmer goes into his field or orchard to check on the progress of the fruit or grain and when he observes a fig or cluster of grapes which has (almost) ripened, he attaches a string to it (to mark it) and declares that particular fruit as bikkurim.” Once he has made such a declaration the fruit becomes sanctified even while still on the tree although it has not yet completed its growth process completely. When the fruit is fully developed and cut from the tree it does not need to be sanctified again. Bikkurim are brought only from the choicest of one’s fruit. This is the meaning of the term מראשית, i.e. “from the best “(not necessarily from the first). The term ראשית also appears in that sense in Amos 6,6, where it means: “they anoint themselves with the choicest oils.” This is a principle that applies to the performance of all the commandments, i.e. one uses the choicest materials available when performing the commandment, not something of average or inferior quality. This was the difference between the offering of Hevel and that of Kayin, his older brother. The Torah reports of Hevel that he used the choicest of his animals as a sacrifice; hence G’d turned with goodwill to his offering while rejecting that of Kayin who had used inferior material. (Genesis 4,4) אשר תביא, “which you are to bring;” if someone has set aside his bikkurim in order to bring them to the Temple and they have been lost or stolen he is liable for replacing them; We derive this from the text here where the word תביא implies a personal obligation for the owner to present this fruit to the priest in the Temple. It is one of the few commandments which cannot be performed by means of a “messenger, שליח, the task cannot be delegated. If at the time of taking the fruit from the tree the farmer had made a condition saying that he would delegate the task of transporting this fruit to the Temple such a condition is acceptable (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 2,21). Farmers living in the proximity of Jerusalem, must bring fresh grapes or figs as their bikkurim, whereas those living far away may bring dried grapes or dried figs instead. Bikkurim are not to be presented in the Temple before the festival of Shavuot, seeing the Torah wrote (Exodus 23,16) “the festival of cutting (grain harvest) the time of the bikkurim of your labor.” If a farmer did bring his bikkurim before that date the priest does not accept them but they have to remain in escrow until that festival and only at that time can they be designated as bikkurim (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 25-6). Concerning such situations the Torah writes in verse 11 of our chapter: “you shall rejoice with all the goodness, etc.,” etc., i.e. that the time of year when bikkurim are acceptable is the season when people are happy seeing that they started bringing in the year’s harvest. Traditionally, this period extends from the festival of Shavuot through the end of the harvest season. If the bringing of the bikkurim occurs later than the festival of Sukkot, the offering is accepted but the accompanying scriptural verses may not be recited (Sifri Ki Tavo item 297). מארצך, “from your land.” The sages in Sifri Ki Tavo 297 write that that as long as the particular species which qualifies as bikkurim is still in evidence on the land (unharvested) and the beasts of the field have not yet consumed any leftovers of such species, bikkurim are still acceptable. This prompted our sages to rule that after Chanukah one may no longer offer bikkurim, seeing that any fruit which ripens after that date is considered as part of the following year’s crop and must therefore be stored until the following Shavuot if it already ripened at such an early time of the year. (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 2,6) ושמת בטנא, “and you shall place it in a basket.” According to the plain meaning of the text the bikkurim were a distinctive present for the priest, an honor for the Almighty, and its presentation was of great practical use for the people of Israel. It was a present of great distinction for the priest seeing that the farmer personally carried the gift all the way to Jerusalem from whatever part of the country he lived in. It was an honor for the Almighty seeing that the farmer came all the way to offer prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord in connection with the bikkurim. The farmer acknowledged that all blessing originates with the Lord. The bikkurim procedure was of practical use to the Jewish people seeing that fulfillment of this commandment resulted in the bounty of the fields and orchards being greatly increased as G’d’s response to fulfillment of the commandment. The word טנא means the same as סל, “basket.” It serves as a receptacle for the fruit. This verse is the source for the ruling that the bikkurim must be presented in a receptacle (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 3,7). This is one of seven different parts of the procedure of bringing the bikkurim. They are: 1) bringing them to the designated site, 2) presentation in a suitable receptacle; 3) reciting the appropriate verses from the Torah; 4) the actual presentation to the priest; 5) an accompanying song, 6) the “heaving” of the fruit. 7) The remaining of the owner inside Jerusalem on the night following presentation. Let us describe the stages in detail: Bringing the fruit to a designated place, i.e. Jerusalem, is based on the line: “you will proceed to the place designated by the Lord to make a residence there for His name” (26,2). The need to deposit the bikkurim in a receptacle is based on the words ושמת בטנא, the same verse. The best way to comply with this instruction is to present each species of bikkurim in its own receptacle. However, if the various species have all been presented in the same receptacle this is acceptable. They must not, however, be mixed inside that receptacle but inferior species must be placed below superior species, such as the wheat which must be on top of the barley. Dates would have to be placed on top of both species of grain, etc. The figs are to be on top of all the other species. There is not to be a foreign substance intervening between the various layers of the fruit if they are all presented in the same receptacle (basket). It is best to surround the figs with grapes (Maimonides ibid.). The donor brings pigeons and turtle doves at the same time as a sacrificial offering seeing the Torah writes: “you shall rejoice with all the goodness” (and there is no true enjoyment unless accompanied by the eating of some kind of meat (Pessachim 109). These birds were suspended on the sides of the basket in order to decorate the bikkurim. The birds attached to the baskets were offered as burnt-offering, whereas the ones carried by the donors in their hands served as peace-offerings, and they were given to the priests of the respective roster. The priests divide them among themselves as they do with other offerings (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 3,1). The recital of the verses pertaining to this commandment consisted of the reading of verses 5-to the middle of verse 10. This recital is to be in a loud voice and in Hebrew (the text of the verses of the Torah in its original). This requirement is based on the words of Deut. 31,21 וענתה השירה הזאת, “this song shall speak up as...” Just as that song has to be recited in the original Hebrew, so the acknowledgment of G’d’s bounty when bringing the bikkurim has to be in the original Hebrew. Both the passages employ the word וענית when introducing the obligation. We find that expression also in connection with the recital of the confession of the elders that their hands are free from guilt of the unidentified victim of murder described at the end of Parshat Shoftim (Deut. 21,7). This declaration also has to be made in Hebrew(Sotah 44). קרבן, the presentation of the offering; every person offering bikkurim must also offer a peace-offering. Song; the need to accompany the offering by a “song” is based on the verse: “you shall rejoice with all the goodness,” and joy is traditionally expressed as a form of song. Our sages base this on Psalms 33,3: הטיבו נגן בתרועה, “play sweetly with shouts of joy.” This is what the Levites did, beginning when the donors brought the bikkurim to the lobby of the Temple (עזרה). The “heaving,” waving of the basket with its contents. This is derived from the word והנחתו, “you are to deposit it,” implying that prior to being deposited it was “lifted, waved,” etc. The procedure consisted of the priest placing his hand under the hand of the owner and waving it to and fro (Sukkah 16). This is the meaning of the words (verse 4) “and the priest shall take (accept) the basket from your hand and place it in front of the altar of the Lord your G’d,” i.e. to swing it in front of the altar. לינה, the requirement for the donor to spend the following night in Jerusalem. This rule is derived from Deut 16,7: “and you will turn in the morning (after the Passover) and return to your tents.” It is forbidden to depart from Jerusalem except on the morning after (or later). (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 3,14) The bikkurim are forbidden to non-priests as the Torah has compared them to תרומה, describing them as תרומת ידך, “the gift of your hand,” in Deut. 12,17. Our sages in Makkot 17 base this inference on the word מידך which follows the word הטנא in verse 4 of our chapter. Just as a non-priest must not eat תרומה, so he is also forbidden to eat bikkurim. A priest who is in pre-mourning for close relatives (אונן) is also forbidden to eat the bikkurim while in that state. Clearly, he is not in a joyous frame of mind, a prerequisite for eating bikkurim as we have explained (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 3,6). Someone offering his bikkurim may have his servant carry same while he is on the way to Jerusalem as far as the Temple Mount. Once he reaches that mount, he must place them on his own shoulder and carry them forthwith. This ruling applies even to the king. The recital of the passage from the Torah has to take place while the basket with the fruit is still on his shoulder. When he reaches the words (verse 10) “the earth which You have given to me,” he may deposit the basket, take hold of it with his hand, and the priest will then place his hand beneath his own and begin the weaving motion. If someone does not own any soil (farmland) but has bought a tree and wishes to offer the first fruit ripening on his tree he may do so without reciting the “confessional” (the term refers clearly to the passage from verse 5-10). This is because if he were to speak of the fruit of “his” soil he would make a liar of himself. A proselyte also may not recite the relevant passage seeing he cannot acknowledge that his forefathers cried out to the Lord while enslaved in Egypt (verse 7). There is an opinion in the Talmud according to which such a proselyte may recite the relevant passage seeing that Avraham is perceived as being the “father” of all proselytes. The author of that opinion cites as proof that G’d said to Avraham (Genesis 17,5) “here I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” This means that Avraham is the adopted father of all those who decide to take shelter under the benevolent wings of the Shechinah (convert to Judaism). Maimonides adopts this interpretation as halachically valid (Hilchot Bikkurim 4,3). Perhaps we may even detect a hint in the language of the text that proselytes may recite the passage, seeing that the Torah writes: “you as well as the proselyte and the Levite in your midst.” (verse 11) This appears to show that the Torah treats all three categories of Jews mentioned in that verse as equal in respect to the bikkurim legislation. Priests and Levites who have planted orchards within their cities in the outer rim reserved for gardens, etc., are subject to he law of bikkurim in every respect of that law. This is why the Torah wrote: “you as well as the Levite.” In the olden days the rule was that farmers who were able to read Hebrew would recite the passage unassisted, whereas those unable to read Hebrew would have it read for them and they would repeat it. It was found that as a result of this practice farmers who were illiterate would cease bringing their bikkurim to save themselves embarrassment. The Rabbis therefore decreed that the passage is to be read before everyone who brings bikkurim and will be repeated word by word by the farmer in order to save the illiterate farmers any possible embarrassment. (Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 3,11) This practice was similar to the practice nowadays not to allow individuals to read the passage from the Torah to which they have been called up so as not to put to shame those who are unable to read it by themselves. Maimonides Hilchot Bikkurim 4,16-17 describes the bringing of the bikkurim to Jerusalem in these words: “the notables of the respective towns along the route to Jerusalem would accompany the donors so that these would not appear as being solitary individuals bringing these gifts.” They based themselves on Proverbs 14,28 that “a throng of people constitutes honour for the king (the Almighty).” The donors would spend the night in the public square of the respective town they were passing and would not enter private houses so as to avoid entering an area which might house ritual impurity capable of being conferred upon them. On the morrow, early, the person appointed for this task would address them and say: “arise and let us ascend to the Lord our G’d.” The ox representing their peace-offering would precede them, its horns decorated with gold leaf, a laurel of olive (leaves) on its head. This was to alert people to the fact that the bikkurim consisted of the seven species which we mentioned earlier. A flute would play in front of them until they came close to Jerusalem. They would walk all along the way (not ride or travel in a coach) proclaiming the verse from Psalms 122,1: ”I rejoiced when they said to me we are going to the House of the Lord.” They would not walk all day long but only for two “hours” daily (points on the sundial). As soon as they approached Jerusalem they would dispatch messengers ahead to inform the people of Jerusalem of their impending arrival. They would decorate the bikkurim at that time with kinds of crowns. If the bikkurim contained both fresh fruit and dried fruit they would place the former on top. The various dignitaries of Jerusalem would come out to welcome these donors of bikkurim. The welcoming committee would correspond to the size of the delegation of people bringing their bikkurim at that time. As soon as they entered the gates of Jerusalem they would chant the verse from Psalms 122. All the skilled artisans (who would not be required to interrupt their work to welcome Torah scholars) did come out to welcome these farmers honouring them for performing this commandment. When the processional reached the Temple Mount, each farmer would place his basket on his shoulder and proclaim the verse from Psalms 122,1. This would be followed by the recital of Psalms 150,1: “Praise the Lord in His holy Sanctuary” until the end of this hymn, i.e. “let all that breathes praise the Lord, Hallelujah.” When the procession reached the foyer of the Temple the Levites would commence their song commencing with Psalms 30,2: “let me extol You O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.” A Midrashic approach to the subject of bikkurim and the words: “and you will place it in a basket.” The wealthy farmers would bring their bikkurim in baskets made of silver threads, whereas the poorer farmers would make the baskets out of bark peeled from the willow tree. Both the fruit and the basket would be presented to the priests as it is written: “the priest will take (accept) the basket from your hand.” You should pay especial attention to the spelling of the word הטנא, as its numerical value equals that of the name of G’d spelled א-ד-נ-י, =65. I will refer to this allusion and its meaning still later. The sages of the Midrash also explained (Tanchuma Ki Tavo 1) that it behooves us to compare the tremendous impact of the performance of the commandment of bikkurim in securing G’d’s goodwill with other efforts made by man to secure the grace and goodwill of his monarch. When one has a request to make of one’s king (flesh and blood), one may have to bribe liberally in order first of all to secure an audience. Even when one has spent all this money to secure the audience one does not have a guarantee that the king will grant one’s request. Compare this with the performance of the commandment of presenting the bikkurim to one’s King (G’d). Not only is a single fig, date, or stalk of grain an adequate price of admission to the presence of the Almighty in the Temple, but G’d assures us of His goodwill, seeing that the sages interpreted the wording of verse 15 in our chapter to mean that the petitioner is saying to G’d that he will not leave from the Temple precincts until he has been assured that his plea has been answered. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said that a heavenly echo would be heard assuring the petitioner that in the following year he would again be able to fulfill this commandment just as he had done on the present occasion. This is implied by the words of verse 16: “on this day the Lord your G’d commands you to perform these statutes, etc.” [If G’d were not willing to accept future bikkurim from the farmer why would He command him to do so again? Ed.] A Kabbalistic approach: In the words ושמתא בטנא, the vowel patach under the letter ב which is unusual as we had not heard about this basket previously, is a reference to the last letter ה in the tetragram. The bikkurim are called ראשית, a reference to the first three letters which represent the beginning of the universe and its creation. These first three letters of the tetragrammaton are found in association with the word ראשית in Jeremiah 26,1 בראשית ממלכת יהויקים, the name of that king being an allusion to when G’d created =יקים the universe, using the previous three letters י-ה-ו. These first three letters are perceived as enabling the last letter to serve as a receptacle of the universe, holding it together, so to speak. This is somewhat similar to the basic element earth or dust, which enables the three preceding elements fire, water, and air to be joined together and retained as a whole. Similarly, the basket in our passage represents an integral part of the whole bikkurim procedure. The words ולקח הכהן הטנא [instead of את הטנא, Ed.] suggests that the priest is the representative of G’d, here described as the One holding all the components of the universe together to ensure that they do not disintegrate. The universe is maintained due to its constant motion, the planets being in unending orbit. The weaving, תנופה, which is part of the bikkurim procedure, symbolizes this element. Furthermore, these steps are to alert us to the fact that G’d not only supervises the motions and movements in His universe in general, but also in their very detailed movement; He is perceived as standing inside the טנא looking at the periphery to ensure that all is well in His universe. Our author uses the verse in Song of Songs 2,9: “He was standing behind our wall, observing through the windows, peering through the lattices” as the way he describes G’d’s function.

“And it shall be when you come to the land, etc.” We do not find the language “and you shall possess it and dwell in it” except here and in the section about the king. This is because after settling and possessing the land, Israel will grow fat and rebel, and they will ask for matters of authority like all the nations. Similarly, in the section about first fruits, the intention was to humble their proud hearts, which after possession and settlement would lead them to say that the land is theirs and they conquered it with their sword, and they would forget God. This is what it means: And it shall be when you come to the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance — because truly, you are not coming to the land as an inheritance, for house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but the land is given to you by God as a gift on the condition that you return His repayment and keep all His commandments. But your heart will imagine otherwise, saying and you shall possess it — that you will hold onto it as an heir, as if it were your inheritance from your fathers, and dwell in it — as a permanent resident, not as it is said The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and residents with Me (Leviticus 25:23). And all this will lead you to pride, that you will forget God. Therefore, I command you the commandment of first fruits. And so explained Maimonides that the main reason for this commandment is humility and subjugation to the Blessed God. The evidence for this is what it says, I have declared today to the Lord your God. I have declared is in past tense, but he has not yet declared anything. Rather, it means that by this heaving [the basket of fruits] to and fro, it is already as if I have declared by way of confession that I have come to the land, etc. — meaning, not as an inheritance but in this manner that God swore to our fathers to give to us. And I testify about myself by bringing the first fruits that the land was given to me by God as a portion and gift. And this is what it means: and you shall take from the first fruits. It does not say “and you shall give” but and you shall take, telling you that from these first fruits that you bring to the house of God to give thanks and honor to His blessed name, from them you will take [acquire] all the fruits of the earth and merit all the fruits of the earth after you have acknowledged that you bring the first fruits from your land which the Lord your God gives you. For this land will not be called “your land” except after bringing the first fruits, and through this bringing, you will take for yourself all the fruits of the earth. And this bringing is the declaration mentioned in the verse I have declared today.

והיה כי תבא אל הארץ אשר נשבע ה' לאבותנו, “it will be when you come to the land which the Lord has sworn to our forefathers to give to us;” basing themselves on the above line, the Mishnah in bikkurim chapter 1,4, concludes that a proselyte who offers the first ripe products of his orchard while allowed to offer them, must refrain from reciting the benediction which includes thanking the Lord for having given the land to “our fathers”, seeing that he had not been Jewish at that time. Nonetheless he is commanded to address the Lord our G–d in his prayers as “our G–d and the G–d of our fathers.” The reason for this ruling is that the Jerusalem Talmud in tractate bikkurim 1,4, has ruled that all converts are called descendants of Avraham, seeing that G–d had told him that he would become the “father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17,5)

you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that Hashem your God is giving you, and you shall place it in a basket and go to the place that Hashem your God will choose to cause His Shechinah to rest there.

מראשית [THEN THOU SHALT TAKE] OF THE FIRST [OF ALL THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND] — of the first fruits, but not all the first fruits, for not all fruits are subject to the duty of bringing to the Temple their first-fruits, only the seven chief kinds of products of Israel alone, for there is mentioned here ארץ, “the land” (אשר תביא מארצך) and it states there (Deuteronomy 8:8) “a land (ארץ) of wheat, and barley, etc.”, (thus suggesting an analogy — that the fruits of the land referred to here are those enumerated there). What is it that Scripture is speaking of there? Of the seven products through which the land of Israel is distinguished! So, too, here it speaks only of the distinguished products of the land of Israel which are seven species only (Sifrei Devarim 297:4; Menachot 84b). זית שמן mentioned as one of these distinguished products is the Agari olive, in which the oil is gathered in one place. ודבש HONEY is honey of dates (not of bees). מראשית OF ITS FIRST FRUITS — but not all the first fruits (not even of the seven species mentioned above) but when a man goes into his field and sees for the first time that year a fig that has ripened he binds a piece of straw round it as an indication and says “Lo, this is בכורים" (and it suffices) (Sifrei Devarim 297:7; Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1).

THEN THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE FIRST OF ALL THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND, WHICH THOU SHALT BRING IN FROM THY LAND. [The meaning thereof is] that you shall take of the first of all the fruit which you will bring into the house from your Land, which the Eternal your G-d gives you. He commands that one should set aside that fruit in the field and designate it as first-fruit and then bring it into his house and put it in a vessel fit to be taken to the Sanctuary [in Jerusalem]. Now, Scripture did not prescribe an amount for the first-fruits, instead, even one grain [or berry] of that species exempts the entire field, similar to the law of terumah (the heave-offering) where one grain exempts the whole pile of grain. AND THOU SHALT GO UNTO THE PLACE WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D SHALL CHOOSE. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture he admonishes against bringing first-fruit in [any] one of the cities [except for Jerusalem] after the Sanctuary was chosen [i.e., after Jerusalem was designated by the prophets and the ark of G-d was brought there], for just as He warned against slaughtering offerings outside [of the Sanctuary Court], so he warned with reference to the first-fruits. But the obligation of bringing first-fruits became binding immediately after they conquered and divided the Land, in accordance with the words of Rashi. And in the Sifre it is stated: “And thou shalt go unto the place which the Eternal thy G-d shall choose to cause His Name to dwell there — this refers to Shiloh and ‘the Eternal House’ [in Jerusalem].” Perhaps the Rabbis [in the Sifre] meant to say that the bamoth (“high places”) were forbidden during both periods [i.e., Shiloh and Jerusalem]. However, during [the periods of] Nob and Gibeon [when high places were permitted] first-fruits could also be brought [only there in Nob and Gibeon], but they could not be offered at a private bamah, for Scripture refers [here in the chapter on first-fruits] to the altar [and he shall set it down before ‘the altar’ of the Eternal thy G-d indicating that only the public altar is suitable for first-fruits]. But since it is written, The choisest first-fruit of thy Land thou shalt bring into the House of the Eternal thy G-d, they perhaps did not bring first-fruits when it [the House of G-d] was in a tent and in a tabernacle but only in Shiloh where there was a stone building and in the Eternal House, [thus excluding the period of Nob and Gibeon].

"In a basket [tena]." Like a wicker basket; its cognate is "your basket [tenakha]" (Deut. 28:5). This commandment applies to those who live near the site of the Temple.

מראשית כל פרי האדמה אשר תביא מארצך, the choicest of each category. [the word ראשית is not understood as “first.” Ed] We find the term ראשית used in this sense in Amos 6,6 וראשית שמנים ימשחו, “they anoint themselves with the choicest oils.” In verse 1 of the same chapter we read נקובי ראשית הגויים, “the ones known as the choicest of the nations. ” These “choicest” fruit are the seven types of produce for which the Land of Israel is famous, and this is why we have been commanded already in Exodus 23,19 to offer samples of these in the Temple. The gift known as ביכורים is not literally the fist ripe produce of each of these seven species, but the ones that grow on the best soil the farmer has so that it is truly also his choicest. The seven categorise of produce have been enumerated in Deut. 8,8-9.

מראשית, "of the first, etc." This means that if a number of fruits ripen all at the same time only some of them have to be offered under the heading of בכורים. Our sages in Bikkurim 1,6 who stated that only the seven species mentioned in Deut. 8,8 are the subject of this legislation, derived this by the exegetical tool called גזרה שוה, i.e. the Torah employing similar sounding words in two unrelated subject matters when one or both of these words are superfluous in their context. The word which gives rise to this halachah is the word ארץ in the verse we just mentioned. According to Menachot 84 the words כל פרי, "all the fruit," mean that just as in Deut. 8,8. the Torah enumerated the seven species for which the land of Israel is especially extolled, so the law of בכורים applies only to these species. אשר ה׳ אלוקיך נתן לך "which the Lord your G'd is about to give to you;" The Torah emphasises the part of the land that G'd gives to you, because He had reserved for Himself part of that land, i.e. every seventh year when you are not allowed to work the land (compare Leviticus 25,4). It states there specifically that during the seventh year the land reverts to being G'd's. The legislation of Bikkurim applies only during the six years the Israelite farms his land. Although the land produces a harvest also during the seventh year the legislation does not apply as the land does not then belong to the farmer but is officially "ownerless."

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה, “you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground;” the reason why the Torah repeats this commandment which had appeared already in Exodus 23,19, is to list the commandments in a certain order. מראשית, from the first,” Rashi emphasises the importance of the letter מ i.e. “from,” as opposed to “all.”It is not even necessary to bring the entire fruit only part of it. [My version of Rashi, does not have this, but states that the farmer may designate the respective fruit before it has fully ripened. Ed.] An alternate interpretation: the word מראשית does not describe a time but describes quality, i.e. the best of these first fruit is to be brought to the Temple. The word ראשית appears in this sense of quality also in Jeremiah 2,3 ראשית תבואתו, “the best of His harvest;” [G-d comparing other nations to Israel whom He had chosen. Ed] The prophet Amos in Amos 6,6 also uses the word ראשית in that sense when he said: וראשית שמנים ימשחו, “and they anoint themselves with the choicest oils. Still another interpretation: the word מראשית means from the first in their respective category that have ripened, the very fact that they ripened earlier making those fruit superior. כל פרי האדמה, “you are to bring these specimens in their original state,” i. e. when whole, not the wine you made out of the grapes, or the oil out of the olives, for instance. (Sifri) ושמת בטנא, ”and you shall put it in a basket;” it should be presented in a dignified manner. והלכת אל המקום, “and you will go to the place, etc.;” the owner of the first ripened fruit is to do all this himself, not through someone whom he designated in his place. This refers both to collecting the fruit from the tree or cutting it from the ground. When a King employs a servant to tend to his fields, he also expects that tenant to bring him his share personally, not to delegate someone else with performing that duty.

והיה כי תבא אל הארץ וגו'...ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה אשר תביא מארצך , “It will be when you enter the Land …..and you will take from the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in, etc.” Ibn Ezra writes that seeing that the last paragraph had concluded with the statement that the commandment to wipe out Amalek would not become operative until we were no longer surrounded by and threatened by enemies, the Torah now had to stress that there are commandments which become operative as soon as we had established ourselves on our ancestral heritage in the Land of Israel, formerly the Land of Canaan. Such laws include the bringing of the first ripe fruit to the Temple, observing the laws of tithing, and a host of others. Nachmanides explains that the wording of the commandment here indicates that the first ripe fruit is designated as such while still in the field or on the tree it grew on, and that it becomes sacred in accordance with such a designation. The owner then places the fruit in an appropriate container takes it home and keeps it until he makes the next pilgrimage to Jerusalem. והלכת אל המקום, “you will go to the place, etc.” Nachmanides writes that taking the verse at face value, the meaning is that once the Temple has been built we are not to take the bikkurim to any city of our liking. Just as the Torah has legislated in connection with the permission to eat non consecrated meat once the people were settled on their land, that any consecrated animal could be offered up only at a central location, i.e. in the Temple in Jerusalem, [once that city had been captured. Ed.], similarly, the consecrated bikkurim have to be brought to that same central location. [During the first 390 years, that location proved to be Shiloh during most of those years. Ed.] In the Sifri we are told that what is meant is Shiloh and the permanent Temple, which may lead one to believe that neither Nov nor Giveon ever served as a place where bikkurim were offered up. In other words, those two towns, though the Tabernacle stood there for a number of years, had not been chosen by G’d especially for that purpose, but were considered ad hoc solutions to the problems of “altars,” במות. Nachmanides does not think that this would be the correct interpretation, but thinks that the words: אשר יבחר וגו', were intended only to prohibit the offering of bikkurim on private altars. On the other hand, the words תביא בית ה' אלוקיך is meant to exclude offering these gifts in a temporary, collapsible, portable structure, such as the Tabernacle.

You shall come to the priest who is in office in those days and say to him: I declare this day before Hashem your God that I have entered the land that Hashem swore to our fathers to give us.

אשר יהיה בימים ההם [AND THOU SHALT GO UNTO THE PRIEST] THAT SHALL BE IN THOSE DAYS — These apparently redundant words suggest: you have none else than the priest who lives in your days (you are only concerned with him) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 298:3; Rosh Hashanah 25b; see also Rashi on Deuteronomy 17:9). ואמרת אליו AND SAY UNTO HIM that you are not ungrateful (Sifrei Devarim 299:1). הגדתי היום I PROFESS THIS DAY — [the expression "this day" implies that the declaration is made] one once a year, but not twice a year [even when bringing from a different fruit or crop] (Sifrei Devarim 299:2).

AND THOU SHALT COME UNTO THE PRIEST THAT SHALL BE IN THOSE DAYS — to the priest that shall be there in those days, for first-fruits, like all offerings, are given to the men of the [priestly] Division [who are assigned to the Sanctuary for a week at a time], but he may not bring along a priest from his city in order to offer him his first-fruits. Now, Rashi wrote: “You have none else than the priest who lives in your days as he is.” But I have not understood this, for in the case of an elder [of the Sanhedrin] it is proper to say [and thou shalt come …] unto the judge that shall be in those days, meaning that even though he is not as great and wise as the early judges in the ages which were before us, still he [the elder] is obligated to hearken to him [the judge], for “Jephtah in his generation is as Samuel in his generation.” But when bringing first-fruits, to whom shall he bring them if not to the priest that shall be in his days? Now, I have also seen the following text in the Sifre: “And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days. This is what Rabbi Yosei the Galilean says, And would it occur to you to come to the priest that is not in your days? Rather, [I must say that the verse requires one to come to] the priest who is considered by you to be established and fit in those days. Kinsmen who have ceased to be kinsmen are qualified. And so it is also said, Say not thou: ‘How was it that the former days were better than these?’ ” It appears that the Sages interpreted in this connection that if one brought first-fruits or a burnt-offering to a priest who was presumed to be qualified and afterwards it was discovered that he was the son of a divorced woman, [a defiled priest not entitled to perform the Divine Service, nor to receive the priestly gifts] the offerings are nevertheless valid, as is mentioned in the last chapter of Tractate Kiddushin. Also included in this principle is [the rule] that a kinsman who has ceased to be a kinsman is qualified, this applying to an elder who may not be judged by a relative, but it is not relevant to first-fruits. HIGAD’TI’ (I PROFESS) THIS DAY. “Through this fruit which I have brought I profess and give thanks to the Eternal your G-d Who brought me into the Land which He swore unto our fathers to give us. Thus G-d fulfilled His words, and I give thanks and praise to His Name.” The meaning of the word higad’ti is like “I have told.” So also ‘vayageid Mosheh’ (and Moses told) the words of the people unto the Eternal, which means communicating. Or the interpretation thereof may be as follows: “I declare to you, O priest, and to all who stand by, and this declaration is unto the Eternal thy G-d, that is to say, to His Name, that I am come into the Land which He swore unto our fathers, for it is He Who brought me [near] to Him to serve Him in the Land.”

"The meaning of 'in those days.'" This obligation applies throughout the time there is a High Priest. "I have declared." The purpose is so that the young may hear; or it is like an act of acknowledgment that Hashem has fulfilled His oath, and the fruit is the proof.

אל הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם, even if the priest in the particular generation may not be outstanding in wisdom, you must not therefore treat with less respect than his position warrants. This is why the Torah added the seemingly superfluous words לה' אלוקיך, words usually only used when addressing men of outstanding caliber such as kings and prophets. [If I understand correctly, the author mans that only high ranking people need to be reminded by implication that there is a higher authority than they themselves. Hence the addition of the words לה' אלוקיך after the word הגדתי. Ed.] At any rate, the idea is that seeing that the priest receives the bikkurim on behalf of G’d, it is as if G’d’s agent is addressed by the title reserved for his Master. הגדתי היום, equivalent to “I have made a public acknowledgment of the great works of the Lord today.” We find similar phrasing in Samuel II 19,7 when Yoav accuses David of having insulted all his ministers and generals by grieving over the death of his rebellious son instead of appreciating the loyalty of his followers who had saved his life under most difficult circumstances. The words there are: כי הגדת היום כי אין לך שרים ועבדים, “(by your excessive grieving) you have made clear that you do not consider that you have any loyal followers.” כי באתי אל הארץ, that I have come to this land from another country אשר נשבע ה' לאבותינו לתת לנו, as when G’d had said in Genesis 17,8 “I gave this land to you and to your descendants after you.” Seeing that G’d had sworn this oath at the time, I consider myself though apparently an outsider, a stranger, as if I am a permanent resident thanks to His gift, and this is why I have brought these choice fruit that it is incumbent upon anyone who has received the land as either a gift or even as a tenant to present to the real owner of the land in recognition of His largesse. (4) THAT ADONAI SWORE TO OUR FATHERS TO ASSIGN US. As it says (Gen. 17:8), "I have given to you and your offspring to come." Therefore, I, the stranger, who have come to the land as a resident by way of [Divine] gift, have brought the first fruits to the One who gave the land as a gift or as a sharecropping arrangement.

אשר נשבע ה׳ לאבותינו, "which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give to us." The wording of this verse excludes this passage being recited by proselytes. He is obligated to bring the offering but cannot recite a line which would make a liar out of him (compare Bikkurim chapter 1).

אשר יהיה בימים ההם, “who will be on duty during those days; he is not to wait until a relative of his who happens to be a priest is on duty and to give it to him. הגדתי היום, “I profess this day, etc.;” I give thanks today for having been privileged to come to this country [or to have been born in it] the land that Lord your G-d had sworn to your forefathers to become ours. He has kept His promise, and I have received my share of it. Now it is my turn to tender a gift from its produce in order to demonstrate that it is He Who has given it to our people.”

הגדתי היום לה' אלוקיך, “I have declared today to the Lord your G’d, etc.” The word “your G’d,” instead of “our G’d,” seems incomprehensible here. How could the person making this declaration be allowed to exclude himself from the community by using such wording (grammar)? It appears as if he did not share the same belief in G’d as his compatriots! However, consider that if the wording had been לה' אלוקינו, it would not have been clear whom he considered as the Lord. Now that he uses the wording written by the Torah it is clear that when he addresses the High Priest he speaks of the Lord on whose behalf this Priest officiates. The moment he associates the Lord with the one in whose service the Priest serves, there can be no doubt that the donor also serves the same Lord, else why present the gift to the High Priest of that G’d? It is clear now that whoever is the G’d of the High Priest is also the G’d of the person bringing the bikkurim. It is possible that the expression introducing this declaration, i.e. הגדתי, represents sort of a continuation such as in Psalms 51,17 ופי יגיד תהלתך, “and let my mouth express Your Fame,” i.e. continue, extend the power of You G’d which is already evident in the world. The person engaged in prayer effectively extends G’d’s power, seeing that the very fact that he turns to G’d in supplication proves that he acknowledges G’d’s power to grant his requests. When we find the line הוא תהלתך והוא אלוקיך in Deut. 10,21, this implies that what the generation of the Exodus experienced in their lifetime was a continuation, an extension of the power of the Lord which had been not quite so manifest previously. The whole formula לה' אלוקיך, so typical of משנה תורה, the Book of Deuteronomy, which is itself a continuation of what preceded it, is therefore appropriate as an introduction to this declaration by the farmer bringing the bikkurim.

You shall come to the priest who will be in those days. According to what our Sages said (Ketubot 105b), “Was Elisha one who ate first fruits? Rather, this teaches that whoever brings a gift to a Torah scholar, it is as if he offered first fruits.” Since they linked the gift for a Torah scholar to first fruits, one might think that the first fruits should only be given to a priest who is a Torah scholar from the priestly division serving at that time. And if there is no Torah scholar among them, one might think that he should wait until the division of some priest who is a Torah scholar comes to serve. Therefore, the Torah states who will be in those days, and with this, the words of the Ramban, who wrote “I did not understand this, etc.,” are addressed. And you shall say to him, “I declare” already by this bringing [of first fruits], even though there are no words or speech, as it is said The firmament declares the work of His hands…there is no speech and there are no words, etc. (Psalms 19:2–4). Similarly, this bringing [of first fruits] declares and testifies about me that I have come to the land, not because of my righteousness, but because He kept the oath that the Lord swore to our forefathers. And because confession is an altar of atonement, therefore the priest shall take the basket from your hand and place it before the altar of the Lord, to say, “Behold, your iniquity has been removed and your sin is atoned for.” And after the atonement, you shall respond and say in a loud voice, not like the confession which was whispered, for it is impudent for one to detail their sins in public. But this matter one can say in a loud voice to remove the transgression from the seed of Jacob and attribute it to the defective seed of the mother who was from an Aramean, and he says, A lost Aramean is my father. He did not mention Laban by name, but rather to say that because he was from Aram, therefore he behaved according to the custom of his place, and from him was drawn this evil trait mentioned in the verse, And you shall possess it and dwell in it, to seek a peaceful dwelling in this world. As is concluded in Genesis Rabbah (chapter 39:8), Rabbi Levi said: “When Abraham was traveling in Aram Naharaim and Aram Nahor, and saw people eating, drinking, and acting frivolously, he said, ‘May my portion not be in this land, etc.’” And because from there Isaac took Rebecca, and Jacob his wives, from there Jacob learned to seek a peaceful dwelling in this world, and through this, the distress of Joseph came upon him, and through this, the matter developed that they went down to Egypt, and there they were strangers and entered the iron furnace to cleanse that sin. And this is what is meant by A lost Aramean is my father, and he went down to Egypt. And he mentioned this as a way of defending against what they were accused of in saying, And you shall possess it and dwell in it, as mentioned, to say that from this some impression remained for generations, therefore he said A lost Aramean is my father. Is my father is in the present tense, to say that this impression remained for the [future] generations as well.

אל הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם, “to the priest who is on duty during the years in question.” Rashi explains the verse as a reminder that only the officially ordained religious authority in each generation is authorized to hand down rulings, -on the basis of Torah laws, of course- and that one must not rely on rulings made at different times in different circumstances. (Compare Rosh Hashanah 25.) Nachmanides questions that if the Torah had written that “you shall come to the elder who is the wisest in his time,” this would be easy to understand, as the message would be that seeing that not every generation produces brilliant men, there is no choice but to turn to the relatively most learned man, instead of relying on decisions by sages who had lived in different countries, in different conditions. But, when it comes to performing duties in the Temple, why would the Torah have to mention that the first ripe fruit have to be brought to the priest performing his duties at that time, surely the fruit could not be presented to priests who had already died? If the Torah were speaking of חוקים, statutes, not given to interpretation, a reminder that one must go to the priest of one’s own generation would also make sense, the Torah agreeing that we must abide by the present authority’s decision even if these priests, sages, are known to be less learned than their predecessors. So what is the true meaning of what Moses has said here? It means that they have to be given to the roster of priests on duty at the time when the farmer arrives with his gifts, he cannot wait to hand it over until the roster changes in the week following. Neither is the farmer allowed to bring a local priest from his neighborhood with him to Jerusalem in order to ensure that that particular priest is the recipient of his gifts. According to Kiddushin 66, the meaning is that even if it turns out in retrospect that the presiding priest at the time was disqualified from receiving these gifts, as he was the son of a forbidden marriage, the ritual is not declared invalid retroactively.

The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of Hashem your God.

ולקח הכהן המנה מידך AND THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE THE BASKET OUT OF THY HAND in order to wave it. The priest places his hand beneath the hands of the owner and so waves it (Sukkah 47b).

והניחו לפני מזבח ה' אלוקיך, to make plain by this gesture that these fruit are not really intended for the priest, but are a present to G’d, Who, in turn, gives them to the priest just as He does with other offerings brought to Him.

ולקח הכהן הטנא מידך, “the priest will accept the basket from your hands;” the priest acts as the delegate of the king, i.e. Hashem, in this instance. והניחו לפני מזבח ה' אלוקיך, “he will deposit it in front of the altar of the Lord your G-d.” If there is no altar, i.e. if the Temple is not standing, there are no bikkurim. (Sifri)

And the priest shall receive the basket of early fruits from thy hand, and take, bring, uplift, and lower it, and afterward lay it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

You shall then respond and say before Hashem your God: Laban the Aramean sought to destroy my father, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people; and there he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.

וענית is an expression for raising one’s voice (speaking loudly) (Sotah 32b). ארמי אבד אבי A SYRIAN DESTROYED MY FATHER — He mentions the loving kindness of the Omnipresent saying, ארמי אבד אבי, a Syrian destroyed my father, which means: “Laban wished to exterminate the whole nation” (cf. the Haggadah for Passover) when he pursued Jacob. Because he intended to do it the Omnipresent accounted it unto him as though he had actually done it (and therefore the expression אבד which refers to the past is used), for as far as the nations of the world are concerned the Holy One, blessed be He, accounts unto them intention as an actual deed (cf. Sifrei Devarim 301:3; Onkelos). וירד מצרימה AND HE WENT DOWN INTO EGYPT — But there were others, too, “who came against us to destroy us” (cf. the Passover Haggadah), for afterwards Jacob went down into Egypt with his children and these were enslaved there). במתי מעט WITH A FEW PERSONS — with only seventy souls (Sifrei Devarim 301:4; Onkelos).

"And you shall respond." It is possible that the priests ask, saying, "What is this that you have brought?" — and therefore "you respond." Or it is like [a response that initiates speech], as in the very first [instance of] "And Job answered." "A wandering Aramean was my father." The word "wandering [oved]" belongs to the class of intransitive verbs. If the word "Aramean" referred to Laban, the text would have said me'avid or me'abed [a causative/transitive form]. Moreover, what sense would it make to say that Laban sought to destroy my father, and [then that] he descended to Egypt — for Laban did not cause the descent to Egypt? The more plausible reading is that "Aramean" refers to Jacob himself: it is as though Scripture said, when my father was in Aram, he was a wanderer [oved]. The meaning of oved is "poor, without means," as in "give strong drink to one who is lost [le'oved]" — and the proof is [the continuation] "let him drink and forget his poverty." Thus my father was an Aramean wanderer — meaning: I did not inherit the Land from my father, for he was poor when he came to Aram; moreover, he was a sojourner in Egypt, and he [Jacob] came down with only a few people, but afterward became a great nation, and You, Hashem, brought us out from bondage and gave us a good land. Let no one object and ask how Jacob can be called an Aramean — for similar to him is "Yitra the Ishmaelite" yet [elsewhere] he is called an Israelite, for so it is written. "With few [bimtei]." This is a construct form, because an absolute singular is not found [for this word]. Metim is plural in form. Rabbi Yonah [ibn Janah] analyzed the word fully and well in the entry for the root metah.

ארמי אובד אבי, my father, i.e. Yaakov, who was for a while a wandering lost person without a home of his own, was not at the time able to establish a nation deserving or fit to inherit this land.

וענית ואמרת, "And you shall answer and say, etc." Some commentators understand the word וענית as similar to Job 3,2: i.e. "he answered." It is also possible that the word is related to עני. When an undeserving individual has received a great favour from his king, he humbles himself before his king with a contrite heart. Similarly, the Jewish farmer who has seen the blessing G'd has showered on his field or orchard humbles himself before the Lord. He does so by recounting the lowly beginnings of the Jewish people whose ancestor Jacob was a hired hand working for Laban, who made every effort to destroy him. Up to this point the word וענית applies to the recital of the Jewish farmer. Once he recalls the Exodus and how G'd has elevated the Jewish people the Torah refers to his recital as ואמרת, "you will say (with a sense of great satisfaction)". This is what the sages had in mind in Pessachim 116 when they said that the order in which we recount the story of the Exodus on the night of the "Seder" is that one begins by reciting something shameful only to conclude with something representing praise and satisfaction. After having had a good look at our paragraph I have also found in it an allusion to our inheriting the celestial regions. The words והיה כי תבא אל הארץ hint that a person has no right to rejoice until he arrives in the land of the higher regions of which Solomon says in Proverbs 31,25: "she looks forward to the יום אחרון, "the final day" with laughter." This means that even a woman of valour such as described by Solomon as the epitome of woman-hood does not permit herself joy in this life. Joy in this life is vanity and רעות רוח, "a vexation of the spirit." The Torah continues with אשר ה׳ אלוקיך נתן לך, "which the Lord your G'd will give to you," i.e. only that land (the hereafter) is called an enduring inheritance. The reason the Torah is careful to say נתן לך, "gives to you," is because all of the treasures of this world are as nothing compared to the gift of an inheritance in the "higher world." No matter how much wealth any one of us has acquired in this world, it would not suffice to acquire, i.e. to buy even the least bit of an inheritance in the hereafter. This is why the Torah can only describe such an inheritance as a gift from G'd not as something we could trade for our assets in this world. וישבת בה "and you will dwell therein;" this is best understood in light of the description of what the righteous will be doing in the hereafter supplied by Berachot 35. The Talmud there describes the righteous as sitting in the hereafter with their crowns on their heads. ולקחת מראשית, "and you will take from the first, etc." we can understand this according to the Zohar volume two page 59 that all the commandments a person performs in this life together with all the good deeds he does are collected and stored up in the celestial regions awaiting his arrival there at which time they will serve him as an entrance card to an audience with th...

ארמי אובד אבי, “my forefather used to be a wandering Aramean;” this verse has been abbreviated. In full, it should have read: “Yaakov my forefather was a wandering Aramean.” While he was serving Lavan in Aram he was no better than a wandering Aramean, he had no house or land of his own; he was not even a resident in that country.” אובד, “poor,” compare Proverbs 31,6, תנו שכר לאובד, “give liquor to the one who is perishing.”It is not astounding to find Yaakov referred to as Arami, as in Chronicles I 2,17 (יתר(ו is called Ishmaelite, although in Samuel II 17,24, he is clearly called Israelite.

ארמי אובד אבי, “my father (Yaakov) was a wandering Arami.” The Torah here refers to Yaakov as an ארמי (as if he had been a person born in Aram) The meaning of the line is: “my father had become a poor Arami.” In other words, by the time my father arrived in Aram he had become impoverished. The word אובד also appears in hat sense in Proverbs 31,6 where the words תנו שכר לאובד mean: “give liquor to the poor person.” We know that Yaakov endured much pain while serving Lavan. He himself testified to this when he said (Genesis 31,40) “by day scorching heat consumed me.” וירד מצרימה, “he descended to Egypt.” Here too the meaning is that at the time Yaakov descended to Egypt he had once again become impoverished so that the farmer reciting this prayer acknowledges that seeing he had not inherited anything from his father he owes all to the Lord. He (Yaakov) resided in Egypt, a small clan, few in numbers. Subsequently, the descendants of Yaakov developed into a numerous and great nation. Whereas the name Yisrael had once referred to an individual, it then became an appellation for a whole people. You O Lord have redeemed us from hard labour and have set us free by performing supernatural miracles and have given us a land flowing with milk and honey. The moral lesson implied in this whole recitation is that precisely at a time when one is prosperous and free from worry one has to look back upon what preceded this success and acknowledge who it is that enabled one to achieve this well-being. This is what Kohelet 7,14 spelled out when he said: “be pleased when things go well, but in a time of misfortune reflect.” He meant that on a day when everything is going well reflect on the days of misfortune which preceded the present. Only by reflecting that one had not always been so well-off, does one learn to appreciate one’s present good fortune. This is why it is incumbent upon us to thank the Lord on days when everything is going well. Onkelos understands the word אובד as a reference to Lavan who is described as ארמי אובד, meaning that Lavan wanted to exterminate Yaakov (להאביד) and would have succeeded had not G’d warned him during the night before he caught up with Yaakov not to harm him (Genesis 31,29). Our sages, following Onkelos, teach that when a pagan intends to perform a forbidden act, this very intention is already accounted for him as if he had carried out his evil plan. After all, how else could the Torah describe Lavan as destroying Yaakov seeing he never laid a hand on him! The word אובד therefore reflects Lavan’s intent rather than his deed. If a pagan intends to perform a good deed but does not get around to carry it out, he is not given credit for the mere intention of performing the good deed in question. This is based on Daniel 6,15: ”and until the sun set made every effort to rescue him.” G’d did not give the king credit for his efforts until he had actually carried them out. When an Israelite intends to commit a sin but did not carry it out, G’d does not record the thought as a deed until after it has been carried out, seeing we read in Micah 2,1: “Ah, those who plan iniquity and design evil on their beds, when morning dawns they do it.” In other words, they are not debited with the plan until it has been carried out. David said in Psalms 66,18: “Had I an evil thought in my mind, the Lord would not have listened.” On the other hand, when David had a plan such as to build the Temple, he was given credit for it though he was prevented from carrying out his plan. This is why we recite psalm 30,1: “a hymn on the occasion of the inauguration of the House (Temple) by David” [instead of by Solomon, Ed.] (compare Midrash Tehillim 30).

ארמי אובד אבי, “An Aramean tried to destroy my father;” the reference is to Lavan who chased after Yaakov and his family intending to kill them all. Ibn Ezra writes that the ארמי described here was Yaakov himself, so that the meaning of the verse would be: “when my forefather Yaakov arrived in Aram he was penniless, on the brink of death.” The word אובד only appears in an intransitive mode, so that it cannot mean that Lavan tries to kill him. Furthermore, the word appears in the context of someone being close to death Proverbs 31,6: תנו שכר לאובד ויין למרי נפש, “give liquor to the one who is about to perish or wine to the embittered.” Verse 7 in that same chapter of Proverbs is proof of that meaning, as Solomon continues with: ישתה וישכח רישו ועמלו לא יזכר עוד, “so that he may forget his poverty, and will no longer remember his suffering.” The meaning of the whole recital by the farmer is: “I did not inherit my wealth from my father who was extremely poor when he came to Aram, and subsequently my forbears were strangers and slaves in Egypt, few in numbers; afterwards my fortunes improved when Hashem redeemed us from slavery and brought us to this wonderful land from the produce of which I bring the first ripe fruit as a symbol of my gratitude.” Do not try to argue that an Israelite cannot be called a “Aramean;” we know both from Samuel II 17,25, and Chronicles I 2,17 that Avraham, Ishmael, who were refugees from Aram at one time are still referred to as Arameans on occasion.

ארמי אובד אבי, as if the Torah had written” my father Avraham was an Aramite, lost, and exiled from his birthplace Aram.” G’d had told him in Genesis 12,1 “go forth for yourself from your homeland, etc.” Later on, Avraham himself relates to Avimelech the king of the Philistines, (Genesis 20,13) that G’d had made him wander, away from his father’s house, etc. The meaning of the word אובד here is similar to תועה, the root Avraham used to describe wandering without specific objective, almost like walking because one is lost. The word occurs clearly in that sense in Psalms 119,176 תעיתי כשה אובד בקש עבדך, “I have strayed like a lost sheep; search for Your servant, etc.!” We also find the word in this connotation in Jeremiah 50,6 עמי רועיהם התעום, “My people were lost sheep; their shepherd led them astray.” In other words, the recital by the farmer goes back to the Jewish people’s origin, the farmer saying: ‘our forefathers came to this land from an alien country and now G’d has given it to us.

וענית ואמרת, “and you will respond by saying, etc.;” the recital of the prayer of thanksgiving must be performed audibly, but the recital of the “confessional” part starting with the words: בערתי את הקודש, “I have cleared out any sacred things, etc.” may be recited in a whisper. The text introduces it with the word: ואמרת, “you will say,” instead of וענית ואמרת

The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and afflicted us, and imposed upon us hard labor.

ויענונו ויתנו עלינו עבודה קשה, seeing that once the Jewish people had become a nation they were not legally capable of receiving gifts as the gifts given to slaves automatically belong to the slave’s master.

We prayed before Hashem, the God of our fathers, and Hashem received our prayer, and our toil, our weariness, and our oppression were revealed before Him.

"Our affliction [oniyenu]." [This refers to] the lack of wealth. "Our toil [amaleinu]." [This refers to] labor in construction. "Our oppression [lachatzeinu]." [This is] like the sense of "pressing [atzim], saying: complete your work" (Exod. 5:13).

And we cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers. For without the merit of our fathers, He would not have heard our prayers because they were wicked and sinful in Egypt, as is found in the prophecy of Ezekiel. That is why it says, And He saw our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression. And you should know that regarding affliction and oppression, it is written in the section of Exodus (3:7–9), I have seen the affliction of My people, etc., and I have also seen the oppression, etc. But regarding the seeing of our labor, we do not find it written. Therefore, it appears that our labor means that He looked at the mischief and iniquity in Jacob and in the children of Israel, that even in the time when they were in affliction and oppression, nevertheless, the detestable things of their eyes they did not cast away. And the Holy One, blessed be He, saw the debt and its receipt — our affliction and our mischief — and if so, certainly without the merit of our fathers, He would not have responded to us. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand — against the attribute of justice that accused us, saying, “How are these different from those? These worship idolatry and those worship idolatry, etc.” And from all this, there is proof for And He brought us to this place and gave us — as a gift — the land. And now, what has passed has passed, and from here on we calculate, for now I acknowledge that to the Lord belongs the land. And the proof of this is that behold, I have brought, etc. and you shall set it before the Lord, for from then on, one draws near to the Lord. And Abarbanel explained, you shall leave it there is from the language of and she left his garment by her (Genesis 39:16), meaning that one should not return and take the basket from there, but rather leave it for the priests of the Lord.

Hashem brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an upraised arm, and with great visions, and with signs and with wonders.

ובמורא גדול, “and with awesome power,” compare Deuteronomy 7,19.

He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land that produces milk and honey.

אל המקום הזה [AND HE HATH BROUGHT US] UNTO THIS PLACE — This refers to the Temple where the worshipper was standing when he made this declaration. ויתן לנו את הארץ means what it literally implies: AND HATH GIVEN US THE LAND.

ויתן לנו את הארץ הזאת, after we had left Egypt as free men we did not have any part of the land to settle in, and He gave us this land which is a superior land flowing with milk and honey.

ארץ זבת חלב ודבש, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Just as the land flowing with milk and honey refers to only five of the seven Canaanite tribes where it is first mentioned in Exodus 13,5 so here too Moses refers to the areas of these five tribes. This is also the source of the statement of Rabbi Yossi ha’glili who ruled that firstling fruit could not be brought from produce grown on the east Bank of the Jordan because that area is not part of the land flowing with milk and honey [as the quality of the soil there did not lend itself to producing superior fruit].

And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground that You have given me, Hashem. You shall then set it down before Hashem your God and bow down before Hashem your God.

והנחתו AND THOU SHALT PLACE IT [BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD] — This tells us that he takes it after the priest has waved it, and holds it in his hand whilst he makes the declaration, and then again waves it (Sukkah 47b; cf. Sifrei Devarim 301:33).

ועתה, after I have become thoroughly aware how great and extensive is Your loving kindness demonstrated by how You have made us fit to take possession of the land and to take us out to freedom in a manner enabling us to accept a gift which will be legally ours, and you have given us such a choice land, הנה הבאתי את ראשית פרי האדמה אשר נתת לי ה', I herewith present as a token of my gratitude a gift of the choicest fruit of this land which the Lord has given me. (2) I HAVE BROUGHT THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE SOIL WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, ADONAI. I have brought the choicest fruits of that land that You have given me, to give thanks to Your name for it.

והנחתו והשתחוית, “and you shall set it down and worship the Lord your G-d;” the verse teaches that these fruit have to be deposited twice. Once at the time the recitation is read, and once when the donor prostrated himself in prayer. והשתחוית, “you will bow down,” as people do when taking leave of a superior such as a Rabbi.

As a result, now I have brought ראשית פרי האדמה אשר נתתה לי, for all of this wealth is not my own achievement but I merited it due to Your loving kindness.’ This is also the style in which Joshua called the Jewish people to order when he began his parting speech with the words: 'בעבר הנהר ישבו אבותיכם מעולם, תרח אבי אברהם וגו, “your ancestors used to reside across the river Euphrates; Terach the father of Avraham, etc. etc.” Joshua concludes his brief summary of Jewish history with verse 13, with the arrival of the Israelites in the Land of Israel and their being settled there. (Joshua 24,2-13)

You shall rejoice in all the goodness that Hashem your God has given you and to the people of your household — you, and the Levite, and the stranger who is among you.

ושמחת בכל הטוב AND THOU SHALT REJOICE IN EVERY GOOD THING — From this they (the Rabbis) derived the law that the recital on the occasion of bringing the first fruits is made only during the joyful period of the year — from Pentecost till the Feast of Tabernacles — when a man is gathering in his grain, his fruits, his wine and his oil; but from Tabernacles onwards until Chanucah if he brings these, he does not make the recital (Pesachim 36b). אתה והלוי THOU AND THE LEVITE — the Levites are also bound to bring the first fruits to the priest if they planted anything in the fields attached to their cities. והגר אשר בקרבך AND THE STRANGER THAT IS AMONG YOU — he, too, brings the first fruits to the priest but does not make the recital, for he cannot truly say, as is prescribed, “[I profess this day … that I have come into the land which the Lord sware] unto our fathers” (v. 3) since his fathers were not Israelites (cf. Sifrei Devarim 301:37; Mishnah Bikkurim 1:4; Talmud Yerushalmi Maaser Sheni 5:5).

"The meaning of 'you, and the Levite, and the stranger.'" That you are obligated to make them rejoice with the fruit of your land.

concerning the words “נותן לך ושמת בטנא,” (from verse 2) the vowel kametz under the letter ל of the word לך was justified as it represented the end of the speech. When the word לך has the vowel kametz under the letter ך, this indicates that it belongs to what came before.

ושמחת בכל הטוב, “you will rejoice in all the good, etc.” our sages in the Talmud tractate Pesachim folio 36 derive the rule that the period during which these bikkurim may be offered in the Temple commences with the festival of Shavuot and concludes with the sukkot festival, by which time every type of harvest has produced at least some fruit that have ripened. This is also the reason why one of the names of the Shavuot festival is חג הבכורים, “festival of the first ripened fruit.” While it still possible to present such bikkurim at the Temple between sukkot and Chanukah, the paragraphs in our portion to be recited by the farmer who offers these fruits, may no longer be recited. The reason is that the term “ראשית,” “the first of,” would hardly be appropriate at that time of the year. After Chanukah no more such fruit may be offered in the Temple. The reason is that even the animals in the field will no longer find such species of fruit on the field. והגר אשר בקרבך, “and the stranger that dwells in your midst.” Rabbi Joseph Kara raised the question of why a convert-who presumably does not own ancestral land belonging to Israel,- is mentioned in this paragraph at all. These firstling fruit are given only to Jewish priests, and only from land defined as ארצך, “your (ancestral) land?” This word specifically excludes produce not grown by Jews on Jewish land. Rabbi Yom Tov explained it to him and showed him a Midrash in which it is stated specifically that converts (referred to as גרים, onetime strangers, may bring bikkurim, but they may not recite the benediction in which we give thanks for the land which the Lord had sworn to our forefathers to give to Avraham’s descendants (Compare Mishnah 4,chapter 1 tractate Bikkurim. Since the Lord had not sworn to give this land to converts, he could obviously not give thanks for what had never been promised or given to him or his forefathers. Nonetheless, when he says his prayers, privately, he may refer to “our G–d, the G–d of the forefathers of Israel.” if his mother had been Jewish, he will use the same formula every Jew uses, i.e. “our G–d and G–d of our forefathers. In the Jerusalem Talmud Rabbi Yehudah states that the proselyte, though, of course, the land had not been given to his forefathers, may address G–d as also the G–d of our forefathers, as G–d has proclaimed Himself to be the “father” of all converts According to Rabbi Yehudah, the convert recites the same benediction as the natural born Jew when bringing bikkurim. This is based on G–d having appointed Avraham as the ”father” of a multitude of nations in Genesis 17,5. Rabbi Joshua, son of Levi stated that the halachah is according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah.

When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your produce in the third year — the year of the tithe — you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow, and they shall eat in your towns and be satisfied.

כי תכלה לעשר את כל מעשר תבואתך בשנה השלישת WHEN THOU HAST FINISHED TITHING ALL THE TITHES OF THY INCREASE IN THE THIRD YEAR — this means: when you have finished the setting apart of the tithes of the third year. It (Scripture) has fixed the time for removing the tithes from the house (ביעור) and the confession regarding their proper disposition (ודוי) for the eve of the Passover festival of the fourth year, because it is stated, (Deuteronomy 14:28) “At the end (מקצה) of three years thou shall bring forth [all the tithe of thy increase in the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates]”. It uses here (in the verse just quoted) the words “at the end of” (מקצה) and it states further (Deuteronomy 31:10—11): “At the end of every seven years … [in the festival of Tabernacles, … thou shalt read this law before Israel]” with reference to the law of “public assembly”, in order to suggest an analogy. How is it in the case further on? It takes place at a festival period as stated! So, too, here, the rite takes place at a festival period. If so, one might argue: What is the case there? It takes place on the festival of Tabernacles; so, too, here the rite takes place on Tabernacles! Scripture, however, states here: When thou hast finished tithing the tithes of the third year, which thus points to a festival on which all tithes are finished and this is the Passover festival, for there are many trees the fruits of which are gathered after Tabernacles, and consequently the setting apart of tithes of the third year is at an end on Passover of the fourth year. And whoever had delayed his tithes until then Scripture declares him bound to clear them out by that time from his house (cf. Sifrei Devarim 302; Talmud Yerushalmi Maaser Sheni 5:6). שנת המעשר [THE THIRD YEAR] WHICH IS THE YEAR OF TITHE — These apparently redundant words (for every year except the Sabbatical year it “a year of tithing”) suggest: that year in which only one of the two tithes that had to be separated in the previous two years is due (שנת המעשר, lit., the year of the tithe), viz., the “First Tithe”. For in the first year of the Shemitta-period the law of the “First Tithe” applies — as it is stated, (Numbers 28:26) “[And to the Levites shalt thou speak …] when ye take of the children of Israel the tithe” (which is the First Tithe) — and that of the “Second Tithe”, as it is stated, (Deuteronomy 14:22—23; cf. Rashi on the latter verse) “[Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed … year by year], and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God … the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil”. You thus have two tithes every year, one that you must give the Levite and the other which you must consume yourself in Jerusalem (the “Second Tithe”). It now comes and teaches you here that, in the third year, of those two tithes mentioned only one is due, and which is it? It is the “First Tithe”. And that instead of the “Second Tithe” one has to give in the third year (and similarly in th...

"To tithe [le'aser]." This is from the intensive [Pi'el] binyan with doubling, and it has no parallel [in this form]. "The year of the tithe." This is the tithe for the poor. "To the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow." [You give] to whichever of them you choose.

כי תכלה לעשר, “when you complete tithing, etc.” this verse is also a repetition of Deut. 14,28; it is inserted here only on account of the confession as per verse 13: בערתי הקודש מן הבית, “I have removed everything that is holy (second tithe) from the house;” ונתתי ללוי לגר וליתום ולאלמנה, “and I have also given to the Levite, the stranger the orphan and the widow.” This is not necessarily to be understood as cumulative, but you have given to any of the above mentioned categories of people.

[IN THE THIRD YEAR,] THE YEAR OF THE TITHE. The tithe for the poor.

You shall say before Hashem your God: I have removed the sacred tithe from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow, according to all Your commandments that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments and I have not forgotten.

ואמרת לפני ה' אלהיך THEN THOU SHALT SAY BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD — Make the declaration (lit., confess) that you have given your tithes (Sifrei Devarim 303:5). בערתי הקדש מן הבית I HAVE REMOVED THE HALLOWED THINGS FROM THE HOUSE — this refers to the “Second Tithe” which is termed קדש (cf. Leviticus 27:30 and Rashi thereon) and the “fruit of the vineyard in the fourth year of its growth” (נטע רבעי which is also termed קדש; cf. Leviticus 19:24) (Sifrei Devarim 303:6; Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:10). Scripture teaches you that if he has delayed his “Second Tithes” of the first two years of the Shemitta period and has not taken them up to Jerusalem he must bring them up now (Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:10). וגם נתתיו ללוי AND I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEM TO THE LEVITE — this refers to the “First Tithe”. וגם AND ALSO — the redundant word וגם serves also to include “Terumah” and the first-fruits that one has failed to give to the priests (Sifrei Devarim 303:7; Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:10). ולגר ליתום ולאלמנה AND [I ALSO HAVE GIVEN] … UNTO THE STRANGER, THE FATHERLESS, AND THE WIDOW — this refers to the “Tithe of the Poor” (Sifrei Devarim 303:8). ככל מצותך ACCORDING TO ALL THY COMMANDMENTS — i.e. I have given them (all the sacred gifts mentioned) in the sequence prescribed for them: I have not set aside the heave-offering before the first-fruits, nor the tithe before the heave-offering, nor the “second” tithe before the “first”. This would indeed have meant altering the sequence, for the heave-offering is (after the first-fruits which are naturally the first of all sacred gifts) termed ראשית “firstling״ (in its relation to the tithes) because it is the first gift due after it (the crop) has become (bears the name of) corn (i.e. after it has been winnowed), and it states, (Exodus 22:28) “Thou shalt not delay to offer from thy fulness and thy liquids”, which means (see Rashi on that verse and Note thereon): Thou shalt not alter the prescribed order (cf. Sifrei Devarim 303:11; Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:11). לא עברתי ממצותיך I HAVE NOT TRANSGRESSED THY COMMANDMENTS — i.e. I have not set apart as a sacred gift grain from one species as a substitute for what was due from another species, nor have I separated grain from the new crop as a substitute for what was due from the old one (Sifrei Devarim 303:13; cf. Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:11). ולא שכחתי NOR HAVE I FORGOTTEN — i.e. forgotten to bless you on the occasion of setting the tithes apart (Sifrei Devarim 303:14; Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:11; cf. Berachot 40b).

"I have removed the sacred portion." That is, the tithe; and also [I declare] that I did not leave it untended but gave it to the one I am obligated to give it to. "I have not transgressed." Willfully. "And I have not forgotten." That I did not neglect to take out the tithe; or the meaning refers to both tithes [the second tithe and the tithe for the poor].

הקודש מן הבית, because of our and our fathers’ sins the privilege of performing Temple service was removed from the firstborn, who otherwise would also have been the recipients of all the various tithes. Ezekiel 20,26 refers to this when he writes: ואטמא אותם במתנותם, בהעביר כל פטר רחם , “and I defiled them through their own gifts, when causing each first born to pass;” the prophet calls this line the ווידוי מעשר, the confession represented by the fact that the tithe cannot remain in the home but must be given to Levites who supplanted the family priest, the firstborn as a result of their having participated in the sin of the golden calf. (Maasser Sheyni 5,10) וגם נתתיו ללוי, the meaning of the word גם in our context is the same as the words אף על פי, “even so.” We find the word גם used as אף על פי also in Ruth 1,12 when Naomi explains to her daughters-in-law that even if she were to get married immediately she would not be able to produce sons who could become the husbands of her daughters-in-law and thereby keep their deceased husbands’ names alive vicariously (symbolic levirate marriage). We must therefore perceive the farmer’s declaration to mean: “I confess that my sin was great so that as a result I am forced to destroy or remove all sacred things from my house even though I, personally, have discharged my duties by giving the Levite and his companions these tithes at Your command. Having done so, I pray that You will look down benevolently. Seeing that normally the word השקפה is used in Scripture as “looking down to confirm something negative,” the farmer had to add that he means that he has merited a benevolent השקפה as expressed by the plea וברך את עמך את ישראל, “and bless Your people, Israel, etc.”

בערתי הקודש, this is a reference to the bikkurim as these have to be brought to the Temple. Compare Mishnah in tractate Bikkurim 2,2: tithing and firstling fruit rules have something in common with one another which they do not share with T’rumah (2% of the grain harvest given to the priest as the first type of tithe) in that they require to be brought to Jerusalem, and that failing this they have to be destroyed.

בערתי את הקודש, “I have removed the holy things, etc.” This is a reference to Terumah gedolah, which is sacred and generally amounts to 2% of the farmer’s grain harvest (Terumot 4,3). מן הבית, “from the house.” This refers to challah, something sacred prepared in the house and given to the priests. וגם נתתיו ללוי, “I have also given (it) to he Levite.” This is a reference to the first tithe, i.e. 10 per cent of the grain harvest remaining after the Terumah of the priest has been set aside. The letter ו in front of the word גם refers to the second tithe, the one consumed in Jerusalem by the farmer and his family. לגר, ליתום,ולאלמנה, “to the proselyte, the orphan and the widow.” This is a reference to what is known as מעשר עני, “the tithe for the poor,” applicable in years when the second tithe is not applicable. The various gifts fell due in the following sequence: first the farmer sets aside the תרומה גדולה which is given to the priest. It is called ראשית, as the Torah (Deut. 18,4) speaks of ראשית דגנך. After that the farmer sets aside the first tithe intended for the Levite, as the Torah writes: “I have given to the Levite all the tithes of Israel” (Numbers 18,21). The Levite in turn has to set aside 10% of what he received as tithe from the farmer as a “tithe from the tithe,” and give it to the priest. After that, the farmer sets aside for his own use the second tithe which he took with him to Jerusalem and consumed there. This is the meaning of עשר תעשר את כל תבואת זרעך ואכלת לפני ה' אלוקיך in Deut. 14,22. The reason the Torah repeated the words עשר תעשר is because two different tithes are referred to. After that, in the third and sixth year of the שמטה cycle, the farmer set aside the tithe for the poor and distributed it according to how he saw fit. This is the meaning of Deut. 26,12: “to the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow, you shall give it,” as these categories of people are presumed to be most likely the ones having a claim to it. This is what the Torah speaks of in the paragraph commencing with verse 12 “when you have completed the tithing of your harvest in the third year, the year of the tithe.” The Torah teaches that at the end of the third year of the cycle a new kind of tithe has to be set aside, the tithe specifically intended for the poor. In the years that this tithe applies the second tithe does not apply, i.e. the farmer does not have to take it to Jerusalem in order to consume it there but he hands it out locally. After having properly observed all the commandments pertaining to gifts to the priest, the Levite, to the poor (and consuming the second tithe in Jerusalem), he is to recite the declaration recorded here affirming that he has done his duty and that as a result he looks forward to being in G’d’s good graces (verse 15). He is not allowed to recite this “confessional” until after he has completed the whole series of gifts prescribed in the Torah. The declaration in question is recited on the last day of Passover of the fourth and seventh year of the shemittah cycle respectively, seeing that the words תכלה לעשר imply “on the festival when all the tithes have to come to an end.” The harvest from many trees is still collected long after the Sukkot festival, so that the confessional cannot be recited until the following festival, i.e. Pessach. Anyone who has failed to distribute the various tithes by that time must remove them from his house (destroy them). This is why we are told in Avot 5,9 that certain disasters (pestilence) which occur in the fourth year of the cycle are due to the failure of the farmers to discharge their obligations of tithing properly. (a plague in the fourth year indicates failure to distribute the tithe to the poor in the third year, whereas a plague in the seventh year is indicative of the tithe for the poor not having been distributed during the sixth year of the cycle). The destruction of the leftover tithes occurred on the penultimate day of the Passover so that the confessional could be recited on the afternoon of the last day (Maimonides Hilchot Maasser Sheyni 11,7). ככל מצותך אשר צויתיך, “in accordance with all of your commandments which I have commanded you.” A reference to the setting aside of all the aforementioned tithes. Our sages in the Mechilta Mishpatim 19 state that the words imply that not only have the tithes been given but that they had been given in the required sequence. They base the requirement to do so on Exodus 22,28: מלאתך ודמעך לא תאחר, “do not be late in giving your respective offerings.” לא עברתי ממצותיך, “I have not infringed on any of Your commandments.” The farmer declares that he did not use an excess contribution from one species to save himself part of the contribution of another species. Neither did he use produce which had already been harvested to be part of the tithe for produce which had not yet been harvested. He had not used last year’s harvest to discharge the duty to tithe from this year’s harvest, nor vice versa. ולא שכחתי, “and I did not forget.” This means that when giving (setting aside) the respective tithes the farmer did not omit mentioning the name of the Lord. We know that any benediction which does not include mentioning the name of the Lord and His kingdom is as if it had never been recited at all (Berachot 12).

ואמרת לפני ה' אלוקיך, this is what the Lord your G’d commanded in order that you not become tardy and hold back your tithes making a liar out of yourself in the presence of your G’d.

I have not eaten of it in my mourning, nor have I removed any of it in a state of impurity, nor have I given any of it for the dead. I have heeded the Word of Hashem my God; I have done according to all that You commanded me.

לא אכלתי באני ממנו I HAVE NOT EATEN THEREOF IN MY MOURNING — From here we may derive that it (partaking of sacred gifts) is forbidden to an אונן (a technical term for the near relatives of a deceased, from the period of death to burial) (cf. Sifrei Devarim 303:15; Mishnah Bikkurim 2:2). ולא בערתי ממנו בטמא NEITHER HAVE I CONSUMED ANY THEREOF UNCLEAN — i.e. whether I was unclean and it (the sacred gift) was clean, or I was clean and it unclean (Sifrei Devarim 303:16). But where has one been prohibited about this (that he declares that he has not infringed the command)? In the following passage: (Deuteronomy 12:17) “Thou mayest not eat within thy gates [the tithe of thy corn]” — this (the expression “within thy gates”) refers to eating sacred things in a state of uncleanness, just as is stated with reference to פסולי המקדשין (animals intended as sacrifices, but which have become unfit for that purpose) (Deuteronomy 15:22) “Thou mayest eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person [may eat it alike]”. These you may eat, states Scripture, — but this (the tithes of thy corn in a state of uncleanness) you must not eat in the manner which is termed “eating within thy gates” (“the unclean and the clean together”) of which there is mention in another passage (Yevamot 73b). ולא נתתי ממנו למת NOR HAVE I GIVEN THEREOF FOR THE CORPSE to prepare for it a coffin and shrouds (Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:12). שמעתי בקול ה' אלהי I HAVE HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD MY GOD — i.e. I have brought it into the Chosen House (Temple) (Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:12). עשיתי ככל אשר צויתני I HAVE DONE ACCORDING TO ALL THOU HAST COMMANDED ME — I have myself rejoiced and made others rejoice by it (Sifrei Devarim 303:19; Mishnah Maaser Sheni 5:12).

I HAVE NOT EATEN THEREOF IN MY MOURNING. Even though the avowal included all tithes, as the Rabbis interpreted: “I have also given it unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow etc.,” — the statement I have not eaten thereof in my mourning refers only to the hallowed things [mentioned at the beginning of the preceding Verse 13: I have put away ‘the hallowed things’ out of my house] which refers to the Second Tithe and fourth-year’s plantings which may not be eaten in mourning and in a state of impurity. NOR HAVE I GIVEN THEREOF FOR THE DEAD — “to prepare a coffin and shrouds for it.” This is Rashi’s language. But I have not understood this, for Scripture explicitly states that we are not to exchange the fruits of the Second Tithe outside Jerusalem except for coined silver. In Jerusalem we are to spend the money on edible things, for any of the herd, or any of the flock, or for wine, or for strong drink and eat them before the Eternal. [It is, therefore, clear that it is forbidden to use the money to purchase a garment even for the living — hence it is pointless to make such an avowal with respect to the dead!]Now, Harav Rabbi Moshe [ben Maimon] wrote in his work “The Second Tithe is designated for use as food and drink, for it is said, and thou shalt eat there before the Eternal thy G-d. Anointing is like drinking. It is forbidden to spend it on his remaining necessities, such as buying vessels, clothes and servants, for it is said, nor have I given thereof for the dead, that is to say, I have not spent it on anything which does not sustain the body.” [Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon] thus interpreted the phrase for the dead here as being an expression for any thing through which a person does not live. But these are words of mere exaggeration. Other scholars have explained that the avowal is that he did not spend therefrom for a coffin and shrouds even for the dead — which [spending] is a religious duty — and certainly not for the living for a cloak or shirt. And in the Sifre it is stated: “Nor have I given thereof for the dead — to prepare a coffin and shrouds for it. These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiba said to him: If it is forbidden for the dead, it is likewise forbidden for the living. Why then is it stated nor have I given thereof [‘for the dead’]? It means that I have not exchanged the Second Tithe even for something which is clean.” Thus Rabbi Akiba interprets the expression neither have I given thereof, as meaning that “I have not even used it in exchange for clean, edible things.” This is similar to what we have been taught in a Mishnah: “Second Tithes may not be sold or bartered. Nor may a man say to his fellow in Jerusalem, ‘Here is wine, and give me oil [in exchange].’” In the opinion of Rabbi Akiba, the expression for the dead is thus connected with the above statement, ‘I have not eaten thereof in my mourning — for the dead,’ for the term “mourning” applies only to the dead. [And the express...

"I did not eat of it in my mourning [be'oni]." Like [the expressions] "son of my sorrow [ben oni]" (Gen. 35:18) and "bread of mourning [lechem onim]" (Hos. 9:4). I alluded to [the word's meaning] in the sacred tongue. The meaning of oni is like aveli, "my mourning" — for if I were a mourner I would not have eaten of the sacred tithe. "And I did not remove [bi'arti] from it." The meaning is: I did not corrupt [anything] from the sacred portion. "In a state of impurity." In a matter of impurity. "For the dead." For the needs of a deceased person. And some say: for idol worship. The underlying sense in all these [stipulations] is that it is forbidden to take from the grain for any purpose until the tithe — which is sacred — has been given; for if one gives from what remains [after tithing], it is an act of contempt. All the more so if one gave [of it] in a state of impurity. And just as I guarded myself and preserved the grain in order to bring forth the sacred portion — so too, guard, our God, our land; and that is the meaning of "and the land."

לא אכלתי באוני ממנו, “I have not eaten from it when it was stolen property;” the expression און occurs in this sense in Job 20,10: ידיו תשבנה אונו, “his own hands must restore his wealth” (the illegally acquired wealth). ולא בערתי ממנו, “neither I have destroyed any of it unlawfully;” בטמא, “nor have I eaten any of it while in a state of ritual impurity.” It is forbidden to make any use of the harvested grains before the tithes are separated. ולא נתתי ממנו למת, “nor have I given any of it for the dead;” (a euphemism for given it to idols, i.e. “dead deities.”) I have given all of it to the living G-d, the King of the universe. עשיתי ככל אשר צויתני, “I have acted in accordance with all that You have commanded me.” regarding first fruits and the tithes (of all that my fields produced).

לא אכלתי באוני ממנו, “I have not eaten of it while in a state of (pre)mourning.” A person engaged in preparing for the funeral of near relatives is forbidden to eat any sacred foods (Sifri). ולא בערתי ממנו בטמא, “and I have not removed or used up any of it while in a state of ritual impurity.” I did not set it aside while I was contaminated. ולא נתתי ממנו למת, “neither did I give any of it for a dead person.” I did not use it to buy a coffin or other necessities for the dead person’s burial from the proceeds of the produce designated as tithes (Sifri 303 on this verse). The reason that the Torah makes the farmer recite this is that not only did he not use the proceeds from such produce for something merely permitted, but even if he had “misused” it in order to fulfill a commandment such as a burial from the proceeds this is also forbidden and he has to declare that he had not done so. In other words, one must not appear as if one pays one’s debts by diverting funds destined for another commandment in order to do so. The tithes must be used only for food and drink. One must not even buy clothing from the proceeds. שמעתי בקול ה' אלוקי, “I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my G’d.” I did so when I brought the tithes to the Temple. עשיתי ככל אשר צויתני, “I did in accordance with all that You commanded me.” I rejoiced and made others happy with it (Maaser Sheni 5,11); this is based on the instruction: “you shall rejoice with all the goodness” (verse 11).

לא אכלתי באוני ממנו, “I have not eaten from it while in a state of intense pre-mourning;” Nachmanides comments on this that although the confession applies to all the different kinds of tithes, some of which are secular in terms of religious law, here the words apply only to the kinds of gifts that have a sacred character. Produce that has been labeled מעשר שני or נטע רבעי, the second tithe, or the grapes grown in the fourth year after the vineyard has been planted, do possess such a degree of sanctity, and may not be consumed while in a state of impurity or intense mourning, immediately before the burial of the next of kin. ולא נתתי ממנו למת, “neither did I give from any of it to the dead.” Rashi explains the letter ל in the word למת, as meaning “for,” i.e. to be used to purchase either a coffin or the garments the dead are buried in. Nachmanides questions this, as produce having a sacred character such as the ones mentioned, may not be traded to purchase coffins or ordinary clothing for use by the living either. The second tithe may not be redeemed to become secular outside the city of Jerusalem, for instance, except for coin of the realm. The proceeds must be used to purchase food and drink and other items but these are to be consumed inside Jerusalem by the owner and his family. Maimonides (Sefer hamitzvot 152) understands the term למת as a simile for something of no benefit to a living human being, the farmer stating that he has spent the proceeds only for items of benefit to the living. Some commentators interpret this “confessional” to mean that the farmer has not used the proceeds even to fulfill a commandment such as burying and providing the wherewithal to a dead person who had no family that would assume the burden of burying him in a dignified manner.

לא אכלתי באוני ממנו, the word און is used here in the same sense as in Job 20,10 ידיו תשבנה אונו, where it refers to the proceeds of a robbery, i.e. “his own hands must give back his wealth.” We also find it used in this sense in Hoseah 12,9 מצאתי און לי, “I have become rich.” (the riches derive from robbery) This is the plain meaning of the line.

Look down from Your holy dwelling-place, from the heavens, and bless Your people Israel and the land that You have given us, as You swore to our fathers — a land that produces milk and honey.

השקיפה ממעון קדשך GLANCE DOWN FROM THE RESIDENCE OF THY HOLINESS . . [AND BLESS THY PEOPLE ISRAEL — “We have done what Thou hast laid upon us, do Thou now what has upon Thee to do, because Thou hast said, (Leviticus 25:3, 4) If ye walk in My ordinances … Then I will give you rain in its season etc. אשר נתתה לנו כאשר נשבעת לאבתינו [BLESS THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND THE LAND,] WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN US, AS THOU SWAREST UNTO OUR FATHERS, to give it unto us, and indeed Thou hast kept Thy promise, giving us ארץ זבת חלב ודבש A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY.

WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN US, AS THOU DIDST SWEAR UNTO OUR FATHERS — “to give it to us and Thou hast fulfilled [Thy promise by] giving us A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY.” This is Rashi’s language. If so, the order of the verse is [to be inverted as follows]: “and the Land which Thou hast given us, a Land flowing with milk and honey, as Thou didst swear unto our father.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that the meaning thereof is, may it always be so, that is to say, “and bless the Land which You have given us to be [always] a Land flowing with milk and honey.” But there is no need for all this, for included in the term “speaking” or “swearing” is the act of “giving.” Thus a man may say to his fellow, “You have sworn me your field” [which means: “you have sworn to give me your field”], or “You have told me a hundred” [which means “you have sworn to give me a hundred dinars”]. Similarly, as the Eternal, the G-d of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee — a Land flowing with milk and honey [the term “hath spoken” means “hath spoken that He would give thee”]. We have already explained it [there]. So also, and he gave him a house, and food he told him, and gave him land [which means “and food he promised to give him”]. Now, do not find it difficult here that in the oaths made to the patriarchs “a Land flowing with milk and honey” is not mentioned. Since at that time the Land was a Land flowing with milk and honey, [it would have been redundant to describe it explicitly. Therefore it was as if] He swore to them by a Land flowing with milk and honey. Or it may be that unto our fathers [here does not mean the patriarchs] but those who came forth from Egypt, for it was to them that it was said, unto a Land flowing with milk and honey, similar to the expression, and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers [which refers to “our fathers” who came forth from Egypt].

"The meaning of 'a land flowing with milk and honey.'" [He prays] that it remain so always.

וברך את עמך...ואת האדמה אשר נתתה לי, in the same manner as You have sworn to our forefathers, when You swore to them: “I will take you up from the poverty in Egypt to a wide good land, etc.” (Exodus 3,17)

השקיפה ממעון קדשך, "Look down from Your holy abode, etc." Why did Moses repeat his reference to heaven by calling it both "holy abode" as well as "heaven?" If all Moses had wanted was to tell us that G'd's abode is a holy place he should simply have written: השקיפה ממעון קדשך השמים, without the additional word מן. I believe the Torah wants to make us privy to a secret, i.e. that G'd has prepared two distinct sources in the celestial spheres from which to exert His benevolent influence on mankind. One source is the reservoir of spiritual input into man, i.e. the source from which the holy souls are despatched to inhabit our bodies. The other reservoir is that which provides us with physical goodness, i.e. the sustenance enabling His creatures to stay alive by means of food, etc. In the language of the Zohar, the combination of these two are called זווג, coupling, pairing (as in marriage). This term is applicable whenever one of the two of the pair in question is active, i.e. provides the input, and the other is the recipient of that input. According to our Kabbalists the input of holy souls which used to originate from the celestial spheres has been interrupted ever since the day the Temple was destroyed, so that nowadays we receive input only from the source which provides the material goodness G'd has to offer. Moses, i.e. the Jewish farmer in our chapter, prays that G'd should provide the spiritual input, i.e. ממעון קדשך, "from Your holy abode." This input originates in the highest celestial region, hence the Torah describes that abode as קדש, holy. Kabbalists have already revealed (Zohar volume two page 121) the difference between a level called kadosh, and the level in the celestial spheres called kodesh. The latter level is higher than the former as every intelligent student will appreciate. The words מן השמים "from the heavens," refer to the lower of the above-mentioned levels within the celestial spheres. The pairing, זווג which results when the input originates only in the spheres called kadosh is inferior to that which results when the input from heaven includes input from the part known as kodesh. Concerning the first request, that G'd should provide input from the highest regions, the farmer asks that "Your people will be blessed," i.e. with sons and daughters whose souls originate in מעון קדשך. Concerning the heavenly input into our world of material blessings i.e. food, the blessings originating in the sphere called השמים, the farmer asks the blessing for the אדמה, the earth on which the Israelite dwells (compare Maaser Sheyni 5,13).

ואת האדמה, “and the soil,” in order that You will provide the rain at the appropriate time so that I can continue to serve You with the same fervor next year, and fulfill all the commandments connected with ownership of this land.

השקיפה ממעון קדשך, “Please look down from the holy site where You reside.” The farmer concludes as if to say: “we have done what we have to do, now do what You have promised, please” (Maaser Sheni 5,13). וברך את עמך, “and bestow blessing on Your people,” sons and daughters; ואת האדמה אשר נתתה לנו, “and the earth which You have given to us;” in the form of beneficial rain expressing Your goodwill. כאשר נשבעת לאבותינו ארץ זבת חלב ודבש, “as You have sworn to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Your promise was that the rain would make the produce of the land tasty. (Maaser Sheni 11,16). Elsewhere, according to Rashi, this verse is understood to mean: “seeing that we have done what is obligatory for us, You ought to do what is obligatory for You.” The reason the Torah uses the expression מעון קדשך, instead of the word מכון, as Solomon used in his prayer at the inauguration of the Temple (Kings I 8,39), is that the farmer acknowledges that he has rejoiced in fulfilling G’d’s commandments and the heaven known as מעון is traditionally perceived to be the area in which joy resides and originates (Chagigah 12). This is why Moses chose to refer to the term מעון when formulating this declaration/prayer. The term השקיפה used here for “looking down,” a word never used elsewhere except in connection with disaster (Jerusalem Talmud Maasser Sheyni 5,5) is to teach how great is the reward for fulfillment of a commandment when it is fulfilled joyfully. It has the power to convert a normally negative virtue into becoming a positive virtue. Rabbi Chanina, son of Papa, is on record as saying: “come and observe the powerful effect of giving alms to the poor. Every time the word השקפה, i.e. וישקף appears in the Torah it is always a preamble to something destructive occurring. Here it is a preamble to blessing being bestowed.” If you will analyse the subject of giving alms to the poor more profoundly you will find that the תרומה which has been described as ראשית, is an allusion to the emanation חכמה which comprises within it the emanation בינה so that it completes the cycle of the 50 “gates” of wisdom which exist in the universe. This is why (generally) תרומה represents one 50th part of the harvest. This is why the sages when defining תרומה referred two it as “2 parts in 100.” The מעשר ראשון which consist of ten per cent alludes to the tribe of Levi (the original Levi) whom we proved to have been the “tenth” son of Yaakov [starting the count from Binyamin, compare Korach 18,19]. The מעשר שני also represents the same principle; seeing it is the first tithe which we retain, it is in reality also a kind of “first tithe.” It is the first tithe of the original tithe. The tithes for the poor which are being set aside in the third and sixth year of the שמטה cycle are an allusion to the emanation יסוד, so called because it is of decisive influence on events in our world and is “distilled” from the seventh emanation. It occurred precisely in the middle of the seven year שמטה cycle. With the setting aside (and distributing) the מעשר עני, the tithe for the poor, all the various tithes have been concluded whether in respect of higher emanations or lower emanations. This is the meaning of the words: “when you have completed all the tithe(s) of all of your harvest in the third year” (verse 12). It is why the Torah chose the expression כי תכלה [an expression reminiscent of when G’d had concluded the creation of the universe in Genesis 2,1, Ed.]. The tithe to the poor represents the essence and hence the final tithe of the various tithes legislated here. This also accounts for the otherwise unusual wording of Deut. 14,22 עשר תעשר, [which sounds at first glance as if a tithe could be given repeatedly. Ed.] This is why in that chapter the Torah legislated that at the end of three years the farmer is to remove from his house all the tithes of that year and deposit it in “your” gates, (Deut. 14,28). The word “your gates” in that connection is an allusion to the “gates of prayer. Just as in a physical sense these tithes which had not yet been distributed must be made available to all in a public area of the town, so in a spiritual sense, by doing so, the farmer’s accumulated merits due to his fulfilling these commandments are concentrated in the spiritual domain known as the gateway to prayer, to the regions in heaven where prayer is heard and answered. This is why the declaration listed in our chapter must be recited in Hebrew and audibly. [Although, according to Maimonides Hilchot Maaser Sheni 11,16 this declaration may be recited in any language, the concluding verse commencing with the word השקיפה has to be said in Hebrew, seeing it is a prayer, i.e. a petition. Ed.] When reciting the whole of this declaration the farmer acknowledges the sum total of what Judaism is about, it is a declaration of faith including a statement that he has not only not deviated from the מצות מעשיות, the performance of the deeds prescribed, but that he is in full agreement with the theological/philosophical symbolism represented by these commandments. [I paraphrased this passage somewhat. Ed.] The author understands the words אדמה and ארץ in this passage as also referring to the celestial counterparts of these regions.

Look down from Your holy dwelling, etc. Since he previously said, I have done according to all that You have commanded me, Rashi explains that “I rejoiced and made others rejoice.” Therefore, Look down from Your dwelling [maon],as we say “that joy is in His dwelling,” and from there return and make us rejoice. In the tractate Chagigah (12b), they said that in Ma’on [the fifth heaven] are companies of ministering angels who sing praises at night and are silent during the day out of respect for Israel, as it is said, By day, the Lord will command His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me (Psalms 42:9). Rashi explains: “By day, the Lord will command His steadfast love” — He commands the angels to be silent in order to show kindness to those in need of kindness, and these are the lower beings [humans]. It seems reasonable that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs this kindness because of the kindness that people below do for one another, and tithing is included in acts of kindness. Therefore, he says: by virtue of the kindness I have done through this tithe for those in need of kindness, Look down from Your dwelling to show kindness to those in need of kindness. For those heavens that are called Ma’on are designated for this purpose and designated for joy, because where there is joy there is song, and not where there is no joy. Furthermore, by virtue of I have not transgressed [avarti] Your commandments — from the expression “one does not pass [ma’avirin] over commandments” — that I did not pass over a commandment to prioritize what should come later, similarly, Look down from Your holy dwelling without prioritizing what should come later, for the thought of Israel preceded the world, and they precede even the angels. Therefore, it is right that the angels should not sing praises until Israel first says them during the day, and afterward the angels at night, as it is written, The God of the first is a dwelling place (Deuteronomy 33:27). That is, the God of Israel, who came first, and below them are the angels who are called “the arms of the world,” for in the dwelling [Ma’on], Israel comes first, as mentioned. And our Sages said (Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 14), “Every instance of ‘look down’ [in Scripture] is for bad, except for [when it relates to] gifts to the poor, which transforms anger into compassion.” This is by virtue of the attribute of compassion in a person who transforms their attribute of cruelty into compassion, so too, the Holy One, blessed be He, transforms anger into compassion.

אשר נתת לנו כאשר נשבעת לאבותינו, “that You have given to us as You had sworn to our forefathers.” Rashi understands this as if the Torah had written: “as You have sworn to our forefathers to give to us, and you thus kept Your promise.” It also includes the acknowledgment that the land in question does indeed flow with milk and honey. Nachmanides writes that if we were to accept Rashi’s interpretation, the words ואת האדמה אשר נתתה לנו ארץ זבת חלב ודבש וקיימת, would mean: “that the land that You have given us is a land flowing with milk and honey, and You kept Your promise.” [Rashi wanted to avoid the impression that the promise of giving us the land was the substance of G’d’s blessing for which the farmer prays in this verse. Ed.] Ibn Ezra writes that the thrust of the farmer’s prayer is that G’d should bless the land to continue to give its generous yield also in the future, just as it had done up until that year. There is no need for all of these explanations as G’d’s oath included the realization of it, i.e. the giving of the land to the generation G’d had selected for this. He had promised to Moses in Exodus 3,8 that the land of the Canaanites, which would be given to the Jewish people, was at that time a land flowing with milk and honey. [It could hardly have been less, as the Torah had described it in Genesis 13,10 already as comparable to “the garden-like nature of the land of Egypt.” Ed.]

This day Hashem your God commands you to observe these statutes and ordinances; you shall observe and perform them with all your heart and with all your soul.

היום הזה ה׳ אלהיך מצוך THIS DAY THE LORD THY GOD COMMANDETH THEE — This suggests: each day they (God’s commandments) should be to you as something new (not antiquated and something of which you have become tired), as though you had received the commands that very day for the first time (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tavo 1; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 11:13). ושמרת ועשית אותם THOU SHALT THEREFORE KEEP AND DO THEM — A heavenly voice (בת קול) pronounces by these words a blessing upon him (the worshipper): “You have brought the first fruits today — you will be privileged to do so next year, too!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tavo 1).

THIS DAY THE ETERNAL THY G-D COMMANDETH THEE TO DO THESE STATUTES AND ORDINANCES. Now Moses finished explaining the Torah to them and issuing all the new commandments which G-d commanded him to declare to them. Therefore he said, “This day the Eternal thy G-d commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances, for I have already completed everything for you.” He mentioned, and thou shalt observe and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. I have already explained the terms “heart” and “soul.”

"This day." These are the words of Moses. "And you shall keep [them]." In your heart. "And you shall do them." In the Land.

היום הזה, that You entered into the covenant with him. The “covenant” comprised the undertaking by Israel to keep G’d’s statutes as something that would ensure their welfare, something He had not done for any other nation. בכל לבבך, you must embrace these laws with all your heart, without mental reservations or doubts about their authenticity. Your sole motivation must be to carry out His will. ובכל נפשך, you must not allow yourself to be distracted, sidetracked, by the evil urge, i.e. temptations, because you are so firm in the belief of the superiority of the Lawgiver.

היום הזה, "On this day, etc." Did then Moses command these commandments on the day the Torah reports this, i.e. a few days before his death? Did G'd not command all these commandments already when the people were at Mount Sinai? Rashi explains that Moses meant that the commandments should be regarded by the people as if they were something new each day. I think that maybe what the Torah had in mind is this. Whereas it is true that all these commandments had been legislated and taught ever since the people had stood at Mount Sinai, the commandments which pertained to the land of Israel had thus far been only in the realm of theory, i.e. they had to be studied but could not be performed. Moses says, that as of the day he addressed the people, the laws pertaining to the land of Israel were no longer in the sphere of theory but had begun to assume practical significance. The people might therefore view these commandments as if they had just been given to them. The word היום, "this day," is not to be interpreted literally but refers to an imminent period.

את החוקים האלה, “these statutes.” The ones pertaining to the tithes and the firstlings of the fruit, ואת המשפטים, “and the details surrounding these laws,” a reference to the details connected with the laws of tithing, such as not eating from these when in a state of mourning. (verse 14) ושמרת, “you shall observe,” in your heart. ועשית אותם, “and perform them, in the Holy Land.”

היום הזה ה' אלוקיך מצוך לעשות, “This day, Hashem your G’d commands you.” When Moses said these words, this was during the fortieth year. How could this be since 40 years had elapsed since the Torah had been given, and nothing new had been added to the Torah since? The wording (this day) teaches that Torah legislation is to be considered as beloved as if it had only been given on that very day at Mount Sinai (Tanchuma Ki Tavo 1). Regarding a similar statement in the wording of the Kriyat Shema (Deut. 6,6) where we read: “which the Lord your G’d has commanded you this day,” our sages (Pessikta Zutrata) comment “they should be as fresh for you as if they had been received from Mount Sinai on this very day.” There is a reason why once the Midrash uses the word “new, fresh,” and another time it uses the term “beloved” as the manner in which we are to relate to Torah legislation. People’s reactions to certain phenomena vary not only individually, but are also affected by prevailing attitudes in different generations and environments. Man’s heart has a tendency of being governed by what his eyes behold. When something is within his range of vision he is liable to remember it, whereas as soon as it is out of sight he tends to no longer focus on it and to forget it. Miracles, etc., do not continue indefinitely and therefore are apt to be forgotten. The Torah therefore has to warn us not to allow this natural process to affect us and to insist that just as the people at the time of the miracles were firm in their faith and belief, we in our respective generations must be no less so. This lesson applies particularly to periods when the Jewish people are in exile and miracles do not manifest themselves. We are therefore exhorted by the Torah to relate to the Torah with the same degree of fondness as we did when we were a sovereign nation in our own land. At the same time, we have to be urged to view the Torah legislation as something new, reminding us of all the miracles that preceded the giving of the Torah. In other words, the very experience of the revelation at Mount Sinai is to be recalled by us every time we study any of the laws of the Torah. One may view this subject as if our verse here commenced with the words היום הזה, and concluded with the words ובכל נפשך, i.e. the last words in the first paragraph of the Kriat Shema. This is to teach that we are to dedicate ourselves to such a degree to all the commandments of the Torah that just as we would have been prepared to lay down our lives for any of these laws on the day they were commanded at Mount Sinai, so we are prepared to lay down our lives for them if called upon at the present time, as if we were still under the psychological impact of the revelation at Mount Sinai.

This day the Lord your God commands you, etc. After you have acknowledged that the world and its fullness belong to the Lord, and from His blessed hand He has given you everything, now you accept upon yourself to keep the commandments of the Lord: You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your God, etc. and The Lord has affirmed this day that you are His treasured people, etc. For you have affirmed Him in these declarations about first fruits and tithes, and you said, I have listened to the voice of the Lord. And in response to this, the Lord has also affirmed you to look forth from His holy dwelling, from heaven, and to bless you with greater elevation above all peoples. Even though all [divine] looking down is for negative purposes, nevertheless, in your case the matter will be different, like a treasured possession that has no rational explanation. This is what is meant by The Lord has affirmed you this day to be His treasured people. Some say that this looking down is also for negative purposes, meaning “Look down upon the nations who anger You and make them a ransom for Your people Israel.” Therefore, it does not say “look down to bless,” but rather and bless is a separate phrase on its own. According to this interpretation, it makes sense why it says The Lord has affirmed you this day to be His treasured people, etc. and to set you high above all nations, because this matter is explained in the look down through which God has affirmed us. And even if affirmed [he’emarta] and affirmed [he’emircha] mean “distinction” (as in Berakhot 6a), nevertheless, it is explained in this way. And since it says this day in both instances, we can learn that it refers to the section above about first fruits and tithes, because in them these two affirmations are explained.

היום הזה, “on this day, etc.” Nachmanides writes that this verse completes the review of the Torah by Moses and the revealing by him to the people of commandments not revealed to them thus far. This is why he concludes the verse with the exhortation to the people to observe all the commandments.

You have declared Hashem this day to be your God, and to walk in the ways that are upright before Him, and to keep His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and to accept His Word.

האמרה, האמירך are words for the meaning of which there is no decisive proof in Scripture. It seems to me, however, that they are expressions denoting “separation” and “selection”: “You have singled Him out from all strange gods to be unto you as God — and He on His part, has singled you out from the nations on earth to be unto Him a select people”. [As far as this meaning is concerned I have found a parallel (lit., a witness) to it where it bears the meaning “glory”, as in (Psalms 94:4): “All wrongdoers glory in themselves”].

THOU HAST AVOUCHED THE ETERNAL THIS DAY. The meaning thereof is: “Since you have accepted the entire Torah upon yourselves with all its interpretations, details, and new promulgations, you have thus magnified G-d and exalted Him, that He alone will be your G-d; you will in no way avow another god.” AND THAT THOU WOULDEST WALK IN HIS WAYS — to do the good and the right, and do kindness one to another. And keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances. He [Moses] singles out the statutes and ordinances [for the reason] I have explained, and he includes in the expression and His commandments all the commandments — positive and negative. And hearken unto His voice — this refers to whatever He will command you concerning other deeds through me or through the rest of the prophets, as I have explained. It is possible that the expression His commandments refers to the positive commandments, and hearken unto His voice means the avoidances, that is to say, the negative commandments.

"He'emarta [You have proclaimed]." [This word is] from the language of greatness, and it is close in derivation to [the expression] "at the top [be'rosh] of the branches [amir]" (Isa. 17:6). Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi the Spaniard, of blessed memory, said that the word derives from the root of vayomer, "and he said," and the meaning is: you have done what is right, to the point that it may be said that He will be your God; and likewise He has done for you [what is right], to the point that you have declared that you will be His treasured people. He explained it well. Thus he'emarta is a transitive verb governing two objects.

In this respect, את ה' האמרת היום, when you accepted upon yourself to become a party to this sacred oath, which puts at risk every physical goodness on earth in the event that you desecrate this oath האמרת, by doing so you elevated the image of the Lord, Who, as a result, will be even more honoured in your eyes than before you entered into this reciprocal covenant with Him. You have thereby demonstrated that it is more important for you to do His will than to enjoy any of the transient pleasures of this life. להיות לך לאלוקים, that He will be the most exalted of all disembodied phenomena, powers; you are aware that all that occurs in your life is the result of His guiding fate and history, in your case, without resorting to deputies, agents, any intermediaries who carry out His commands. Seeing that this is so, it would be inconceivable that in your religious rites you were to turn, even only as an auxiliary, to any other phenomenon purporting to be His agent. You bow and humble yourself only before Him, directly. וללכת בדרכיו, to try and emulate His characteristics to the extent He has seen fit to reveal these to you. ולשמוע בקולו, as is fit for His servants.

את ה׳ האמרת היום להיות, "You have distinguished Hashem this day to be a G'd for you, etc." The reason the Torah added the word היום, "this day," may be understood in conjunction with what we learned in Ketuvot 110 that "anyone who lives in the diaspora is considered as if he did not have a G'd." The words את ה׳ האמרת היום apply only to people who are in the Holy Land. Even though at that precise moment the Israelites were still on the land that used to belong to Sichon and Og, this was considered part of the Holy Land seeing that it had been conquered by the whole nation at the command of their prophet Moses. We have discussed and proved this point in connection with our commentary on Numbers 32,3. Seeing that the land in question was no longer part of the diaspora, the Israelites could truly claim to have adopted the Lord as their G'd, and G'd in turn adopted them as His exclusive people. Another meaning of this verse may be based on the Zohar volume one page 108 according to which the other countries on earth have been assigned by G'd to a respective שר, minister, who is in charge of them on G'd's behalf. The land of Israel and its people on the other hand are not subject to any delegate of G'd but are ruled over directly by G'd Almighty. In Psalms 17,2 David phrased it thus: "My judgment will proceed from directly in front of Your eyes." In other words, we are not subject to the authority of any of G'd's deputies. Still another thought which may be concealed in our verse is that Hashem, the attribute of Mercy, will participate in judgment of the Jewish people. While it is true that G'd judges everyone and every nation according to their just deserts, i.e. להיות לך לאלוקים, in your case, G'd the merciful will cause the Israelites to say (to acknowledge) that His judgment is fair, i.e. they will bless the Lord even when they experience what appears to them to be a harsh judgment. וללכת בדרכיו, "and to walk in His ways, etc." Moses compliments the Jewish people that they walk in G'd's paths even in matters G'd has not specifically commanded. As soon as they have divined what it is that He would want them to do, they do so of their own accord. Specific examples are such good practices as visiting the sick, burying the dead. The Israelites learned from G'd visiting Abraham or burying Moses that these were virtues He wants us to practice though there is no specific commandment ordering us to do so. Israel's walking in the paths of G'd extends both to חוקיו, His statutes, the laws that appear to have no rationale, as well as מצותיו ומשפטיו, His other commandments and His social laws, i.e. the laws governing inter-personal relationships, relationships which are to be administered by terrestrial courts. ולשמע בקלו, "and by listening to His voice;" this is a reference to Torah study. The reason the Torah describes this as G'd's "voice" may be understood with reference to Sifri, 115 where the author asked: "how do we know that if one studies Torah fro...

את ה׳ האמרת היום, “you have avouched the Lord this day;” you have singled out the Lord today; by accepting G-d’s commandments you, Israel, have adopted the Lord your G-d as your only deity. He has reciprocated by making you His special people, as He demonstrated by all the miracles He performed for your sake. אמרת, according to Rash’bam,“you have become as if betrothed;” An alternate interpretation: you traded, exchanged; you have abandoned all other powers in nature by accepting Me as comprising all those forces combined. (seeing that I created all these forces.) He, in turn, has abandoned all attempts to directly educate the other nations by concentrating on you as His pilot project. [Some of these words are mine Ed.] [In order to understand this interpretation, the letter א in the words האמרת and האמירך have to be considered as non existent, something similar being the case in Jeremiah 32,21: ובאזרוע as well as in Kings II 4,2: דאסוך, and in Psalms 90,4: אתמול. A different interpretation: the word האמירך is an expression of admiration, praise, as in Psalms 94,4: יתאמת, ”will they indulge in self-glorification? [The psalmist speaks of the wicked. Ed.]

את ה' האמרת היום, “You have distinguished Hashem today, etc.” The word האמרת means “to elevate, to distinguish” (Ibn Ezra). It is found in this context in Isaiah 17,6 בראש אמיר, “on the topmost branch.” Onkelos also understands the word in that sense when he renders it as חטבת, similar to Proverbs 7,16: חטובות אטון מצרים, “colored sheets of Egyptian linen, (excellent linen).” It is reported in the name of Rabbi Yehudah Halevi that he understood the word האמרת as a derivative of ויאמר, “he said,” in which case the meaning would be that “you have done the right thing in the eyes of the Lord by accepting His Torah until you turned around and proclaimed that He was to be your G’d.”

את ה' האמרת, “You have exalted Hashem,” by accepting the entire Torah in all its details you have exalted Hashem this day; you have adopted Him as your exclusive G’d, eschewing all others. וללכת בדרכיו, “and to walk in His ways.” To not only perform His commandments to the letter, but also to model yourself according to what He has revealed about Himself, i.e. to go beyond the letter of the law and to honour the spirit upon which the law has been based. ולשמוע בקולו, “and to hearken to His voice.” Any other matters He will command you through me, even if they are not part of the basic 613 commandments.

את ה' האמרת היום, you have become as if betrothed to G’d Who had said “I will be your G’d,” for this is something which depends primarily on Him. He will be your Saviour as a result of your observing His commandments which you accepted.

את ה' האמרת היום להיות לך לאלוקים....וה' האמירך היום להיות לו לעם סגולה, “You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your G–d.....and the Lord has affirmed to you this day that you are His special people, etc.” Concerning the precise meaning of these two verses, we read the following in the Talmud tractate B’rachot, folio 6: “The Holy One blessed Be He said: “you have declared Me as unique in the universe, by declaring “hear o Lord the Lord our G–d the Lord is unique.” Therefore I have reciprocated by declaring you as a unique people for Me.” (Compare Chronicles 1 17,21: ומי כעמך ישרך גוי אחד בארץ, “and who is comparable to Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth.” An alternate interpretation of our two verses: The word האמרת, means: “an exchange of something.” G–d credits the Jewish people with having traded in any other deities in favour of the invisible Creator, Who had revealed Himself to them at Mount Sinai. In response to that act, the Creator traded all the other 70 nations on earth as His potential favourite, and chose us instead. This would be similar to what Moses said in Psalms 94,4 יתאמרו כל פועל און, “for how long will the ones mouthing falsehoods (against Israel) be allowed to get away with it?” Still another interpretation of these unusual verses: The word אמיר occurs in Isaiah 17,6, שנים שלשה גרגרים באמיר, “two or three berries on the topmost branch;” here we would have to understand the word האמרת as meaning that Israel had elevated the Lord G–d to the topmost branch, and the Lord responded by elevating the Jewish people to the highest ranking nation. The expression יתאמרו כל פועלי און, corresponds to the psalmist describing the wicked people describing themselves (reflexive mode) as the most advanced and important in the world.

And Hashem has declared you this day to be His beloved people, as He spoke to you, and to observe all His commandments.

כאשר דבר לך AS HE HATH PROMISED THEE — in the words (Exodus 19:5) “Ye shall be a select portion unto Me” (Mekhilta).

AND THE ETERNAL HATH AVOUCHED THEE. For this day is to you as the day of [the Revelation on] Sinai, and G-d exalted and magnified you by your acceptance of the Torah in order that you be His own treasure from among all peoples, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments, for, to you alone He gave His Torah and commanded you with all the commandments that are desireable before Him and to no other nation. It is similar to what is written, He declareth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation.

וה' האמירך היום, by entering into the covenant with you, a distinction He has not accorded to any other nation. להיות לו לעם סגולה, so that He may achieve with you what He hoped to achieve with mankind when He created man, saying: “let us make man in our image, etc. (Genesis 1,26). ולשמור כל מצותיו, He accorded you an additional distinction in having chosen you to observe all of His commandments; by comparison the other nations have not been rated important enough in His eyes to warrant these commandments. Proof is the statement of our sages that if a gentile decides to observe the Sabbath legislation voluntarily as a religious act, he is guilty of death, as ever since the first sin, man had been condemned to labour in the sweat of his brow for a livelihood, and only the Jewish people have been relieved of this decree on one day of the week, i.e. the Sabbath. (compare Sanhedrin 58) All other nations have been given only seven commandments to observe.

He (G-d) said to (Israel) to be to Him a treasured nation, that even if another nation were to come along and improve their deeds and to try to cleave to the divine presence, nevertheless, they will never achieve the level of the Jewish people, and it is this aspect of the Jewish people that is referred to as ‘treasured’, and this is the greatness of the Jewish nation… Alternatively, this is intended as reassurance to the Jewish people that although there would be stormy periods in their relationship with G'd, periods during which G'd would be very angry at them, G'd would never exchange them for another nation. The words כאשר דבר לך have to be understood as in Berachot 7 where the meaning of Exodus 33,16: ונפלינו אני ועמך, "and I (Moses) and Your people will be distinguished" is discussed. This was a request by Moses that G'd not allow His Presence to rest on any other nation and not to grant them prophets. We have explained in our book Chefetz Hashem that what Moses meant was that even if another nation were to qualify for such favourite treatment by G'd on the basis of its moral and ethical achievements, whereas at that same time the Israelites would be habitually violating the Torah precepts, G'd should not distinguish such a nation by making it His favourite. At that time G'd promised Moses that the Israelites would retain their status of being special to G'd. ולשמר כל מצותיו "and to observe all His commandments." Seeing that this is a commitment undertaken by Israel vis-a-vis G'd why does the Torah write such a line in a verse which portrays G'd's commitment to Israel? Perhaps the glory of Israel consists in the fact that G'd has seen fit to "give" this nation all His laws, something He had not seen fit to do for any nation or individual during the 2,000 years of mankind's existence prior to G'd's revelation at Mount Sinai. G'd had only given a few laws to Adam and Noach, holding back the vast majority of them until He revealed them to Israel. We must remember that the principal function of these commandments is to act as a barrier against the various abominations in our universe. Observing these commandments acts like inoculation against the danger of becoming polluted by these various spiritually negative influences which abound all around us. A second explanation for the strange phenomenon of G'd being described as "keeping all His commandments," maybe that it is an assurance that G'd will strengthen all the forces which are active to promote the keeping of His commandments. We have to understand this verse as a gentle reminder that even with the best will in the world we would not be able to observe all of G'd's commandments unless we received a heavenly assist. A third meaning may be based on Kohelet 8,5: "he who keeps the commandments will know no evil;" our sages in Pesachim 8 derive from that verse that anyone engaged in the performance of a commandment either himself or even as a delegate for someone else, will not come to harm ...

וה' האמירך, “and the Lord reciprocated with similar sentiments towards you.” In other words, just as you accepted Him as G’d, so He performed so many miracles on your behalf that as a result you agreed to view yourself as exclusively His people. G’d confirmed this at Mount Sinai when he said in Exodus 19,5: “if you will surely hearken to My voice and be loyal to My covenant, then you will become a treasured people for Me, more so than any of the other nations.” ולשמור את כל מצותיו, “and to observe all His commandments.” This means that the statements about Israel’s status which we just described are contingent on the people observing the Lord’s commandments. A Jewish people who fails to observe these commandments does not qualify for the distinctive title עם סגולה.

וה' האמירך היום, “and Hashem on His part has distinguished you today, etc.” Moses tells the new generation that this day on which he concludes the review of the Torah for them is for them as if they themselves had participated in the revelation at Mt Sinai almost 40 years previously. G’d granted them an opportunity to consider themselves as having been present at that time when their parents had become Hashem’s “special” people.

He also האמירך, contributed His part in your becoming willing to become His people (and all that this entails). Moses refers to all the miracles G’d had performed for this people before they agreed to become His people.

And to set you supreme above all the nations that He made — for praise, for renown, and for greatness — and to be a holy people before Hashem your God, as He spoke.

ולהיתך עם קדש … כאשר דבר AND THAT THOU MAYEST BE AN HOLY PEOPLE … AS HE HATH SPOKEN — in the words, (Leviticus 20:26) “And ye shall be holy unto Me” (Mekhilta).

AND TO MAKE THEE HIGH ABOVE ALL NATIONS THAT HE HATH MADE, IN PRAISE — that all the peoples of the earth should praise you for the fact that G-d will be near whenever you call upon Him. AND IN NAME — that thy renown will go forth among the nations for His splendor which He had placed upon thee, for you are exalted above all. AND IN GLORY — for you will be glorified over them by being able to do with them whatever you will desire; thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, similar to what is stated, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying: Mine own hand hath saved me. AND THAT THOU MAYEST BE A HOLY PEOPLE UNTO THE ETERNAL — to cleave to Him ultimately. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], in praise suggests that the G-d of Israel is thy praise, and His Great Name is thy G-d, and this is your Glory, similar to what is written, For Thou art the Glory of their strength; the Glory of Israel.

"And to set you high." This is the reward of the proclamation [ha-amirah].

ולתתך עליון על כל הגוים, in your ability to understand the meaning of life on earth and to teach it. This is the meaning of Exodus 19,6 “you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” לתהלה ולשם ולתפארת, for the Almighty, as per Isaiah 49,3 “Israel, you in whom I glory.” ולהיותך עם קדוש, and your being a holy and eternal nation. כאשר דבר, when He said at the time in Exodus 20 “you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

ולתתן עליון, “and to place you supreme;” where is the source for G-d doing this? Compare Deut. 28,13: 'ונתנך ה לראש ולא לזנב, “and the Lord will make you the head and not the tail.”

על כל הגוים אשר עשה לתהילה ולשם ולתפארת, “over all the nations that He made, for praise, for renown, and for splendour.” Whereas the Lord will make the Jewish people supreme in these respects, He does not do so with any of the other nations as they have been assigned to the various planets which govern their fates. לא כאלה חלק יעקב כי יוצר הכל הוא, “not like these is the portion of Yaakov, for it is He Who formed all things” (Jeremiah 10,16). This difference is meant when the Torah describes the Jewish people as being לשם ולתהילה. Israel’s fame is its praising the Lord and His great name. He is Israel’s G’d in a somewhat exclusive manner.

ולתתך עליון וגו', “and to make you supreme, etc.;” to set you up as an example that all the other nations praise and wish to emulate. They do so because they realize that you evoke immediate responses when you call upon Hashem. ולשם, “and for renown,” to enhance your reputation all over the world. ולתפארת, “and for splendour;” you will be able to boast that whatever enterprise you are embarking on will be crowned with success. ולהיותך עם קדוש, “and for you to be a holy nation.” You will have attained the דבקות, close attachment, a state of relationship with your G’d which is the ultimate level of closeness to Hashem that man is capable of attaining. Rabbi Yehudah the Spaniard explains that the word האמרת in verse 17 is derived from the word ויאמר, “he said,” and its meaning in that verse is that you have done what is good in His eyes to such a degree that it is said about you or of you that He is surely your G’d, and He in turn will do for you in accordance with what you say (request) so that you can truly say that you will be His special people.