Bikkurim: Putting Our Best Fruit Forward

Rebbetzin Adina Shmidman

בס"ד : Putting Our Best Fruit Forward Shavuos 5780 Source Sheet by Adina Shmidman ​

What Does Bikkurim Commemorate? & The Eternal Impact on our People

Shavuot is known as Chag HaBikkurim, the days on which we celebrate the giving of the . This class will explain the process of Bikkurim, its themes and messages with a focusing on the eternal lessons of this experience.

In this class we will examine some fundamental questions regarding Bikkurim: I. Discuss the concept of Chag HaBikkurim: ● What is known as Chag HaBikkurim? ● Why do we celebrate Chag HaBikkurim? ● If this holiday marks the harvest, what is the obligation of Bikkurim if one is not a farmer?

II. Explore the commandment to bring Bikkurim: ● When did this obligation go into effect? How did the process of bringing Bikkurim look?

III. Discuss the intent of bringing Bikkurim and the take-away messages. ● Explore four commentaries

IV. Explore the psychological mindset and how it relates to Bikkurim ● What is the Ikea effect?

V. Think about the connection between the passage in Devarim and the Haggadah. ● Why was the passage chosen from Devarim rather than Shemot? ● What is the message of this passage? ● What is it included in the Haggadah

VI. Analyze the deeper meaning now that we’ve explored the concept and messages of Bikkurim. ● How does bringing Bikkurim relate to receiving the ? ● How can we relate the idea of Bikkurim and incorporate the spirit of this to our lives today?

I: Chag HaBikkurim: a. What are the names of Shavuot? b. Why do we celebrate Chag HaBikkurim?

Shemot (Exodus), 23:16 – Bringing the bikurim offering .1 ​ ​

וְַחג ַהָקִּציר ִבּכּוֵּרי ַמֲע ֶשׂיָך. The festival of harvesting of the first fruits of your produce that you planted .in the field

c. If this holiday marks the harvest, what is the obligation if someone is not a farmer?

Sifri, Re’eh 137– Everyone celebrates Shavuot independent of whether or not they.2 harvest produce. ועשית חג שבועות לה' אלקיך. מכלל שנאמר You should make a festival of Shavuot“ (שמות כג) וחג הקציר בכורי מעשיך, יכול אם יש :for the Lord, your G-d.” But it says לך קציר אתה עושה יו"ט, ואם לאו אין אתה The festival of harvesting through the“ עושה יו"ט? תלמוד לומר ועשית חג שבועות לה' first fruits of your produce.” You might אלקיך, בין שיש לו קציר ובין שאין לו קציר, think that only someone who has אתה עושה יו"ט. harvested produce has to celebrate the festival, but someone who doesn’t, does not celebrate the festival. Therefore the verse teaches, “You should make the festival of Shavuot for the Lord, your God” – whether you have or have not harvested produce.

II. Let’s explore the commandment to bring Bikkurim a. When did this obligation go into effect? b. How did the process look and feel?

3:דברים כ״ו:א׳-י״א Deuteronomy 26:1-11 ​ (א) וְָהיָה֙ ִֽכּי־ָתב֣וֹא ֶאל־ָהאֶָ֔רץ ֲא ֶשׁר֙ ה' When you enter the land that the (1) ֱאלֹ ֔קיך נֵֹת֥ן ְלך֖ נֲַחָל֑ה וִיִר ְשָׁתּ֖הּ וְיָ ַ ֥שְׁבָתּ LORD your God is giving you as a ֶ ָ ָ ֽ heritage, and you possess it and settle ָֽבּהּ׃ (ב) וְָלַקְחָ֞תּ ֵמֵרא ִ ֣שׁית ׀ ָכּל־ְפִּ֣רי in it, (2) you shall take some of every ָהֲאָדָמ֗ה ֲא ֶשׁ֨ר ָתִּ֧ביא ֵֽמאְַרְצָך֛ ֲא ֶ ֨שׁר ה' first fruit of the soil, which you harvest ֹ ֱאלֶ֛קיָך נֵֹ֥תן ָ֖לְך וְַשְׂמָ֣תּ ַבֶטּ֑נֶא וְָֽהַלְכָתּ֙ from the land that the LORD your God ֹ is giving you, put it in a basket and go ֶאל־ַהָמּק֔וֹם ֲא ֶ ֤שׁר יְִבַחר֙ ה' ֱאלֶ֔קיָך ְל ַשֵׁ֥כּן ֹ to the place where the LORD your ְשׁמ֖וֹ ָֽשׁם׃ (ג) וָּבאָ֙ת ֶאל־ַהכֵּה֔ן ֲא ֶשׁ֥ר .God will choose to establish His name יְִהיֶ֖ה ַבּיִָּמ֣ים ָהֵה֑ם וְאַָמְרָ֣תּ ֵאָל֗יו ִהַגְּ֤דִתּי You shall go to the in charge (3) ֹ ַהיּוֹם֙ ַלה' ֱאלֶ֔קיָך ִכּי־ָב֙אִתי֙ ֶאל־ָהאֶָ֔רץ at that time and say to him, “I ֲא ֶשׁ֨ר נְִשַׁ֧בּע ה' ַלֲאבֵֹ֖תינוּ ָלֶ֥תת ָלנוּ׃ (ד) acknowledge this day before the ֽ LORD your God that I have entered וְָלַק֧ח ַהכֵֹּ֛הן ַהֶ֖טּנֶא ִמיֶָּדָ֑ך וְִ֨הנִּיח֔וֹ ִלְפ ֕נֵי ֹ the land that the LORD swore to our ִמזְַבּ֖ח ה' ֱאלֶקיָך׃ (ה) וְָע ֨נִיָת וְאַָמְרָתּ֜ fathers to assign us.” (4) The priest ֹֽ ִלְפנֵ֣י ׀ ה' ֱאלֶק֗יָך ֲאַרִמּי֙ אֵֹב֣ד אִָ֔בי וַ ֣יֵֶּרד shall take the basket from your hand ִמְצַר֔יְָמה וַיָָּ֥גר ָ ֖שׁם ִבְּמֵ֣תי ְמָ֑עט וַֽיְִהי־ ָשׁ֕ם and set it down in front of the altar of לגוֹי ָגּדוֹל ָעצוּם וָָרב׃ (ו) וַיֵָּרעוּ אָֹתנוּ the LORD your God. (5) You shall ְ ֥ ֖ ֥ ֽ ֧ ֛ then recite as follows before the ַהִמְּצִר֖ים וַיְַענּ֑וּנוּ וַיְִּתּנ֥וּ ָעֵ֖לינוּ ֲעבָֹד֥ה LORD your God: “My father was a ֹ ָק ָֽשׁה׃ (ז) וַנְִּצַע֕ק ֶאל־ה' ֱאלֵ֣קי ֲאבֵֹ֑תינוּ fugitive Aramean. He went down to וַיְִּשַׁ֤מע ה' ֶאת־קֵֹל֔נוּ וַ ֧יְַּרא ֶאת־ָענְ ֛יֵנוּ Egypt with meager numbers and וְֶאת־ֲעָמֵל֖נוּ וְֶאת־ַלֲחֵצנוּ׃ (ח) וַיּוִֹצֵ֤אנוּ ה' sojourned there; but there he became a ֽ (great and very populous nation. (6 ִמִמְּצַר֔יִם ְבּיָ֤ד ֲחזָָקה֙ וִּבזְרַֹ֣ע נְטוּ ֔יָה וְּבמָֹ֖רא The Egyptians dealt harshly with us ָגּדֹ֑ל וְּבאֹת֖וֹת וְּבמְֹפִֽתים׃ (ט) וַיְִבֵ֖אנוּ and oppressed us; they imposed heavy ֶאל־ַהָמּק֣וֹם ַהזֶּ֑ה וַיִֶּתּן־ָ֙לנוּ֙ ֶאת־ָהאֶָ֣רץ labor upon us. (7) We cried to the ַהזֹּ֔את ֶ֛אֶרץ זַָ֥בת ָחָ֖לב וְּדָבשׁ׃ (י) וְַעָתּ֗ה LORD, the God of our fathers, and the ֽ LORD heard our plea and saw our ִהנֵּ֤ה ֵהֵב֙אִתי֙ ֶאת־ֵרא ִשׁית֙ ְפִּ֣רי ָהֲאָדָמ֔ה .plight, our misery, and our oppression ֲא ֶשׁר־נַָ֥תָתּה ִ֖לּי ה' וְִהנְַּחתּ֗וֹ ִלְפנֵי֙ ה' The LORD freed us from Egypt by (8) a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm ֹ ֹ ֱאלֶק֔יָך וְִֽה ְשַׁתֲּח ֔וִיָת ִלְפ ֖נֵי ה' ֱאלֶקיָך׃ (יא) and awesome power, and by signs and ֽ portents. (9) He brought us to this וְָשַׂמְחָ֣תּ ְבָכל־ַהטּ֗וֹב ֲא ֶשׁ֧ר נַָֽתן־ְלָך֛ ה' ֹ place and gave us this land, a land ֱאלֶ֖קיָך וְּלֵביֶתָ֑ך אַָתּה֙ וְַהֵלּ ֔וִי וְַהֵ֖גּר ֲא ֶשׁ֥ר (flowing with milk and honey. (10 ְבִּקְרֶבָּך׃ (ס) Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O LORD, have given me.” You shall leave it before the LORD your God and bow low before the LORD your God. (11) And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you and your household.

How the First Fruits Were Selected and Sacrificed (https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/3434818/jewish/Bikkurim-First-Fruits.ht ​ m) ​ The mitzvah of bikkurim began when a farmer in (and some of the surrounding ​ ​ areas) would go out to his field and find budding fruit, and tie a reed around them, verbally declaring them “first fruits.” This applied only to fruits of the of the : wheat, , grapes, figs, , and dates.The first fruits were brought to the Temple from Shavuot, which the Torah calls “the harvest festival, the first fruits of your work,” until Chanukah. The Torah does not specify how much fruit was to be brought, but the said that one should bring at least one-sixtieth of the crop.

The fruit was packed in containers. Wealthy people would use trays of gold and silver, and simple folk would use baskets of grass and reeds. They would also carry turtledoves and pigeons in their hands. Similarly, they would hang turtledoves and pigeons from the sides of the baskets, in order to adorn the first fruits. Those that were with the baskets would be offered as burnt offerings, and those they would bring by hand would be given to the .

How were the first fruits brought to ? Villagers of each region would gather in a central town, where they would sleep in the city’s thoroughfare. They did not enter the town’s homes, lest they contract impurity by being under the same roof as a corpse. In the morning, the leader would call out: “Arise and let us ascend to Zion, to G‑d our L‑rd.” An ox with horns coated in gold would lead the procession, a crown of branches on its head, representing the seven species from which the first fruits were taken. A flute was played before the procession until it approached Jerusalem. The entire way, the people proclaimed: “I rejoiced when it was told me: ‘Let us go to the house of G‑d.’”

They would travel for only two-thirds of the day, allowing others along the way to notice them and join in the procession. When they were close to Jerusalem, emissaries were sent to notify the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they adorned their first fruits and beautified them. If they had some produce that was fresh and other produce that was dried, the fresh produce was placed on top.

The leaders of the Israelites and of the priests, and the Temple treasurers, would go out from Jerusalem to greet them. When the procession had entered the gates of Jerusalem, the people began declaring: “Our feet were standing in your gates, O

Jerusalem.” All​ of the artisans in Jerusalem would stand and greet them: “Our brethren, ​ the inhabitants of so-and-so, you have come in peace.”

They proceeded through Jerusalem, the sound of a flute accompanying them, until they reached the . There, even important personages, such as the king of Israel, placed baskets on their shoulders and proceeded until the Temple Courtyard, all the while singing Psalm 150. At that point the Levite choir would sing, “I will exalt You, G‑d, for You have raised me up . . .”

There, with the basket still on his shoulder, the farmer would make the first declaration: “I declare this day to the L‑rd, your G‑d . . .” He then held the edges of the basket, and the priest held it from below and waved it up and down and in four directions before reciting the formula “An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather . . .”He then placed the first fruits near the southwest corner of the altar, bowed reverently and departed.

The first fruits were given to the priests who were on duty at that time. They divided the produce among themselves to be eaten within the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem. The priest took the fruit and returned the expensive containers to the owners. In the case of a reed or grass basket, both the first fruits and the basket were given to the priests.

After sleeping in Jerusalem overnight, the farmer was free to return home.

Much of the above is culled from ’ treatment of this mitzvah in the chapter of aptly named “Laws of First Fruits.” ​ ​

Mishneh Torah, First Fruits and other 4:משנה תורה, הלכות ביכורים Gifts to Priests Outside the Sanctuary ​ ושאר מתנות כהונה שבגבולין ג׳:ז׳ 3:7 The first fruits must [be brought in] a container, as [ibid.:2] states: 'And you (ז) ַהִבּ ִכּוּרים ְטעוּנִין ְכִּלי ֶשׁנֱֶּאַמר shall place them in a container.' The ​ (דברים כו ב) "וְַשְׂמָתּ ַבֶטּנֶא". most preferable way of performing the ​ ִוּמְצוָה ִמן ַהֻמְּבָחר ְלָהִביא ָכּל ִמין mitzvah is to bring each type of fruit in a separate container. If one brings ִוּמין ִבְּכִלי ִבְּפנֵי ַעְצמוֹ. וְִאם ֱהִביאָם them [all] in one container, he has ִבְּכִלי אָחד יָָצא. ולֹא יְִב ֵיאם fulfilled his obligation. [Even in such ֶ ְ an instance,] he should not bring them ְבִּעְרבּוּב ֶאָלּא ְשׂ ִעוֹרים ִמְלַּמָטּה mixed together. Instead, he should וחִטּים על גֵּבּיהן וזיתים על גֵּבּיהן bring the barley below,21 wheat on ְִ ַ ַ ֶ ְֵ ִ ַ ַ ֶ top of it, olives on top of it, dates on ְוּתָמִרים ַעל ַגֵּבּ ֶיהן וְִרמּוֹנִים ַעל top of them, pomegranates on top of גּבּיהן וּתאנים למעלה מן הכּלי. them, and figs on the top of the ֵַ ֶ ְ ִֵ ְַ ְָ ִ ְִַ container. There should be a וְיְִהיֶה ָדָּבר ֶאָחד ַמְפִסיק ֵבּין ִמין substance, e.g., palm leaves, wild grass, or leaves, or the like, that וִָמין ְכּגוֹן ִהוּצין וְֵחֶלף אוֹ ָעִלין intervenes between each type of וְַכ ֵיּוֹצא ָבֶּהן. ַוּמִקּיף ַלְתֵּאנִים produce. One should surround the figs with clusters of grapes from the ֶא ְשׁכּוֹלוֹת ֶשׁל ֲענִָבים ִמַבּחוּץ: .outside

III. What is the point of bringing Bikkurim? What is our take-away? Four​ approaches: a. Sefer HaChinuch b. Kli Yakar c. Sforno d. Ohr HaChaim 5:ספר החינוך תר״ו Sefer HaChinukh 606 ​ From the root of this commandment. A (ב) משרשי המצוה. לפי שהאדם man arouses his thoughts and draws in ​ מעורר מחשבותיו ומציר בלבבו his heart the truth with the power of האמת בכח דברי פיו, על כן, בהיטיב speech. Therefore, when Hashem אליו השם ברוך הוא ובברכו אותו improved his well-being, and blessed him and his land to bear fruits, and he ואת אדמתו לעשות פרות וזכה merited to bring the fruits to the להביאם לבית אלקינו ראוי לו לעורר Temple, it is appropriate to stir his לבו בדברי פיהו ולחשוב כי הכל heart with speech and ponder that הגיע אליו מאת אדון העולם, ויספר everything arrived to him from the חסדיו יתברך עלינו ועל כל עם master of the universe, and he should share Hashem's kindness on ourselves ישראל דרך כלל, ועל כן, מתחיל and every member of Am Yisrael ​ בענין יעקב אבינו שחלצו האל מיד generally. Therefore, we begin the לבן, וענין עבודת המצריים בנו, subject of Yaakob Avinu that Hashem והצילנו הוא ברוך הוא מידם, ואחר released him from , and the subject of the Egyptian slavery, that השבח מבקש מלפניו להתמיד הברכה were saved from them. Following the עליו, ומתוך התעוררות נפשו בשבח praise, we request from Him to השם ובטובו זוכה ומתברכת ארצו, ,eternally bestow the blessing on him ועל כן צונו ברוך הוא על זה, כי חפץ and from this awakening of the soul with praise of Hashem and his חסד הוא. goodness, he is meritorious and becomes blessed. As a result, Hashem (ד) ומן הענין הזה יש לנו ללמוד commanded this mitsva because he בתפלותינו ותחנונינו לפני השם ברוך desires the kindness. (4) And from this we have to learn for our prayers and הוא, לדקדק מאד ולהזהר בלשון, שלא beseeching in from of the Blessed be לומר דבר לפני השם כי אם בדקדוק He to be very scrupulous and careful גדול, וזכור זה בני ושמרהו. with our words to not say things unless it is with great care, and remember this my son and guard it.

6:כלי יקר דברים כו וכן פירש הרמב"ם שעיקר טעם מצוה זו ההכנעה וההשתעבדות אל השי"ת, והעד ​ ​ ​ על זה מ"ש הגדתי היום לה' אלהיך. הגדתי לשון עבר והלא עדיין לא הגיד כלום, אלא שר"ל שבהליכה והבאה זו כבר דומה כאילו הגדתי דרך וידוי There is a submission and servitude attitude toward Hashem - the .confession וידוי comes from the same root word as הגדתי word

7:ספורנו דברים כו ועתה מאחר שידעתי מה רב טובך וחסדך עלינו שעשיתנו לגוי ראוי לרשת ארץ ולהוציאנו ​ ממצרים באופן שנוכל לקבל מתנה שתהיה שלנו ונתת לנו זאת שהיא צבי לכל הארצות ​ ומבחר המקומות: הנה הבאתי את ראשית פרי האדמה אשר נתתה לי ה'. הבאתי מבחר ​ ​ פירות אותה הארץ שנתת לי לתת תודה לשמך עליה:

ועתהafter 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

8: אור החיים דברים כו

והצצתי בפרשה זו שרומזת גם כן ביאת ארץ העליונה, ואמר והיה כי תבא שאין ראוי לאדם לשמוח ​ ​ ​ אלא כשיבא לארץ העליונה על דרך אומרו (משלי ל''א) ותשחק ליום אחרון, כי שמחת עוה''ז אינה אלא הבל ורעות רוח, וחזר ופירש על איזה ארץ מדבר ואמר אשר ה' אלהיך נותן לך נחלה כי לזו ​ ​ יקרא נחלת עולם, ודקדק לומר נותן לך, כי בערך מה ששוה עולם העליון כל מה שיסגל אדם בעדו לא ​ ​ יגיע לחלק מאלף אלפים משוויו, ולזה אמר נותן לך בתורת מתנה, ולצד שצריך האדם לטרוח בעולם .הזה לקיים תורה ומצות לז''א וירשתה

After having had a good look at our paragraph I have also found in it an allusion to hint that a person והיה כי תבא אל הארץ our inheriting the celestial regions. The words has no right to rejoice until he arrives in the land of the higher regions of which "the final day" ,יום אחרון Solomon says in Proverbs 31,25: "she looks forward to the 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 a vexation of the spirit." The Torah continues" ,רעות רוח in this life is vanity and which the Lord your G-d will give to you," i.e. only" ,אשר ה׳ אלוקיך נתן לך with ​ that land (the hereafter) is called an enduring inheritance. The reason the Torah is gives to you," is because all of the treasures of this world are" ,נתן לך careful to say 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.

According to the Ohr HaChaim, toiling the land is an analogy to toiling in Torah. The Ohr HaChaim elaborates on this idea in Devarim Perek 26.

IV. There’s a concept called Ikea effect - how does this concept relate to Bikkurim?

Ikea Effect: The IKEA​ effect​ is a cognitive bias in which consumers place a disproportionately high value on products they partially created. The name derives from the name of Swedish manufacturer and furniture retailer ​IKEA​, which sells many furniture products that require assembly.

V. What is the connection between this passage and the Haggadah - why was it chosen from Devarim rather than Shemos?

Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, Arami Oved Avi: ​ ​

Why is the Bikkurim Proclamation Recited in the Haggada? ​ ​

Why did the rabbis choose to relate the Exodus from Egypt [in the Hagaddah] by analyzing verses which appear in the Torah as a proclamation recited when bringing bikkurim, the first fruits?

Why do we expound on verses from Devarim and not from Shemot?

One can add another reason: the commandment of bringing the first fruits to the Temple expresses the attribute of gratitude. The person goes down to his field, looks at his crop, and ​ ​ recognizes that everything he has comes from God, as stated there in the summary verse: “You shall rejoice with all the good that the Lord, your God, has granted you and your household” (Devarim 26:11). In this section, there is one major operative verb that is repeated time and time again – the root nun-tav-nun – to give. These are: “Gives to you” which appears twice, “to give ​ ​ to you,” and “who gave you the land,” “God gave me,” and “the Lord your God gave you.” By being personally grateful and identifying with God’s abundant generosity, a person learns to thank God for all that He has done for the Nation of Israel, for its deliverance, and for its redemption.

We can offer yet another reason why the Haggada uses the verses in Devarim instead of those in Shemot. While it is true that the text regarding the first fruits is much shorter than that in Shemot, the former text does not look only at the Exodus from Egypt by itself like the latter one does. The recitation upon bringing one’s first fruits also looks backwards, beginning the description of the redemption from the time of Yaakov. One thanks God by examining the course of history of the Nation of Israel. This way, we understand that there is a Divine plan that leads our nation, ​ from the beginning of the period of our forefathers down to the present day. As such, our ​ thanks are not only for the Exodus from Egypt. The Exodus from Egypt serves as the paradigm of how God has helped Israel historically throughout the generations, and we thank Him on the seder night for all of His help throughout time. This principle of the importance of reviewing the past in order to thank God at present, is manifest not only in the proclamation recited on bringing the first fruits, but it is indeed implicit in the very notion of the first fruits. The first fruits are the first crops, “the first fruits of the land.” The first fruits return the person to his beginnings, to the source. The person takes the first fruit which reminds him to think about his primary principles, his foundation, and he thus begins to think of the beginnings of the Nation of Israel, the forefathers of our nation, and the good which God granted to them and to us.

One may combine the last two ideas mentioned in the verses about the first fruits: the thankfulness brought out in this commandment, and our examination of the past. Thankfulness causes us to thank God for all the good He is giving us right now, but at the same time, when we look back to the past we are grateful to Him for all that He has done for the Nation of Israel, from its founding until now. This emerges from the word of the Sefer Ha-chinukh (mitzvah 606). [...] In the entire section in the Torah about the first fruits, the description of the slavery in Egypt and of the Exodus from Egypt are formulated in language which includes the entire nation, throughout all the generations – particularly the time of the person making the declaration at the time. Thus, one who brings first fruits states: “the Egyptians treated us cruelly,” “and afflicted us,” “we cried out to the Lord,” and “the Lord brought us out from Egypt.” This style teaches us that every single person in the Nation of Israel is an integral component of the entire nation, ​ and must feel a partner in the fate of all the events involving the nation. Every must ​ know that his personal successes are all part of the contemporary community, as well as a part of the historical process of the entire Jewish People. It is possible that that is the source for the statement of our Sages that “In every generation, it is one’s duty to see himself as though he had personally come out from Egypt” ( 116b). The Torah teaches us that even when we are in the Land of Israel, we must feel that the Egyptians oppressed us personally, and that we personally left Egypt. The Nation of Israel is a single body, one organic unit, and is part of the course of our entire history.

In summary, by quoting our history when we give Bikkurim, we realize that we are part of a Divine Plan.

VI. What is the deeper meaning now that we’ve explored the concept and messages of Bikkurim - how does bringing Bikkurim relate to receiving the Torah? Think about how we can relate the idea of Bikkurim and incorporate the spirit of this mitzvah to our lives today.

a. Recognizing Torah as primary in our lives and connecting to Hashem with our choicest abilities and possessions...

וְֵרא ִשׁית֩ ָכּל־ִבּכּ֨וֵּרי כֹ֜ל וְָכל־ ְתּר֣וּ ַמת כֹּ֗ל ִמכֹּל֙ ְתּרוּמ֣וֵֹתיֶכ֔ם ַלכֲֹּהִנ֖ים יְִֽהיֶ֑ה וְֵרא ִ ֤שׁית ֲעִרֽסוֵֹתיֶכם֙ ִתּ ְתּנ֣וּ ַלכֵֹּ ֔הן ְל ָהִ֥ני ַח ְבָּרָ֖כה ֶאל־ֵבּיֶֽתָך׃ All the choice first fruits of every kind, and all the gifts of every kind—of all your contributions—shall go to the priests. You shall further give the first of the yield of your baking to the priest, that a blessing may rest upon your home.

(Yechezkel 44:30)

The Navi Yechezkel outlines the parameters and protocols of the Kohanim and the people’s obligation to support them. By giving the Kohanim the first of your fruits, a percentage of your crops and a portion of your dough, you will bring blessing upon your home. There is much to be gleaned from these obligations and the deeper meanings they are intended to convey.

Bringing produce into one’s home is the culmination of months of effort and highlights man’s personal successes. However man must recognize that it is not the strength of his hand that has yielded this bounty, but rather due to Hashem’s generous hand. We are charged to find spirituality in all aspects of our lives and elevate these opportunities. The messaging of highlights this idea, as even the word Challah itself comes from the word Chol - mundane. In our homes, we can use our daily experiences and give them a sense of holiness. We can take our Bayit and make it into a Mikdash Ma’at.

Looking at the three gifts to the can give us further direction in this spiritual mission. The first fruit represents the unique life-cycle experiences; the firsts in our lives, Smachot, special moments. We are tasked to find the spiritual gifts to express gratitude to Hashem for bringing us to these events. The concept of Trumah is that we take crops and by giving them to the Kohamin, we elevate their worth. Today, we can take an object that has no unique physical or spiritual properties and imbue it with sanctity based on our actions. Our thoughts and actions can transform objects that may at first glance not have a spiritual nature, for example we can use our car to run errands for others. And finally, the dough tasks us to find meaning in our everyday lives by taking our normal and perhaps mundane routine and elevating it. Mealtime can be an opportunity for building peace in our homes, sharing Torah thoughts and thanking Hashem for our food. By highlighting these three gifts to the Kohanim, Hashem is sharing with us how we can create a connection to holiness and bring blessing into our homes.

b. Developing a gratitude attitude… https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-y ou-happier Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.

One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.

Another leading researcher in this field, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, tested the impact of various positive psychology interventions on 411 people, each compared with a control assignment of writing about early memories. When their week's assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.