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Bikkurim Source Sheet by Rachel Buckman

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Bikkurim Source Sheet by Rachel Buckman Bikkurim Source Sheet by Rachel Buckman One of the names of Shavuot in the Torah is the Festival of the First Fruits. These first fruits are traditionally from the seven species that were special agricultural products of the Land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8). According to Jewish tradition, the first fruits, bikkurim, were brought to the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem, as described in the verse below. Text #1 שמות כ״ג:י״ט Exodus 23:19 רֵאשָ֗ית ב כּורֵ יָּ֙אַדְמִָׁ֣תְך֔ תָבִ֕ יאבֵָ֖ית ה' אֱֹלק ֶּ֑ יך ... The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God... Additional information about how to bring the bikkurim to Jerusalem is provided in the verse below. Text #2 דברים כ״ו:ב׳ Deuteronomy 26:2 )ב(וְ לָקַחְתָָּ֞ מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ ית ׀ כָל־פְר יִׁ֣ הָאֲדָמָָ֗ האֲש רֶׁ֨ תָב ִ֧ יא You shall take some of every first fruit of (2) מֵֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ רה' אֱֹלקָ֛ יך נֹתֵֵ֥ ן לְָָ֖ך וְשַמְתִָׁ֣ בַט ֶּ֑נ א וְהֵָֽ לַכְתָָּ֙ אל־ the soil, which you harvest from the land הַמָקֹ֔ום אֲש ֶׁ֤ ר יבְ חַרָּ֙ה' אֱֹלק ֔ יך לְשַכֵֵ֥ןשְמָֹ֖ו שֵָֽ ם׃ that the Lord your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to establish His name. The procedure is further described in the Mishnah in Tractate Bikkurim. The text talks about the cities of the maamad. To facilitate a rotation of priests serving in the Temple, the country was divided into 24 districts (mishmarot or maamadot). The city of the maamad was the city where the head of the maamad lived. When bringing the bikkurim, the inhabitants of the entire district would gather in the city of the maamad and travel together to Jerusalem. Text #3 משנה ביכורים ג׳:ב׳-ג׳ Mishnah Bikkurim 3:2-3 )ב( כֵיצַד מַ עֲל ין א ת הַב כּורים. כָל הָעֲיָרֹות שבַמַ עֲמָ ד How were the bikkurim taken up [to (2) מ תְ כַנְסֹות לָעיר של מַ עֲמָ ד, וְ לָנין ב רְ חֹובָּה של עיר, וְ לֹא Jerusalem]? All [the inhabitants of] the cities הָיּו נכְ נָסין לַבָתים. וְ לַמַשְ כים, הָיָה הַמְ מֻנ ה אֹומֵ ר )ירמיה of the maamad would assemble in the city לא(, קּומּו וְ נַעֲל ה צ ּיֹון אל בֵית ה' אֱֹלקֵינּו: of the maamad, and they would spend the )ג( הַקְ רֹובים מְב יאים הַתְ אֵנים וְהָעֲנָבים, וְהָרְ חֹוקים The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB [email protected] 39105 Jerusalem, Israel http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLIS/en/Education/Pages/default.aspx מְב יאים גְ רֹוגָרֹות וְצ מּוקים. וְהַּׁשֹור הֹולְֵך לפְ נֵיהם, וְקַרְ נָיו night in the open street and they would not מְ צֻפֹות זָהָב, וַעֲט ר ת ש ל זַי ת בְ רֹאשֹו. ה חָליל מַכה entering any of the houses. Early in the לפְ נֵיהם, עַדש מַגיע ים קָרֹוב ל ירּושָ לָים. ה גיעּו קָרֹוב morning the officer would say: “Let us arise ל ירּושָ לַים, שָלְחּו לפְ נֵיהם, וְע טְרּו א ת ב כּורֵ יהם. הַפַחֹות, and go up to Zion, into the house of the Lord הַסְ גָנ ים וְהַג זְבָר ים יֹוצְאים לקְרָ אתָ ם. לְפ י כְבֹוד הַנכְ נָסים .(our God” (Jeremiah 31:5 הָיּו יֹוצְאים. וְכָל בַעֲלֵי אֻמָנּיֹות ש בירּושָ לַי ם עֹומְדים Those who lived near [Jerusalem] would (3) ל פְ נֵיה םוְשֹואֲל ין ב שְ לֹומָ ם, אַחֵינּו אַנְשֵיהַמָ קֹום פְ לֹוני, bring fresh figs and grapes, while those who בָאת ם לְשָ לֹום: lived far away would bring dried figs and raisins. An ox would go in front of them, his horns bedecked with gold and with an olive- crown on its head. The flute would play before them until they would draw close to Jerusalem. When they drew close to Jerusalem they would send messengers in advance, and they would adorn their bikkurim. The governors and chiefs and treasurers [of the Temple] would go out to greet them, and according to the rank of the entrants they would go forth. All the skilled artisans of Jerusalem would stand up before them and greet them saying, “Our brothers, men of such and such a place, we welcome you in peace.” Discussing the Texts What are bikkurim? Who brought bikkurim? Where were bikkurim brought? Who were they given to? What were the bikkurim put in? Describe the journey to Jerusalem as if you had been there. What would you see and hear? What questions do you have about the Bikkurim ceremony? The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB [email protected] 39105 Jerusalem, Israel http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLIS/en/Education/Pages/default.aspx Bikkurim in Art The illustration below appeared in a biblical dictionary published by a French monk called Antoine Augustin Calmet at the beginning of the eighteenth century and can be found in the collection of the National Library of Israel. Study the illustration and answer the questions below. Bringing Bikkurim to Jerusalem, 1730, NLI Collections Which parts of the description of the bikkurim procession are depicted in the illustration? How do you think it felt to bring bikkurim to the Temple in Jerusalem in a procession like the one depicted in the illustration and described in the texts? Bikkurim Celebrations in Modern Israel The early settlements in modern Israel transformed the traditional Bikkurim ceremony into a secular agricultural celebration – first fruit ceremonies to rejoice the end of the harvest festival (another term for Shavuot). The first fruits in the kibbutzim are not only the seven species from the time of the Temple but all kinds of fruits, vegetables, livestock, and even the babies born in the past year. The ceremonies feature colourful performances of songs and dances and processions of decorated agricultural tools and machinery, farm produce, and young children. The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB [email protected] 39105 Jerusalem, Israel http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLIS/en/Education/Pages/default.aspx Photograph #1 The photograph below was taken on Kibbutz Ginegar during their Bikkurim ceremony. Study the photograph and answer the questions below. Bikkurim Celebration, 20th century, Courtesy of the National Library of Israel What aspects of the Bikkurim ceremony as described in the Torah and the Mishnah can be seen in the ceremony on Kibbutz Ginegar? What is different about the Kibbutz Ginegar ceremony? Kibbutz Ginegar is a secular kibbutz. Why do you think they chose to continue the biblical tradition? Photograph #2 The photograph below, titled “Celebrating the Shavuot Holiday on Kibbutz Shfayim,” is from the Dan Hadani photograph archive at the National Library of Israel. Study the photograph. What additional information do you learn about how Shavuot was celebrated on kibbutzim? The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB [email protected] 39105 Jerusalem, Israel http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLIS/en/Education/Pages/default.aspx From the Dan Hadani Archive Photograph #3 The photograph below, also from the Dan Hadani archive, depicts a Bikkurim celebration in Tel Aviv in 1970. Study the photograph and answer the questions below. What is similar between the way you see Shavuot being celebrated in the kibbutz and in Tel Aviv? What can you learn about Israelis’ connection to the land from the photographs and the way that Shavuot is celebrated? What questions do you have after looking at all three photographs? Summarising – Discussion Questions How is Shavuot celebrated outside of Israel? Is there the same emphasis on bikkurim as there is in Israel? The three pilgrimage festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot) all have an agricultural element and an historical commemoration. What are the agricultural and historical aspects celebrated at each festival? How do you think that different segments of Israeli society might celebrate each festival? Which aspect of the festival might they emphasise? How are the agricultural aspects manifested in your celebrations of the festivals? From the Dan Hadani Archive Source Sheet created on Sefaria by Rachel Buckman The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB [email protected] 39105 Jerusalem, Israel http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLIS/en/Education/Pages/default.aspx .
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