Rashi states: “A man goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a gami (reed) around it for a sign and declares: ‘This is the bikkurim.’”
Rav Moshe Leib of Sassov zy”a asks why the bikkurim are bound specifically with a gami. He answers that when a farmer sees his field full of beautiful crops, it is possible that he will forget who really made the plants grow and he will think that it is the result of his own toil, hard work and talent. To counter this mistaken mindset, Chazal tell him to tie the first of his crops with a gami, as this word is an acronym for “gedolim maasei Hashem” Tehillim 111:2: Hashem’s acts are great.) This is meant to remind him that everything that grows in his fields comes from Hashem.
He adds that this is also seen from the verse in Tehillim 24:5): “Yisa bracha me’eis Hashem.” (He shall receive blessing from Hashem.) A person must realize that whatever blessing is found in his handiwork is from Hashem, and not the result of his own efforts.
Not “Your Land”
Sefer Ha’Akeidah writes that this is the reason the pasuk says to take bikkurim from “your land that Hashem gave to you.” The mitzvah of bikkurim is meant to remind us that the land is not “yours”; rather, it belongs to Hashem and He gives it to us to use for our needs. Therefore, we take the first crops for Him, to display that we accept that everything is really His.
He writes: “The main way of accepting Hashem... is by recognizing that all goodness comes from Him and that our strength and work does not accomplish anything... Anyone who thinks otherwise is guilty of rebelling against Him, which will lead to much badness and punishment. For this reason, we are told that when we enter our land and settle there, we must be careful not to say that we acquired it due to our strengths and talents. We must not forget all the miracles of Hashem that brought us there. Therefore, we must give maaser and other offerings as a constant reminder that all of the land belongs to Hashem’s and He only gives it to us as a gift, and that He is the One who grants us success. We are told to give bikkurim ‘from your land’, meaning from the land that you think is yours but really is not... because all of the land belongs to Hashem.”
It Is Merely a Gift
The Kli Yakar also writes that the reason for the mitzvah of bikkurim is to remind us that we do not really own the land. The pasuk states: “And it will be when you come to the land that Hashem gave to you...” The land is not ours as an inheritance; rather, it is given to us as a gift from Hashem on condition that we keep his Torah and obey His words.
However, it is common for people to believe that they inherited the land and that it fully belongs to them. Therefore, we are told “to take” (v’lakachta) bikkurim. It does not say “to give” bikkurim, as we are not giving away anything that belongs to us and we are only permitted to enjoy it after we separate a portion for Hashem, as a sign that we accept the fact that it is not “our land”.
