It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.
“...you shall place it before Hashem your G-d, and you shall bow low before Hashem, your G-d.” (Devarim 26:10)
We are now introduced to the mitzvah of Bikkurim. Having been taken from Egypt, where we had no land of our own, Hashem brought us to the Land of Israel, where we would have our own portions. However, this gift was contingent on our appreciating from whence it came, and acknowledging Hashem’s kindness. To that end, when a farmer planted and began to harvest his first fruits, he would make a pilgrimage to the Bais HaMikdash in Jerusalem with an offering of the best of them. Beyond that, annually he had a tithing obligation to continually acknowledge Hashem’s beneficence.
The ritual included placing the fruits in a basket, often made of gold or silver, and standing before a Kohain. There, the person would recite a special declaration thanking Hashem for His bounty and acknowledging how he brought us close to Him through the ages. The basket would be presented to the Kohain who would wave it, and then the person would take it back and place it down. Finally, before he left, the farmer would prostrate himself before Hashem, spreading out his arms and legs in the most intense form of bowing.
What was the reason for this bowing?
In truth, anyone who entered or left the Bais HaMikdash had to bow. Here, specifically, the commentaries say it was required as a respectful show of taking leave of one’s master. If this was common practice anyway, why was it necessary to highlight it specifically here?
Perhaps the Torah is teaching us how to be humble, especially when interacting with Hashem. It is common for large donors to receive great honor for their gifts. Dinners and plaques abound, with people showering them with compliments. It is easy for someone to feel good about himself, and forget that all the good he had, came from Hashem.
Therefore, we tell him that when he brings his offering, not only must he recite the declarations, but he should not let himself become haughty with his gift. The bikkurim and maaser he brings are not because he is so great, but because Hashem is. When he makes his donation, he must acknowledge that all he has came from Hashem, and even the fact that Hashem accepts the donation is an act of kindness from Heaven.
The bowing at the end is meant to remind the person to be humble and not feel deserving of honor for doing what he did, because that’s what Hashem gave him the prosperity for. Only when he takes leave in this fashion can he gain the benefits of the offerings, which are intended to increase his gratitude to Hashem and his appreciation for all he has received.
The story is told of a wealthy man who was known to give generously when approached by a certain Rabbi but, when another Rabbi called upon him, the donation he gave was much less. Confused, the Rabbi asked the man to explain.
“What can I tell you?” he replied. “When that Rav comes to me, he doesn’t wait for me to invite him in. He barges into my home, pushes me down in my chair and starts berating me for my lack of Torah; for my lack of Mitzvos. He yells at me, “How will you get into Heaven?? With your filthy money?!” I see that he's right and I’m so disgusted by the money that I throw it at him just to distance it from myself.”
“But when you come in, speaking softly and ingratiating yourself to me, I know the only reason is because I have money. I figure it must be something worth holding onto, so I don’t wish to part with so much of it.”
©2023 – J. Gewirtz
