The mitzvah of bikkurim required bringing the new fruits of the season to the kohen in the Beis HaMikdash, the Temple. When the first fruits of Israel’s seven species (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, dates, olives and pomegranates) began to blossom, the farmer would mark them by tying a ribbon around them. Later, when the fruits ripened, they would be decorated in beautiful baskets and brought to Jerusalem amidst great fanfare and joy. The Talmud describes how the people would travel together in large groups accompanied by musicians, and how all the inhabitants of Jerusalem would greet them.
The owner would give the fruits to the kohen and place them next to the altar. He recited a paragraph expressing appreciation to G-d for His involvement with the Jewish people from the very beginning of their nationhood. From early on, He had saved Jacob from the evil plans of Laban, had delivered the nation from the oppression of Egypt, and had brought them to the Land of Israel. As a token of appreciation for all of G-d’s kindness, the person brings the first fruits of his labor, that which is closest to his heart, as a gift to G-d.
The first fruits arouse a sense of appreciation within a person. This, in turn, allows a person to reflect upon all the good that he has received, and offer thanksgiving for that too. When a person suffers a setback, it is very difficult to even imagine the positive things in his life, because he is so consumed with his present difficulties. When one is enjoying the good things in life, though, he can begin to appreciate earlier things that, at the time, seemed to be negative experiences.
Later in the portion, the flipside of this attitude is seen quite clearly. Moshe warned the people of the dire consequences they would face if they failed to follow the Torah properly. The Torah graphically portrays many terrible punishments that would befall the nation. At the culmination of these punishments the Torah cites the cause of the problem, “…because you did not serve G-d amidst joy and goodness of heart when everything was abundant.” Lack of appreciation leads one to sin and ultimately to punishment. The Torah concludes that, “in the morning you will say ‘If only it were last evening,’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning again.’ If a person is not able to appreciate all of G-d’s kindnesses, the Torah promises that he will find himself in such difficult straits, he will only be able to look longingly at the earlier times that had gone unappreciated.
“You shall come to the kohen who will be in those days...” (Deut. 26:3)
People often complain that their leaders do not live up to their predecessors. The Talmud explains that we must show the proper respect towards the leaders of each generation, though they may be inferior to the leaders of yesteryear. The Boyaner Rebbe once quipped, “People complain that they expect the Rebbes to be like those of yesteryear, but they, themselves, wish to behave like the followers of today!”
Did You Know...
Although Rosh Hashana is a day of judgment, one should maintain an optimistic attitude that G-d will grant a good year. For example, although confession is an important part of the repentance process, no mention of confession is made on Rosh Hashana. Likewise, it is forbidden to fast on Rosh Hashana. One should eat and drink delicacies, although he should be careful not to indulge too much.
Traditionally one should avoid eating bitter or sour foods on Rosh Hashana. It is also customary to avoid eating nuts, since the Hebrew word for nut (egoz) shares the same numerical value as the Hebrew word for sin (chet).
