Mrs. Tobi Wolf, Principal
Parshat Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of Bikurim.
דברים: כו: ב ב : וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל-פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ--וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא; וְהָלַכְתָּ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם (דברים: כו: ב )
You shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that Hashem your G-d is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where Hashem your
G-d will choose to establish His name.
The Rambam tells us: The men of all the smaller towns... gathered together in the town of the leader, so as not to come up to Jerusalem as isolated individuals, as it is written: "ברב עם הדרת מלך - In a multitude of people is the glory of a king" (תהלים יד, כח)... Early in the morning, the officer of the town called out: קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה צִיּוֹן אֶל ה’ אֱלֹקינוּ - Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God (ירמיהו לא, ה). In front of them went the ox, having its horns overlaid with gold and a wreath of olive-leaves on its head, to indicate that the first fruits were taken from the seven species of farm products. The flute was played in front of them until they reached near Jerusalem. As they walked all the way, they chanted שָׂמַֽחְתִּי, בְּאֹֽמְרִֽים לִֽי. בֵּֽית ה׳ נֵלֵֽךְ ׃ - I was glad when they said to me: Let us go up to the house of Hashem... (תהלים קכב, א)
They bedecked their first fruits and adorned them, placing the fresh ones on top of the dry. .. When all of them entered within the gates of Jerusalem, they began to chant, " עֹֽמְדֽוֹת, הָיֽוּ רַגְלֵֽינוּ. בִּשְׁעָרַֽיִךְ, יְרֽוּשָׁלָֽםִ - Our feet stand at last within your gates, O Jerusalem".
The Rambam is teaching that there is a קיום המצוה, a halachic fulfillment, in the act of
bringing the Bikurim from home to Yerushalayim and the Mikdash. This mitzvah is multi-faceted; we glorify Hashem as King of our nation, transform the journey into a joyous parade, and beautify the mitzvah by decorating the ox and the baskets filled with produce. Clearly this mitzvah offers us the opportunity to celebrate our gratitude to Hashem for the prosperity of a unique nation, founded on the principles of Kedusha. May we be worthy of fulfilling this mitzvah together.
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