My goal in this brief Dvar is to explain the Parsha Ki-Tavo so that all
can understand, from a three year old up to an adult. And to ensure that preschoolers can grasp some of my discourse, I
went to the Parsha book that Esther’s nursery school class put together two
years ago. Here are their Parsha
questions and answers:
What are
bikkurim? Bikkurim are
the special first fruits that grow in Eretz Yisrael.
Are any foods bikkurim? Only the
shiva minim, the seven special foods that grow in Eretz Yisrael.
Are we allowed to bring the bikkurim to the Bait Hamikdash in a plastic shopping bag?
No. The bikkurim are a present
to Hashem. They must be brought in a
nice basket.
How did the Jewish people feel when they brought the bikkurim to the
Bait Hamikdash?
The people were very happy when they brought the bikkurim to the Bait
Hmikdaash. They would even play music
and sing!
What do the bikkurim teach us?
The bikkurim teach us that all of our food is from Hashem.
For the adults, I have dug a little further and looked at two
references: Rabbi Schochet’s comments on a Lubavitch Internet site and an essay
by Rabbi Nancy Wechsler-Asen in The Women’s Torah Commentary, edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein.
Rabbi Schochet refers to the mitzvah of bikkurim. The farmer overcomes his personal desires
when he brings to the kohen the fruits that are most precious to him. He says that every Jew must regard himself
as being “first fruits.” This means
that with respect to every deed and utterance, and even his thoughts, he must
see to it that they be not only correct but excelling in quality.
Rabbi Wechsler-Asen calls Ki Tavo “The Basket Ceremony of Gratitude and
Hope.” She describes the procession of
the majestic oxen crowned with olive leaves, the farmer’s prayers, the giving
of the basket to the kohen, the placement beside the altar, and the farmers
prostration before the altar. “Entering
the land in this way serves as a powerful ritualized bridge connecting the past
with the present. The farmers are
reminded of both their personal and historical suffering, as well as their
ability to overcome difficulties by placing God at the centre. Once articulated, they no longer need to
carry symbols of enslavement on their persons, but rather, the potential of new
life: first fruits.
Thus, a three-step formula for how to enter a new place or a new chapter
of our life is set before us. First,
elevate your personal dreams as demonstrated in these lines: ‘You will take
some of every first fruit of the soil...and put it in a basket and go to the
place where Adonai your God will choose.’
Second, acknowledge pain and survival of that pain: ‘The Egyptians dealt
harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labour upon us. We cried to Adonai...and Adonai heard our
plea. Adonai freed us from Egypt. ‘
And third, let generosity extend from your happiness as shown by the
following passage: ‘You shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger
in your midst, all the bounty that Adonai your God has bestowed upon you and
your household. The future, the past
and the present and woven together, making the basket the perfect symbol for
the moment.’
Thank-you.