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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
The ספר החינוך, מצוה תר”ו, mitzva 606, teaches that “since a man arouses his thoughts and draws the truth in his heart with the power of the words of one’s mouth. Therefore, when one is the beneficiary of one’s benefactors- that He blessed hi, and his land to bear fruits and he merited to bring them the בית המקדש, the House of Hashem, if it is appropriate and logical to arouse his emotions with the articulation of praise and ponder. One should recognize and appreciate that all is safe from the Master of the Universe, and recount His infinite, eternal kindness expressing a panoramic view of the history of Klal Yisrael from the time לבן- ארמי- planned to destroy us as a spiritual nation, the Egyptians who enslaved, persecuted, and murdered many, to Hashem’s miraculous intervention, our subsequent entry to ארץ ישראל, to our homeland, and the gift of the verdant harvest! Due to one’s sincere, heartfelt articulation of one’s encompassing appreciation of every facet of one’s existence, one will merit to be the recipient of one’s largesse. Hashem commanded us with this mitzva, for His desire is to lavish His kindness on us.”
The mitzva to bring fruit and to articulate the words the Torah commands us is limited:
1) We only bring ביכורים from the seven species that the land of Israel is specifically noted for in the Torah (דברים ח:ח). Also excluded are the dates from the hills, fruit from the valley, and olives that are not the choicest. Why?
2) A person who plants two products- when he harvests the first fruit, he brings ביכורים to Yerushalayim and articulates the portion, whereas when he brings the second fruit, he doesn’t. Why? Isn’t he as grateful for the second crop also?
3) The only time of the year one enunciates the portion prescribed by the Torah is between the Yom Tov of Shavuos- when the reaping begins- and Sukkos when the harvest is generally completed. If one travels to Yerushalayim after Sukkos and brings his ביכורים, it is without expressing the words of appreciation.
Another lesson we are taught is from the following פסוקים, verses. After enumerating all the terrible calamities that will befall Klal Yisrael due to their misdeeds, it states (Deuteronomy 28:45-47) “All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and statutes which He commanded you. And they will be as a sign and a wonder, upon you and your offspring, forever, because you did not serve the Lord, your God, with happiness and with gladness of heart, when [you had an] abundance of everything.”
It doesn’t conclude that due to your complete disrespect to Hashem manifested by your delinquency in observing the Torah, but rather, because despite the fact that you were blessed with everything, you didn’t react with gladness, emotional gladness. The Torah is teaching us that the fundamental cause of all our pain and suffering is due to a lack of absolute, consummate, and profound gratitude. At the same time, we are being taught that the elemental idea of enthusiasm is what enables one with unadulterated dedication to embark on a journey to strive for a goal with relentless passion. Observing the Torah’s dictates which are all-encompassing and demanding is only possible when one’s profound enthusiasm allows one to focus only on this objective, despite all difficulties and mistakes.
Coupled with this idea is that one of the difficult challenges one is faced with is “Am I really important?” “Moreso, do I have the ability, the stamina, the intellect necessary to achieve my objectives?”
When one truly is appreciative of all that Hashem does for us; the beautiful universe, our wonderful families and friends, our health and opportunities, the delicious array of foods, etc. we can truly appreciate that we are part of His world, Klal Yisrael is the ultimate design of His and the sole purpose of all. Consequently, we gain for ourselves the suggest gift possible: Everyone is important for He created us all. This in turn is the segue to unadulterated enthusiasm; Hashem created everyone with a unique mission, and He will facilitate its actualization if one sincerely commits oneself to the goal, He prescribes for us. Maybe we can now understand why the Torah limits the saying of appreciation that is verbalized with the ביכורים, the presentation of a sample of the first fruit.
The Torah is stressing that appreciation is the catalyst to all enthusiasm, which I turn is the catalyst to all dedicated endeavors; has to be at the highest level possible to truly engender the greatest impact possible.
Imagine a person who for the first time in their life eats a specific delicacy, attends a concert, hikes up a mountain, visits the Alps, or takes a boat ride. The joy, ecstasy, and thrill are boundless. The second time, it’s already ‘a second time’. The feeling of overwhelming gratitude and euphoria is less than the first time. It’s almost taken for granted, for when one experiences something for a second time that was expected and has less of an impact emotionally.
The מצוה of ביכורים, ‘the First Fruit’ is to elevate the consciousness of Hashem’s beneficence to the Highest level possible.
Let us go back: 1) The first fruits are only brought from the highest quality, thereby enabling the farmer to attain the highest level possible.
2) When bringing the second product, despite being a different species, nevertheless the emotional gratitude can’t be the same as the first crop.
3) When a person is still in the state of harvest, one’s joy gratitude, and supreme thanks are at the highest level. As time goes by, the gifts from Hashem can be taken for granted to some degree, and therefore the gratitude is not as powerful.
The Torah is instructing us to take advantage of every possible moment when someone is gifted with whatever it is, to immediately think about it and verbalize it- just as the Torah instructs us to verbalize out thanks to Hashem with the first fruit with full, panoramic, expansive gratitude.
