Parshat Ki Tavo: Deuteronomy 26:1 -29:8 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

“You shall take some of every first fruit of the soil which you harvest from the land that Adonai your God is giving you put it in a basket and go to the place where Adonai your God will choose to establish God’s Name” (Deut. 26:1). With these words our Torah portion, Ki Tavo, begins. This is an instruction for the Israelites about what they must do once they have crossed over the Jordan River and settled into the Land of Israel. This holy gift known as “bikkurim” – the first fruit of the harvest played an important role in affirming that the Land of Israel was sacred land, owned not by the Israelites but truly was God’s land. The bounty of the land was not the farmers’ but God’s as well. And this special first gift of the harvest given back to God reminded each person that the process to come into the land was complex and long. Each farmer had to recite a special passage upon presentation of the first fruits of the harvest and it is that special passage that begins our Torah portion.

“My father was a wandering Aramaen. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers ….” (Deut. 26:5). Beginning with these words the individual upon presenting the baskets of fruit to the priest would recite an encapsulated history of the Israelite people. The farmer would present the fruit in baskets and recount the slavery and exodus from Egypt, the miracles God did for our ancestors and the fulfillment of the covenantal promise in giving the Land. This made sure that even generations later the strong emotional as well as historical connection to the desert experience and the wonder of coming into the Promised Land would not be forgotten.

These bikkurim—first fruits of the harvest and this passage was recited beginning at the Festival of Shavuot and could be brought to the Temple until the first day of Sukkot. The first fruits were usually brought from the seven species—the seven kinds of fruits and grains that grow in Israel- wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates as listed in Deuteronomy 8:8. Today this same passage is recited at the Passover table. It begins a section of the Seder service recounting the history of the Israelites.

We read this passage in Deuteronomy only a few short weeks from Sukkot and of course, the New Year. We learn from these ancient rituals that the notion of giving thanks for the bounty and the harvest of the land is an important part of Jewish life. We may no longer be farmers and we do not till the soil of Eretz Yisrael. But this is the time of year we are to take stock of our lives and examine it closely. We do till the soil of our own lives.

The call of the Shofar reminds us to make teshuvah for those errors and transgression that we made since the last year. But we also must examine our lives closely for the good things as well. Where have we succeeded? What is the bounty of our lives and how do we give thanks for that?

Yes, our ancestors were wandering Arameans who went down to Egypt and were lifted up through miracles and wonders to the Promised Land. You have prospered in so many ways. How are you going to show your gratitude for the many gifts bestowed upon you? What kind of offering will you bring as the New Year unfolds? What is the fruit of your harvest that you will bring to temple in the days and weeks ahead –with the New Year and Yom Kippur and Sukkot soon upon us. This week’s portion helps us ponder what we will bring to our community and to God. The time to gather your first fruits of your harvest is here.

Posted by Jimmy at September 15, 2008 05:17 PM