Parshat Ki Savo 5783
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha the mitzvah of Bikkurim. This parsha is always read soon before Rosh Hashanah, typically the Shabbos before the last one of the year. And this is because, as the Sfas Emes teaches, the mitzvah of Bikkurim is a preparation for Rosh Hashanah. What is the connection between this mitzvah and Rosh Hashanah, and how does it serve as a prelude to Rosh Hashanah?
The mitzvah of Bikkurim is to bring the first fruits to the Kohen in the Beis Hamikdash. As the pasuk states (Chapter 26, Pasuk 2) ולקחת מראשית כל פרי האדמה. Bikkurim is calledראשית since they are the first fruits. And the Mishnah in Bikkurim (Chapter 1, Mishnah 6) teaches that Bikkurim are brought from Shavuos until Succos, towards the end of the year. Succos is referred to in the Torah as (Shemos, Chapter 23, Pasuk 16), חג האסיף בצאת השנה; the Chag of gathering (in the fruits) at the end of year. As the year is waning and we are drying out our fruits and about to bring them into our homes, we remember the source of our blessing, the ראשית. We bring our first fruits and return them to Hashem, to their Source. And this is the real reason why Bikkurim are referred to as Reishis; the ultimate Reishis is in acknowledging Hashem as the Source of all bracha.
This is our task in the world, acknowledging Hashem as the Creator. The Medrash Rabbah on the first pasuk in Bereishis teaches (1,4), that the words בראשית ברא mean because of ראשית the world was created. And Yisrael is referred to as Reishis since Clal Yisrael know how to bring everything back to its source and acknowledge Hashem. And the Medrash continues and says in the merit of the mitzvah of Bikkurim the world was created as it says by Bikkurim (Shemos, Chapter 23, Pasuk 19), ראשית בכורי אדמתך. This is because Bikkurim is a paradigm of a mitzvah that before we enjoy our bounty we first acknowledge the cause of our blessing and return it to its source.
The mitzvah of Bikkurim is commanded when Bnei Yisrael enter Eretz Yisrael, as the first pasuk states, והיה כי תבוא אל הארץ. When we finally make it to the Holy Land, we recount the long journey which brought us here. We begin by recalling the struggles of Yaakov Avinu and the slavery in Egypt, and the eventual Geulah. As the Rambam states in the Sefer Hamitzvos, Mitzvah 132 (Rav Kapach translation), we declare איך הצילנו מאז ראשית מצבו של יעקוב אבינו ומשעבוד מצרים. The declaration we make when bringing Bikkurim returns us to the Reishis of Yaakov Avinu. When we finally arrive in Eretz Yisrael and are bringing home our fruits, we remember our roots and our ancestor’s struggles, and the source of where our blessing and salvation comes from.
The Sfas Emes points out that since one brings Bikkurim from Shavuos until Succos, most of the Bikkurim are brought before Rosh Hashanah. During the period leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we express our ability and even our tendency to connect everything to Hashem. Therefore, Bikkurim is an excellent preparation and leadup to Rosh Hashanah when we acknowledge Hashem as our King and the Creator of the world.
When one brings Bikkurim, towards the end of his statement he declares (Chapter 26, Pasuk 10), ועתה הנה הבאתי את ראשית פרי האדמה. In parshat Bereishis, after Adam Harishon ate from the עץ הדעת, Hashem said (Chapter 3, Pasuk 22), ועתה פן ישלח ידו. The Medrash Rabbah on Bereishis teaches (21,6) that He was giving Adam an opportunity and an opening to do Teshuvah. The word ועתה, and now, indicates a new beginning; what happened, happened, but now you can move forward and repent. And the Medrash derives this from the pasuk in sefer Devarim (Chapter 10, Pasuk 12),ועתה ישראל מה ד' אלוקיך שואל מעמך. Moshe is describing that even after sinning, Hashem just wants Bnei Yisrael to fear Him and follow in His ways. ועתה means you can move forward, even after having sinned.
The Sfas Emes learns that this what the declarer states when he brings his Bikkurim. ועתה הבאתי וכו', the fact that I am bringing Bikkurim back to its source shows I too would like to do Teshuvah. Just as I am acknowledging Bikkurim as ראשית, I would like to return to my roots and my essence and return to Gd. And this is the ultimate connection between Bikkurim and Rosh Hashanah. For even after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash when we don’t have the mitzvah of Bikkurim, we still have the mitzvah of Teshuvah, we still have ועתה. As we approach צאת השנה, the end of the year, and we are able to recount the successes and the bounty we have been blessed with, we should remember our roots and return everything to its source. We need to acknowledge the ראשית of what we have and do Teshuvah, and this is the best way for us to prepare for the ראשית of ראש השנה.
Good Shabbos
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