The Torah starts off telling us that when you come into the land you are going to conquer Eretz Yisrael and you should take from the first of the fruit - bikurim. Ramban comments that the pasuk tells us this is “Mei’reishis kol pri”.  It’s from the first of the produce. This is the first command that Hashem gives us when we come into Eretz Yisrael. There is significance behind this. What is the lesson?

Sefer HaChinuch explains a very beautiful concept here. When a person works hard to produce something, his natural tendency is to want to acquire that item and keep it for himself.  I worked so hard, and I toiled the land.  I planted, I watered, I plowed; I took care of it. It’s going to grow. That first produce that comes out is really very meaningful to the person.  And, what Hashem wants is that Hashem wants us to take that meaningful produce, that means so much to us, and to dedicate it to Hashem.  This is such an important lesson in life because Hashem wants to perfect us and Hashem wants to work on our middos, and when we take that most precious thing and we give it to Hashem instead of taking it for ourselves selfishly.  When we give the reishis, the first of our produce, the first of our grain, the first of our bikurim, the first of our dough that we make, even our first born dedicate him to G-d and to the service of Hashem that is something that shows that life is all about serving Hashem.

Minimum

Ramban says a fascinating thing here. The pasuk never tells us the amount one must give as bikurim. There might be a shiur d’rabbanan encouraging one to give a fair amount, like the mishnayos in Bikurim talk about bringing a significant, beautiful platter of fruit. But as Ramban points out, “afilu gargir echad”, even one kernel fulfills one’s biblical requirement.

In life we could always be skimpy.  We could say: Okay Hashem, I’ll do this mitvah.  Here’s your one fig. There you go.  Here’s you one grape. There you go.  But, we’re encouraged to be generous, and to give significantly to Hashem which is the cohanim, to charity, etc.  And, in life there are many mitzvos that are minimal shiurim, but then there’s the spirit of the mitzvah where Hashem is trying to teach us to think about Him first. When we think about Hashem first, our whole life is different, our whole life is a lot more meaningful.

Giving To Hashem

In our lives, we should always look at opportunities to give Hashem fully and sincerely from our reishis, from things that we sincerely wasn’t to take for ourselves, but we give it to Hashem. When something is hard for us:  We can say:  Rebono Shel Olam, I really want to say this lashon harah and do this aveirah, but I’m giving myself to You, and I’m giving my energy and feelings to You, and it’s such a powerful transformation of serving Hashem that way.

2) Fresh and Exciting Torah

“Hayom hazeh Hashem Elokecha mitzavicha la’asos (26:16)”. Today Hashem is commanding you to do things. Ramban points out that Moshe explained the entire Torah to the Jews again, and reiterated everything, and he explained all the mitzvos and answered all their questions and he wanted to leave them with the message that even though we reviewed the Torah, we heard it once, we heard it again, but it should be “hayom hazeh”.  It should always be fresh in your minds.  It should always be new because when something is fresh and new you are always excited about it.

Turn to Torah for Nurturance

The gemara in Eruvin says that the Torah is compared to a mother nursing because the baby whenever he turns to his mother to nurse, that creates a natural reaction in the mother that she is able to produce milk as long as she’s healthy and nourished.  So too, Torah, whenever we turn towards Torah to “nurse” the Rebono Shel Olam will allow us to find its lessons.  And, “im reik hu – mikem”.  Chazal tell us that if the Torah feels empty, if the learning feels empty and not meaningful, then it is from us.  It is our not studying it properly that is making it that way.

3) Use Your Emotions and Brain

Ramban states everytime the Torah tells us an expression of “v’shamarta v’assissa”, you should follow the mitzvos “la’asosam b’chol livavcha u’v’chol nafshecha”. He explained he already explained this in Parshas Vaeschanan where we have those words in Shema. He explains that what is leiv and nefesh. Leiv means your emotions, you should serve Hashem with your emotions, and nefesh means with your brain. There are other mefarshim that say other things in other contexts. But, this is just very fascinating.  We have both intellect and emotions and the Rebono Shel Olam wants us to use both in our service of Him. We should use our emotions to serve Hashem and to connect with Hashem, and we should also use our brains and be able to connect with Hashem.

4) Torah is Upheld by the Zekeinim, the Gedolim of the Generation

Moshe commanded the Jews and it says, “Vayitzav Moshe l’ziknei Yisrael” (27:!), along with the elders. Ramban makes his comment here which is just a classic, and I believe that my rebbe, Rav Usher zt”l would be proud of my discussing this. This Ramban repeats the theme that Rav Asher instilled in us so many times, this yesod in life. Moshe taught the people all the Torah, and he commanded the zekeinim that they should also speak with him, and together with him tell the Jewish people to keep the mitzvos, and that is because the Torah is upheld by the zekeinim.  Yes, it’s upheld by the individual and by the nation, but, our zekeinim are the ones that guide us with their da’as Torah how to fulfill the Torah. 

Therefore, one of the most important fundamentals of Devarim is, up until this point, Moshe was trying to instill the Torah in the Jewish people, and he wants them to know that there are zekeinim that are going to always lead you, and Moshe’s going to be passing on the banner to Yehoshua, Yehoshua to the zekeinim.  Zekeinim to the neviim.  There’s going to be leaders and gedolei Yisrael in all generations.  “Ki lo sishachach mipi zaro”.  The Torah will always be there, and there will always be leaders.  Like the Gra says in Mishlei.  The neshama of Moshe Rabbeinu comes back in every generation, the gedolei Yisrael possess and hold part of that neshama, and are able to guide the Jewish people.  And, in life, we always need to turn to the zekeinim and to those people.  “Vayitzav Moshe l’ziknei Yisrael”.  They are the ones that teach us what Torah is, and you might think that something is a mitzvah, and really it could be an aveirah.  You might think that something is an aveirah and it could be a mitzvah, but we, of course, learn from them, and understand Torah and mitzvos more and more, and when we have questions we turn towards them for guidance.  And, that is the biggest yesod in life.  To always be close with gedolim and live our lives with the gedolim, following their advice, listening to them, being accountable to them.

Concluding beracha

May we be zocheh to have an uplifting life where we are giving bikurim to Hashem, and saying: Hashem this is hard for me, but I’m giving it to you and I’m dedicating it to you generously.  May we be zocheh to have a life filled with connection to Hashem, serving him with our heart and our mind and zocheh to always be accountable to gedolei Yisrael and to get their counsel and advice and live a life of Torah and mitzvos.

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Rabbi Yosef Tropper is a rav and psychotherapist. Learn more and subscribe at ParshaThemes.com