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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ki Tavo
- Family and Society
- The Land of Israel
- Mitzvot of the Land of Israel
All fine & well. But what seems to lend a rather negative, almost whiney quality to what should be a very upbeat ceremony is the preamble, whereby the farmer tells of the
great suffering the Jewish nation endured at the hands of the Aramean (Lavan?) & then later in Egypt.
Is this part of the "persecution complex" we Jews are often accused of having? A propensity to go & blame others for our troubles, always seeking out the dark cloud
that lurks behind every silver lining? ("Such a terrible-tasting sandwich, & such small portions, too!"). Or is something else at work here?
I suggest that the Bikkurim ceremony is about much more than just one farmer’s gratitude for his individual harvest. It is rather a reminder of the centrality – the supremacy, if you will – of the Land of Israel, and the inalienable connection we have with this specific little corner of the world.
The farmer remarks, "Arami oved avi," which can mean "my father (Yakov) was a wandering Aramean." Yakov searched for a home, & perhaps, at some point, thought
he had found it in Goshen, where all of his family lived quite well. But then we learned how quickly Jewish fortunes could change in the Galut. The same Egyptians who hosted us, soon hated us, & sought our demise. It became clear that Egypt was not our eternal home.
Am Yisrael is called "the first of nations;" in a sense, we are G-d’s first fruits, Hashem’s b’chorim, or, better, bikurim. Just as only the 7 special fruits of Israel (the "sheva minim") could be brought as bikurim, so, too, Eretz Yisrael is designated as the purest soil in which a Jew can grow. This message, amplified countless times by all
the farmers in an agricultural society, reinforce the message that the People & the Land of Israel are one unit. The farmer is not bemoaning his past; he is rather accentuating the good fortune of his present.
To bring this message dramatically home, the farmer concludes his remarks by saying: "Hashem, look down from Heaven & bless your nation; Israel; & the land." ("Et amcha; et Yisrael, et ha’adama"). The unique phrasing of this statement, with a pause between "nation," "Israel," and "land") comprises a 3-fold bracha that encompasses
the people, the state, & the very land itself. All are holy, & together they make up one complete, indestructible set.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
