Parshas Ki Savo opens with the beautiful mitzvah of the bringing of the Bikkurim (the first fruits) (Devarim 26:1-11).

Once the land has been conquered, apportioned, and settled, and Am Yisrael dwells in the land, the mitzvah of Bikkurim takes effect. The mitzvah applies only to the first fruits of the shivat ha’minim - אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן אֶֽרֶץ זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן וּדְבָֽשׁ, a land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranate, a land of oil from olives and honey from dates (ibid., 8:8) - that grow in the land. With every crop, and every year, the farmer/land owner is obligated to bring the first fruits up to the kohen in the BHM”K, as an offering to Hashem for the bounty that He has blessed the land with.  

This beautiful mitzvah - focused on seeing the hand of Hashem in the produce of the Land - reminds us to appreciate the goodness of Eretz Yisrael, the kindnesses of Hashem, and the overflow and abundance with which He sustains us. When we recognize the good that Hashem does for us, we will be moved to give thanks for that good. And this thanks is the essence of who we are as individuals, and as a nation

As part of the bringing of the Bikkurim, the pasuk tells us:

וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו הִגַּ֤דְתִּי הַיּוֹם֙ לַֽה’ אֱלֹ-יךָ כִּי־בָ֨אתִי֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע ה’ לַֽאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לָ֥תֶת לָֽנוּ - And you shall come to the kohen who will be in those days, and say to him, "I declare this day to Hashem, your G-d, that I have come to the land which Hashem promised to our forefathers to give us.” וְלָקַ֧ח הַכֹּהֵ֛ן הַטֶּ֖נֶא מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וְהִ֨נִּיח֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֕י מִזְבַּ֖ח ה’ אֱלֹ-יךָ - And the kohen will take the basket from your hand, placing it before the altar of Hashem, your G-d (ibid., 26:3-4).

Many insights have been given as to why the landowner makes this declaration. It is quite obvious that he is standing before the kohen of his day, in the BHM”K, and that he has come to the land that Hashem promised to our forefathers. 

What do we learn from these words?

My son, Yonatan, shared the following brief and profound insight with me, and I quote it here, as he wrote it:

“The pasuk says when a person brings his first fruits to the kohen, he says, “I declare that I have come to the land that Hashem promised your fathers.” Obviously he came to the land, he’s in the land right now, in the Beit HaMikdash!” What is the pasuk teaching us?

“Perhaps it is teaching us the importance of growing - building - contributing to the land. Yes, you can physically be there but you are not really there until you build - contribute - grow something. And that’s why you can say, ‘I came to the land,’ after you have first fruits.”

What a deep and beautiful insight. It is not enough to come to the Land of our forefathers. Every Jew is obligated, in some way, to produce, contribute, build up and grow the land. Only after the farmer brings the produce of his land - which he has grown through his own toil, work of his hands, hard labor, and dedication to the land - can he truly declare, “Today I have arrived in the land that Hashem promised our forefathers.”

Today, with the shefa bracha of HKB”H, we are zocheh to witness the ongoing building of Medinat Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. In some way, we must all contribute to building of the land, so that we partner with Hashem - keviyachol - in this holy enterprise. 

The pasuk tells us that when we come to the land, we should plant fruit trees (Vayikra 19:23). On this verse, the Midrash teaches:

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן פָּתַח (דברים יג, ה): אַחֲרֵי ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ, וְכִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָשָׂר וָדָם לַהֲלֹךְ אַחַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אוֹתוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (תהלים עז, כ): בַּיָּם דַּרְכֶּךָ וּשְׁבִילְךָ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים, וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר אַחֲרֵי ה' תֵּלֵכוּ. וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן, וְכִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָשָׂר וָדָם לַעֲלוֹת לַשָּׁמַיִם לְהִדָּבֵק בַּשְׁכִינָה, אוֹתוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בוֹ (דברים ד, כד): כִּי ה' אֱלֹקיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה… וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן, אֶלָּא מִתְּחִלַּת בְּרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם לֹא נִתְעַסֵּק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בְּמַטָּע תְּחִלָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ב, ח): וַיִּטַּע ה' אֱלֹקים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן, אַף אַתֶּם כְּשֶׁנִכְנָסִין לָאָרֶץ לֹא תִתְעַסְּקוּ אֶלָּא בְּמַטָּע תְּחִלָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם

Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon asked: What is the meaning of the verse (Devarim 13:5): “After the Lord your God shall you walk.” Is it possible for a person to walk after Hashem — of whom it is written (Ps. 77:20): “Your way was through the sea, and Your path through the mighty waters” — and yet you say, “After the Lord shall you walk”?! And it is written: “And to Him you shall cling.” But is it possible for flesh and blood to ascend to the heavens and cling to the Shechinah — of whom it is written (Devarim 4:24): “For Hashem your G-d is a consuming fire” … and yet you say, “And to Him you shall cling”? Rather, from the beginning of the world’s creation Hashem did not engage in anything except in planting first, as it is written (Bereishis 2:8): “And Hashem Elokim planted a garden in Eden.” So too, when you enter the Land, you should not engage in anything except planting first, as it is written (Vayikra 19:23): “When you come into the land, and you shall plant…” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 25:3). 

For those of us still living outside of the land of Israel, our goal and dreams, our hopes and longings, must always remain with - and in - Eretz Yisrael. We must yearn and pray for the day when we will all return home, and will merit to help build the land of Israel. 

Through the plantings, efforts, prayers and tears of our nations, Eretz Yisrael will continue to flourish. As Hashem planted first in the Garden of Eden, so too, we must plant in our home and in our land. 

הַזֹּֽרְעִ֥ים בְּדִמְעָ֗ה בְּרִנָּ֥ה יִקְצֹֽרוּ - They who sow with tears will reap with joy, הָ֘ל֚וֹךְ יֵלֵ֨ךְ וּבָכֹה֘ נֹשֵׂ֪א מֶֽשֶׁךְ הַ֫זָּ֥רַע בֹּֽא־יָבֹ֥א בְרִנָּ֑ה נֹ֜שֵׂ֗א אֲלֻמֹּתָֽיו - He will go along weeping, carrying the valuable seeds; he will come back with song, carrying his sheaves (Tehillim 126:5-6).

בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום