First Fruits
"Shabbat Shalom!" Weekly Teaching by Ron Wexler
First Fruits
This week’s teaching is from a portion in the book of Deuteronomy, verses 21:10 -- 25:19.
The Torah now gives the details of a commandment that was first mentioned in Exodus 23:19, after the land of Israel was conquered and allocated, farmers were to take the first ripened fruits to the temple and present them to the Cohen (priest), in a ritual that included moving declaration of gratitude to God for His eternal role as a guide of Jewish history. The Jew’s gift of his first fruits or “Bikkurim”, the Cohen symbolizes that he dedicates everything he has to the service of God. For a Jew to say that his every accomplishment, no matter how much sweat he invested in it, is a gift from God is one of the goals of creation.
Rabbi Shlomo Bressler depicts in comments on this reading portion that though we instinctively understand that being happy is an important emotion, this portion seems to take this a step further than we might have thought. The verse tells us that many curses will fall onto the person that "did not serve God amid gladness and goodness of heart when everything was abundant."
Maimonides (Rambam) uses this verse to explain that the only way for people to reach their maximum potential is if they're happy. The question is: Why would performing God's will without happiness cause terrible curses if after all they actually performed what was required of them?
The sages answer that a person that is unhappy while performing God's commandments indicates that they are not emotionally involved in those acts. As we see from King David (Psalms 128:2 and 100:2) and the Talmud; happiness is required for everything done in the Temple, for the Levites to sing and for the priests to perform their duties. It is clear that the emotions behind our acts are very much a part of the acts we perform. It's now clear that the Torah is sending us a warning:
Not being emotionally involved with your religious observance will result in meaningless acts of faith.
Beware and be aware!
Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Wexler
President/ CEO
Ten Commandments Commission
www.TenCommandmentsDay.com
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6)
First Fruits
This week’s teaching is from a portion in the book of Deuteronomy, verses 21:10 -- 25:19.
The Torah now gives the details of a commandment that was first mentioned in Exodus 23:19, after the land of Israel was conquered and allocated, farmers were to take the first ripened fruits to the temple and present them to the Cohen (priest), in a ritual that included moving declaration of gratitude to God for His eternal role as a guide of Jewish history. The Jew’s gift of his first fruits or “Bikkurim”, the Cohen symbolizes that he dedicates everything he has to the service of God. For a Jew to say that his every accomplishment, no matter how much sweat he invested in it, is a gift from God is one of the goals of creation.
Rabbi Shlomo Bressler depicts in comments on this reading portion that though we instinctively understand that being happy is an important emotion, this portion seems to take this a step further than we might have thought. The verse tells us that many curses will fall onto the person that "did not serve God amid gladness and goodness of heart when everything was abundant."
Maimonides (Rambam) uses this verse to explain that the only way for people to reach their maximum potential is if they're happy. The question is: Why would performing God's will without happiness cause terrible curses if after all they actually performed what was required of them?
The sages answer that a person that is unhappy while performing God's commandments indicates that they are not emotionally involved in those acts. As we see from King David (Psalms 128:2 and 100:2) and the Talmud; happiness is required for everything done in the Temple, for the Levites to sing and for the priests to perform their duties. It is clear that the emotions behind our acts are very much a part of the acts we perform. It's now clear that the Torah is sending us a warning:
Not being emotionally involved with your religious observance will result in meaningless acts of faith.
Beware and be aware!
Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Wexler
President/ CEO
Ten Commandments Commission
www.TenCommandmentsDay.com
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6)
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