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Shabbat Ki Tavo: Deuteronomy 26:1-
29:8; Isaiah 60:1-22.
M oses spoke with confidence:
"When you enter the
land ... and you occupy it
and settle in it, you shall take some of
every fruit of the soil which you har-
vest from the land ... put it in a basket
and go to the priest in charge at that
time and say: `I acknowl-
edge this day, before God,
that I have entered the
land which God swore to
our fathers to give us ...
My father was a fugitive
Aramean, and he went
down to Egypt with meager
numbers and sojourned
there; there he became a
great and very populous
nation" (Deuteronomy
26:1-3).
You should be familiar
with this quotation, as it
forms the basis of our people's nar-
rative in the Haggadah that we read
on Pesach. What you may not know,
however, is that this ceremony, referred
to as Bikkurim (first fruits), was the
original celebration for what our corn-
munity now calls Shavuot.
There are exciting descriptions of
this event in both the Mishnah and
in the writings of Maimonides: First
fruits gathered and carried on the
people's shoulders to Jerusalem, there
to be greeted by local dignitaries,
accompanied by singing and dancing.
The national outpouring of thanks-
giving and historical connection
("We are the children of Israel; we
are the descendants of that fugitive
Aramean!" and "Come, let us go up to
Zion, to the mountain of God!") —
these were the phrases commanded
by Moses that each man and woman
should recite as a pledge and a prayer.
Tradition doesn't tell us how large
the share of Bikkurim was to be, in
other words, the lesson of the mitzvah
and celebration was in the intent or
purpose of participating,
not in the quantity of the
gift. For some farmers, it
might have been one cluster
of grapes, for another per-
haps an entire orchard-full
of olives. But Moses' teach-
ing was that this donation
was to represent the first
fruits of whatever blessings
had become part of life dur-
ing the past year.
It is our custom to say a
brachah (blessing) before
enjoying a meal or sharing
a festivity. To pause for a moment of
reflection, of gratitude, of awe, and of
responsibility before proceeding with
a new enterprise ... or even before
retelling our history, or connecting
with our Promised Land, or beginning
a new year.
Let our basket of firsts, no matter
how large, be a source of pride for us
as we prepare for 5772. Let the nar-
ratives we share and the covenant we
affirm during our High Holy Days
bring renewed meaning to the blessing
of the season in which our ancestors
brought their Bikkurim to the Temple:
"This day, you have become a people!"
(Deuteronomy. 27:9).
Norman T. Roman is senior rabbi at Temple
Kol Ami in West Bloomfield.
Conversations
• Which is the better gift: one specifically commanded in size and shape
by tradition or by some authority figure, or one that represents the
giver's own understanding of "my first things"?
• During the past year, how have you strengthened your connection to
the narrative of the Jewish people? Do you feel that your father was a
fugitive Aramean? What do you plan to do next year to enhance your
covenant with Israel?
Participating locations
Beverly Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills,
Livonia, Troy Main, Troy North, Shelby Township
Mr1
tibia
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IndependentBank.com
*One gift card will be given away on Wed., Sept 21, 2011. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
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you obtain the first three months of account opening. Bring in your IBC statement into any location
listed above for a refund.
'Open a new personal checking account on Friday, Sept. 16, and your first order of Mini-Pak checks
are free with IBC covering the cost for any expense above the $25 check boy-back offer. Visit your
nearest office for details.
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As we begin our 10th year, we thank you for your support and look forward
to your continued commitment. We hope to see you at our sale
April 22-29, 2012 at Laurel Park Place!
ookstock.
USED BOOK AND MEDIA SALE
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10TH ANNIVERSARY
DONATE USED BOOKS AND MEDIA NOW:
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Sunday, September 18, 2011
11:00a.m.-1:00p.m.
HA
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41KIYR.
Council
Laurel Park Place, Livonia
Sarah and Ralph Davidson
Hadassah House, West Bloomfield
bookstock
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Jewish Community Center,
West Bloomfield
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September 15 2 011
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