Parshas Ki Savo begins with the mitzvah
of Bikkurim. Every year, everyone would come to Yerushalayim with the first produce
to sprout in their fields. They came to the Beis Hamikdash, presented their
fruits to the Kohen, and thanked Hashem for their harvest. The time of Bikkurim
was a special time in Yerushalayim as the nation as a whole celebrated the
harvest, the Beis Hamikdash, and their relationship with Hashem. While this
mitzvah only applied to produce grown in Eretz Yisrael, the connection of the
mitzvah to the land runs even deeper. Out of all the produce grown, the only
ones obligated in Bikkurim were the Shivas Haminim, the seven fruits considered
special to Eretz Yisrael. In this way, the mitzvah also celebrated our
residence of and the beauty of Eretz Yisrael.
An example of this idea is found in one
of the first Rashis in the parsha. While explaining that only the Shivas
Haminim were brought as Bikkurim, Rashi explains that the olives of Eretz
Yisrael had their oil gathered inside of it. The simple explanation is that
this is a compliment on how much oil you could gather from olives of Eretz
Yisrael. However, there is much more to it than that.
The Sifsei Chachamim asks a simple question
on this Rashi. Back in Parshas Eikev, the Torah discussed all the wonderful things
about Eretz Yisrael, including the Shivas Haminim. When the Torah mentions the
oil coming from the olives, Rashi explains this that the olives of Eretz
Yisrael make oil; since there are olives that don’t make oil, this is an
important point to make (See Devarim 8:8). But why in our parsha does Rashi
explain it differently? Shouldn’t the compliment of the olives of Eretz Yisrael
be the same in both places?
He explains that it depends what you are
comparing. Back in Parshas Eikev, we were comparing the olives of Eretz Yisrael
to the rest of the world. While the world in general has both olives that give
oil and others that don’t, all the olives of Eretz Yisrael give oil. That’s what
makes them so special. Here in Ki Savo, we are comparing the fruits of Eretz
Yisrael to themselves. When it comes to Bikkurim, quality is definitely
preferred over quantity. This mitzvah is meant to celebrate the Land and all
that makes it great. Even if you don’t have much, the point is to bring your
best.
There are olives that their oil is too
strong for their flesh, and it comes spilling out of them. While it’s good to
have such a surplus of oil, the fact that the oil flows out before you can harvest
it means you are losing most of that oil. Additionally, it can also harm the
flesh of the olive so by the time you get to the harvest, nothing is left. However,
the olives that can hold their abundance of oil, you can still collect all that
oil and also have perfectly preserved olives. Those are the ones you really
want. This is just one example of how special the produce of Eretz Yisrael can
be. Its normal olives are already better than the best olives of the world. And
even within the Land, there is a second level of olive even better than those.
And those are the olives you present in the Beis Hamikdash as your Bikkurim.
Shabbat Shalom!
Click here for last year's Dvar Torah & Podcast for Parshas Ki Savo
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