It shall be when you come to the land which Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you shall take hold of it, and you shall dwell in it.
As our standard question goes, what lessons does the mitzvah of Bikkurim have for posterity so that we can grow from it even when it is not in practice? Additionally: What is the significance of the three components of the mitzvah – Bikkurim, Tosefes Bikkurim (additional fruit), and Itur Bikkurim (fruit used for adornment)? And why three different descriptions of the presence in the Land necessary for this mitzvah: אשר נותן לך נחלה, וירשת, and וישבת בה.
Tzaddikim, the righteous, and Resha’im, the wicked, are two very different types of people, to say the least. Having given up any hope of receiving reward in the Next World, the Resha’im live it up in This World. As Yeshayah depicted,* Behold: Gladness and joy, killing of the ox and the slaughtering of the sheep, the eating of meat and the drinking of wine, eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! The Tzaddikim, in contrast, do not have a chance to enjoy this world, so busy are they with the struggle against their Yetzer ha-Ra. Additionally, the more one is invested in culinary delights, the greater the sway his physicality has over him; as such the Tzaddikim favor the mishnaic diet of bread, salt, and water.**
My mentor, the Besht, gave an analogy for this divergence. Imagine a forest populated by bandits. On one occasion, a pair of travelers – one of them thoroughly inebriated, the other sober – attempted to traverse it. As expected, the bandits fell upon them, seizing their every possession and beating them mercilessly; they narrowly emerged from the ordeal with their lives. On the other side, they encountered other travelers who inquired as to their experience in the forest. The drunkard responded that everything had gone smoothly; for the wounds that graced his body he had no explanation. His companion, on the other hand, was able to sternly warn them of the danger that awaited them there, advising them to sufficiently arm themselves before venturing in. Thus, both travelers shared in the same ordeal, yet only one was able to use it to provide guidance for others.
Similarly, the Tzaddik has his eyes open wide to the nature of this world and its dangers. He is thus able to instruct others on how best to equip oneself to meet them. The Rasha, in contrast, in blissfully oblivious to the dangers that surround him.
The two also diverge in their relation to the afterlife. For the Tzaddik, it is a wonderful experience, having finally been released from the tension of a lifetime of struggle. The Rasha, in profound contrast, is treated to the shock of the vast tab that he had run up during his earthly stay and that now needs to be settled. Once again: a parable from the Besht, this time in the form of a commentary on verses in Tehillim. Two farmers sow their respective fields for the season, one with a vast quantity of seed; the other, a small one. The former, confident that his superior input will naturally yield a large output, spends the rest of the season enjoying himself, neglecting his crops. The latter, keen to make up in quality that which he lacks in quantity, slaves over his crops all season long. When harvest time arrives, the latter enjoys a respectable showing thanks to the care that he invested, while the former’s product is meager, reflecting the lack of requisite attention. This may be the meaning of the familiar verses of Shir ha-Ma’alos***. הלוך ילך ובכה נשא משך הזרע, One who initially weeps – over the challenge that his planting provides him, will invest more effort into it; eventually it is he who will bear the container of seed. In contrast, בא יבא ברינה נשא אלומותיו, one who was initially gleeful – over the ease with which he anticipates handling his crop, will neglect it and, ultimately, be left holding the bag.
The same is true for our Tzaddik and Rasha. The former feels the distance from Hashem that this world imposes upon him, and so he doubles his efforts to close the gap; this, of course, produces a successful life. The latter feels no such distance, he feels comfortably close to Hashem. As such, he spends his life slacking off; the result, of course, is disastrous.
Thus, it is critical for one to engage in his personal growth while still young, setting the tone for the rest of his life. This is borne out by many sources in the Seforim. And, I would suggest, this is the significance of Bikkurim: service of Hashem from the earliest ripening.
More specifically, the term פרי האדמה, fruit of the soil, encompasses everything. As Koheles puts it, הכל היה מן העפר, all came from the soil.**** As such, Bikkurim teaches us to take the first of everything and dedicate it to Hashem. This includes the first usages of every aspect of our selves. When a child begins to speak he is taught Lashon haKodesh and then verses.***** The first activity that a person does every morning is to go to shul. If one has choice food, he should provide it for the poor. One should extrapolate from these his own creative manner of using each of his senses in such a manner; this is our Bikkurim.
Then there is Tosefes Bikkurim. For us, that means constantly amplifying our avodah, bringing it up to the next level. As I heard in the name of Reb Nachman Kossover, this is alluded to in the words תולדות יעקב יוסף,****** the product of humility (as per עקב ענוה*******) is adding to one’s avodah (יוסף means addition********). For if one is arrogant, he feels that he has already accomplished everything.
Finally, there is Itur Bikkurim. As the Sages depict*********, spiritual reward takes the form of a crown upon the head, particularly for mastering control of one’s thoughts. This is described as the “crown of Bikkurim” because it is feasible particularly for those who maintained their purity in their youth.
I would venture that these three levels correspond to the three levels of the soul – the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. The first, the Nefesh, is natural and independent of one’s deeds; it is owed simply to one’s being Jewish. This is why “every Jew has a lot in the World-to-Come;”********** the source for this, the Sages record, is the verse נצר מטעי, that Israel is “the shoot of My planting,***********” in other words, the connection is organic. This is also why it is referred to as a נחלה, an inheritance************, something that comes naturally, irrespective of one’s efforts. This is the level of Bikkurim. Tosefes Bikkurim is through one’s actions, paralleling the Ruach. And Itur Bikkurim, the purity of the mind, corresponds to the Neshamah, as it is impossible for one to achieve this feat without it.
These, in turn, parallel the three locations in which the soul enjoys its eternal bliss: the Nefesh in the terrestrial Gan Eden; the Ruach in the celestial Gan Eden; and the Neshamah in the eternal, infinite matrix which “no eye has ever beheld.” ************* Hence, the three expressions in our sidra: אשר נותן לך נחלה, וירשת, and וישבת בה.
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* 22:13. ** See Avos 6:4.*** Tehillim 126:6. **** 3:20. ***** Sukkah 42a.****** Bereishis 37:2. ******* Mishlei 22:4. ******** Bereishis 30:24. ********* Berachos 17a. ********** Sanhedrin 10:1. *********** Yeshayah 60:21. ************ Mishlei 19:14. ************* Yeshayah 64:3.