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"It shall come to pass, when you come into the land which the
L-rd your G-d is giving you." (26:1)
The Jews' entrance into the land of Israel is symbolic of the soul's
descent into the body and its being forced to live in the physical world.
The Midrash teaches that the words "and it shall come to pass"
are always used to denote something of great joy. Though the G-dly soul
is saddened when it temporarily leaves its place under G-d's throne to
dwell in a Jewish body for a certain number of years, it is a joyous occurrence,
since the descent is to elevate the corporeal world through doing mitzvot.
Lubavitcher Rebbe (from L'Chaim #233)
The Midrash notes that the word for 'land,' eretz, is similar
to ratzon (desire). When you attain the level of ratzon of G-d,
you have been given a gift from above. It is an inheritance for every
Jew.
(The Baal Shem Tov)
"It will be when you come into the land that the Eternal your
G-d gives you for an inheritance, and you will inherit it and settle in
it." [26:1]
The midrash notes that eretz (land) is a cognate of merutza (running)
and of ratzon (will, desire). "When you come into the Land..."
- when you attain the level of ratzon, desire for the G-dly, that is a
gift from Above and an inheritance for every one of Israel, then your
required service is "...you will settle in it" - to internalize
all you have attained, "bringing it down" in a settled manner.
"You shall take...and place it in a basket," - draw down the
(spiritual) lights into (appropriate) vessels.
"You shall go to the place the Eternal your G-d will choose"
- a Jew must know that when he goes from one place to another, he is not
going on his own, but is being directed from Above. And the intention
and purpose in this is...
"...to cause His Name to dwell there" - that is, to make G-d
known in that Jew's locale.
(Baal Shem Tov) (from HaYom Yom)
"You shall take from the first of all fruit of the earth."
(26:2)
One should offer to G-d the "first" and the best of all his
worldly possessions, and dedicate them to holiness, as it states, "all
of the best part is for G-d." In this instance, the commandment to
bring the fruit as an offering was not to place it upon the altar, consumed
by fire from Above, and nullified by G-dliness. Rather, it was carried
out by giving the fruits to the Priests, to be eaten, and in this way
were they sanctified. This teaches us that the aim is not to nullify the
material world, but rather to introduce holiness into it. And this is
why it states "from the first" and not "all of the first."
The purpose is not that a person shouldn't have anything remaining of
his possessions; on the contrary, he should have fruit, and also "first
fruits" - the very best. We should only make sure that we are mindful
of their inherent holiness, for from them were brought offerings to the
Holy Temple.
(Likutei Sichot)
"And you will go to the place that the Lord your G-d will choose
to cause His Name to dwell there" [Deut. 26:2]
"And you will go to the place" - When a Jew reaches a certain
place, it is not of his own free will, but "that the Lord your G-d
will choose" - Divine Providence brings him there, in order "to
cause his name to dwell there" - so that His Name should become known
there.
HaYom-Yom (translated from Sichat HaShavuah, no. 144)
"I have not transgressed any of your commandments neither have
I forgotten." (26:13).
Why were two such similar statements necessary? To teach us that it is
possible to fulfill a commandment and at the same time forget it. This
happens when one fulfills it without intent-while the mind is focused
on other things.
(Sfat Emet) (from L'chaim #786)
"Cursed is the man who will make an engraved or molten image."
(Deut. 27:15)
This is the only curse about which the Torah uses the future tense; all
others enumerated in the "Reproof" are in the present. The reason
is that when it comes to idolatry, thought is considered the same as action.
Planning to make an idol is thus just as contemptible as actually making
one.
(Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropolye) (from L'chaim #583)
"All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you."
(28:2)
G-d promises that when a Jew follows the Torah, he will be rewarded with
many blessings that will "overtake" him. Why is it necessary
that they "overtake" him? Why would anyone run away from something
good? Sometimes we don't have the capacity to understand what true blessing
is, and we attempt to run in the opposite direction. But G-d, in His infinite
wisdom, directs us to the true good and blessing, even if we do not comprehend,
with our limited intelligence, where we are heading. The Torah tells us
not to worry; G-d will bless us even against our will.
(Degel Machane Efraim) (from L'chaim #936)
"All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you."
[28:4]
"Will come upon you all of these blessings" - this is the generation
of these blessings from G-d into the World of Emanations. "And overtake
you" - this is the descent of these blessings into this physical
world. Everyday we pray, "Heal us," "Bless us," and
so forth, even though each person's judgment for the whole year is apportioned
on Rosh Hashanah. This is because on Rosh Hashanah the blessings are elicited
into the World of Emanations, and then every day each person is judged
whether this kindness from G-d should descend to be bestowed upon him
in tangible fashion or not.
(Ohr HaTorah) [translated from Sichat HaShavuah #454]
"G-d shall make you plentiful for good, in the fruit of your
body." (28:11)
The Torah promises long life and good years - even beyond what is objectively
deserved - in the merit of children who are raised and educated according
to Torah values.
(Torat Moshe)
"You will be mad from the sight of your eyes which you will see."
(28:34)
Coveting everything one sees is indeed a terrible curse, for it is the
root cause of all the other punishments that are mentioned in this Torah
portion, eventually leading to "you will be only oppressed and crushed
always."
(Ohr HaTorah)
"You will become mad from the sight of your eyes." (28:34)
"The sight of your eyes" means "your leaders" - those
who serve as "the eyes of the congregation." This is therefore
one of the harshest curses: that the Jews will recoil in shock and horror
when they behold who their leaders are...
(Rabbi Shimon Sofer)
"Because you did not serve the L-rd your G-d with joy and gladness
of heart...therefore will you serve your enemies." (Deut.
28:47-48)
When a person serves someone he feels close to and loves, his tasks are
performed with joy and alacrity. A lack of joy in the service of G-d thus
implies that the person serves a distant Master from Whom he is estranged,
G-d forbid.
(Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin)
Human nature is such that when a person searches for a lost object, he
is unhappy until he finds it. Divine service, by contrast, is different.
It states in Chronicles (16:10): "The heart of those who seek G-d
shall rejoice." When a person looks to find G-d, he is happy even
while he searches.
(Rabbi Bunim of Pshischa)
"Because you would not serve the L-rd your G-d with joy and with
gladness of heart... therefore, you will serve your enemies."
(Deut. 29:47)
We see from this that joy is such an important part of the Jew's service
of G-d that the harshest punishment of "you will serve your enemies"
is not meted out for a deficiency in the service itself, but for worshipping
G-d without joy and vitality. When the Jew is happy, G-d is happy, as
it were, and even the harshest decrees are annulled -- analogous to an
earthly king granting amnesty to his prisoners when he is in a cheerful
mood.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
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"It shall be, when you come into the land...and you shall take
of all the fruit of the earth...and put it in a basket... and you shall
go to the priest."
(Deut. 26:1-3)
Fourteen years elapsed after the Jewish people entered the land of Israel
until they were able to fulfill the second half of the verse -- the bringing
of their first fruits to Jerusalem. Seven years were spent in conquering
the entire land from its inhabitants; seven more years were spent dividing
the land among the 12 tribes.
Our generation, which will very soon enter the promised land with the
coming of Moshiach, will not need to wait any period of time before we
are able to bring our first fruits to the Holy Temple. Not only will there
be no need to conquer and distribute the land, but the fruits themselves
will grow with such rapidity that their harvesting will take place simultaneously
with their planting.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
This passage refers to the mitzvah of Bikurim (the "first
fruits"). These are to be brought as an offering to the Kohanim who
serve in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as an expression of gratitude to
G-d for all one's blessings. Even though the first fruits of man's labor
are the most precious to him, he overcomes his personal desires and delivers
them to and offers them in the Temple.
The mitzvah of Bikurim will be restored with the coming
of Mashiach. We can and should prepare ourselves for this mitzvah
by fulfilling it now in a spiritual sense: Every Jew must regard himself
as being "first fruits."
This means that with respect to every one of his deeds or utterances,
and even his thoughts, one must see to it that they be not only correct
but excelling in quality. Every deed must be of the finest sort, and so,
too, one's speech and thoughts. Even the mundane actions of a simple weekday,
must be sublimated and elevated to become Bikurim. This is achieved
by following the instruction of our sages: "Let all your deeds be
for the sake of heaven!" (Avot 2:12)
When a Jew regards himself as Bikurim, he can visualize himself
as if at that very moment he is actually standing in the Holy Temple,
facing the Kohanim, and offering his basket of Bikurim.
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The Torah introduces this paragraph with the word "vehaya",
indicating a joyous event; the message is that the only true reason for
being joyful is when in one is privileged to live in the Holy Land. Compare
what King David had to say about the return to Zion [in the time of Mashiach],
i.e. (Psalms 126:2) "then our mouths will be filled with laughter."
"Or Hachayim" translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk
Moshe gave the Jews the promise of Ki Tavo, that they would enter the
Eretz Yisrael, while they were in the desert.
This phrase, however, serves as the name of the entire Torah reading,
for the promise that we will enter Eretz Yisrael is sufficient
to inspire a commitment to observe all the mitzvot mentioned in the Torah
reading.
Similar concepts apply at present.
For we have been given the promise that we will soon "enter the land
that G-d... is giving you as a heritage" led by Mashiach.
The awareness of this promise should inspire a commitment strong enough
to overcome the remaining challenges of exile. And soon we will bring
the first fruits as an offering to G-d in the Beit HaMikdash, thanking
Him for all His kindness.
[From http://www.sichosinenglish.com]
"He [Israel] became there a nation." [26:5]
"This teaches that the Jewish People were outstanding
there." (Passover Hagaddah).
The Jewish People in Egypt represented a small minority and they lived
under the worst possible conditions. However, our Sages tell us that they
were different and cut off from the surrounding culture, proudly guarding
the quality and uniqueness of their lives with devotion - "for the
Jewish People were outstanding (distinctive) there" - "they
didn't change their names, their language, their religion, and their attire."
Specifically through this, they ensured their existence and even reached
the redemption.
We too, in our generation, by being "outstanding there" and
protecting our uniqueness, will hasten and bring about the true and complete
Redemption through Mashiach.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe, translated by Michoel-Lieb Dobry of Tsfat)
"The smallest [tribe]will [increase] a thousand [times] and the
weakest [one] will [become] a mighty nation. I am G-d [Who is able to
accomplish this]. I will fulfill My promise in its time; I will bring
it about speedily" (Isaiah 60:22 - from the Haftorah)
At present, in exile, the Jewish nation is small in number among the
nations, but in the era of Mashiach Jews will increase with miraculous
speed (in an even more spectacular manner than they did in the Egyptian
exile).
(Abarbanel)
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