Ki Savo

The beginning of this Parsha speaks about the mitzvah of Bikurim. The Mishna teaches that rich people would bring their Bikurim in beautiful silver and gold baskets while the poor people would bring their Bikurim in baskets of arava (willow) wood, which is cheaper and not as nice.

The Gemara states that originally rich people would bring food for mourners in gold and silver baskets, while the poor would use baskets of arava wood. The reason is because the poor people were embarrassed to bring inferior baskets, so the Chachamim instituted that everyone should use baskets of arava wood when bringing food to mourners. The Tosfos Yom Tov is bothered: why weren’t the Chachamim concerned to institute the same enactment for the bringing of Bikurim, that all should bring with the simple arava baskets?

The Tosfos Yom Tov answers that for the great honor of Hashem and the Beis HaMikdash, the Chachamim felt that it was improper to annul this way of bringing Bikurim. Additionally, the Kohanim kept the baskets of the poor, while the baskets of the rich were returned. This consoled the poor; for their gifts were so special that they were accepted in the Beis HaMikdash.

Avi u’Mori shlita told me another beautiful answer from Rav Pam. One who brought Bikurim needed to express out loud about Yaakov and Lavan, that we went to Mitzrayim, Hashem took us out and brought us to Eretz Yisrael, and gave us the special land. We need to recognize and give thanks to Hashem that everything we have is from Him. This is done by bringing the first fruits to the Beis HaMikdash and giving them to the Kohen. We remind ourselves that everything we have is solely from Hashem and not due to our own power and strength. What each person has is exactly what he is meant to have, not an iota more or less. By Bikurim there is no room for jealousy, ill feeling, or embarrassment, so in this instance there is no reason for the rich to not bring Bikurim in gold and silver baskets. All people, rich and poor, realize that they have what is fitting for them. Therefore, the Chachamim did not make an enactment to stop the rich from bringing expensive baskets!

May we recognize that whatever we attain is from Hashem and appreciate our lot!