Pisqa’ 297¹

1

“Now it shall be, when you enter the Land” (Dt.26:1)—

actually, now it shall be suggests immediately thereafter.

 

“When you enter the Land” (Dt.26:1)—

perform the commandment specified in this context,

because, as a reward for it, you shall enter the Land.

 

“Which HASHEM your God has bequeathed to you,

and you shall inherit it, and settle it” (Dt.26:1)—

that is, you will inherit it by conquest.

 

“And you shall . . . settle it” (Dt.26:1)—

what you inherit you shall be able to settle.²

2

“Then you shall take from the first and finest³of all the fruit of the soil” (Dt.26:2).

Is it possible to say that

all fruits stand under obligation for the First-fruits offering?⁴

The Teaching states:

“From the first and finest” (Dt.26:2)—

but not all of the finest

[since many species are under no obligation].

And I’m still unclear about

what kind does stand under obligation

and what kind is exempt!

Consider my argument:

We are informed to bring First-fruits as a community,

and to bring First-fruits as individuals.

Just as the communal First-fruits

mentioned elsewhere (Lv.23:17-19)

are from the seven species

[for which the Land is praised],

so, too, the individual’s First-fruits,

mentioned here (Dt.26:2),

must come from the seven species!⁵

 

And just as elsewhere,

[we are informed to bring] wheat and barley (Lv.23:19-20),⁶

here, too, [we are informed to bring] wheat and barley (Dt.26:2)!

On what basis, then,

should I know to include[the] other [five] species?

The Teaching states:

“The First-fruits of your soil” (Ex.23:19)—

an expansive scriptural expression,

[like your soil,]

which follows another expansive expression,

[like First-fruits,]

implies a limitation,

[namely, wheat and barley must be offered,

but not every type of produce is under obligation].

See?

You only need [my] first argument, namely:

We are informed to bring First-fruits as a community,

and to bring First-fruits as individuals.

Just as the communal First-fruits,

mentioned elsewhere (Lv.23:17-20),

are from the seven species

for which the Land is praised,

so, too, the individual’s First-fruits,

mentioned here (Dt.26:2),

must come from the seven species

for which the Land is praised!⁷

And here they are:

“Wheat, barley, the grape-vine, the fig, the pomegranate—

a Land [bearing] oil-olives, and honey” (Dt.8:8)—

as for olives, these are [the superior] olives that store up their oil;

as for honey, this is date-honey.

3

“From the first and finest” (Dt.26:2)—

even if this includes only

a single cluster or a single grape!⁸

“Fruit” (Dt.26:2)—

you bring [fresh] fruit as First-fruits

[such as grapes or olives],

but you don’t bring wine or oil as First-fruits.⁹

  

“The soil” (Dt.26:2)—

this excludes [from the rule] the soil of

share-croppers, tenant-farmers, extortionists, and robbers.

And all for the same reason,

as it is stated:

“The finest of the First-fruits of your soil” (Ex.23:19)—

[but none of these individuals owns his soil].¹⁰

4

Is it possible to say that

you may bring First-fruits as long as you are

[entitled] to declaim¹¹ [the Torah’s confession (Dt.26:2ff.)]?

The Teaching states:

“Which you shall bring from your Land” (Dt.26:2)—

[the declamation is required only as long as

the fruit is still available in the owner’s fields].

Is it possible to say that

you may declaim as long as you are

[entitled] to bring the First-fruits?

The Teaching states:

“And you shall recite” (Dt.26:3),

“And you shall rejoice” (Dt.26:11)—

declamation is restricted to

times of rejoicing [such as harvest-time].

You might conceivably say:

From the Closure-festival¹² [in early summer]

until the Festival¹³ [of Huts in the autumn]

one brings the First-fruits

and declaims [the Torah’s confession].

From the Festival until [the winter] Feast of Dedication,¹⁴

one brings the First-fruits, but does not declaim.

 

R. Judah b. Betyra says:

One brings and declaims [all year].¹⁵

5

“Which HASHEM your God has given you” (Dt.26:2).

This excludes:

One who plants trees within his own orchard,

or trains a shoot to sprout from his own field

into that of another individual

or into a public thoroughfare.

 

Or one who plants trees within his own orchard

or trains a shoot to sprout from his own field

into a public thoroughfare,

with a private path between them—

indeed, such a person doesn’t bring

[because the fruit is no longer considered from his field].

 

R. Judah says:

a fellow like this does bring

[because the fruit originates in his field].¹⁶

On what grounds would he not bring?

Because it is stated:

“The First-fruits of your soil” (Ex.23:19)—

don’t bring unless the entire growth

is from your soil.¹⁷

1. H:287-288;JN2:269-272.
2. Pisqa’ 297.1 is closely paralleled several times in Sifre (e.g., Pisqa’ot 2.2, 296.1 and 57.1).
3. Heb: r’eishit, as here, can imply both “the first” in order and “the finest” qualitatively.
4. Heb: bikurim; literally, “early ripening fruit” The offering of these fruits is discussed in Dt. 26:5-11
5. Cf. M. Bik.1:10.
6. That is, the two loaves of new grain offered on the Closure-festival (`atzeret).
7. Cf. M. Bik.1:10.
8. Thus, there is neither a maximum nor a minimum amount of produce that must be offered. See M. Pe’ah 1:1: “These things have no measure: . . . the First-fruits offering, etc.”
9. Cf. M. Ter.11:3: “For giving Threshing-floor offering and Second-tithe, they neither make dates into honey nor from apples wine. And they do not alter their natural state.”
10. //M.Bik.1:2; cf. Mechilta Ishmael, kaspa’, 2.
11. Heb: qor’ei; literally, “to recite aloud.” See Pisqa’ 291.2.
12. Heb: `atzeret; literally, “stopping.” The festival is often known as “the First-fruits Festival” (khag habikurim) and “the Feast of Weeks” (shavuot).
13. Heb: khag; literally, “festival.” A common rabbinic abbreviation of the autumn “Festival of Huts” (khag hasukot)
14. Heb: khanukah. A mid-winter celebration of the founding of the Hasmonean dynasty in the second century BCE. In rabbinic communities it was also known as the “Festival of Lights” (khag ha’urim) because of the custom of burning oil lamps in the eight evenings of the festival’s duration.
15. // M.Bik.1:6.
16. //M.Bik.1:1.
17. =M.Bik.1:2.