Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 297/ספרי דברים רצ״ז
א(דברים כו א) וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ, אֵין ״וְהָיָה״ אֶלָּא מִיָּד. כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ, עֲשֵׂה מִצְוָה הָאֲמוּרָה בָעִנְיָן שֶׁבִּשְׂכָרָהּ תִּכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ.
1Pisqa’ 29711. “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.
באֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ, מַה שֶּׁתִּירַשׁ תִּכְבֹּשׁ.
2“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.
גוִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ, מִשֶּׁתִּירַשׁ תֵּשֵׁב.
3“And you shall . . . settle it” (Dt. 26:1)—what you inherit you shall be able to settle.2 297.1 is closely paralleled several times in Sifre (e.g., Pisqa’ot 2.2, 296.1 and 57.1).
ד(דברים כו ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, יָכוֹל כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת יְהוּ חַיָּבִים בַּבִּכּוּרִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מֵרֵאשִׁית וְלֹא כָּל רֵאשִׁית. וַעֲדַיִן אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה מִין חַיָּב וְאֵיזֶה מִין פָּטוּר. הֲרֵינִי דָּן: נֶאֱמַר הָבֵא בִּכּוּרֵי צִבּוּר וְהָבֵא בִּכּוּרֵי יָחִיד, מַה בִּכּוּרֵי צִבּוּר הָאֲמוּרִים לְהַלָּן (ויקרא כג יז) מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים, אַף בִּכּוּרֵי יָחִיד הָאֲמוּרִים כָּאן מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים. מַה לְּהַלָּן חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים, אַף כָּאן חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת שְׁאָר מִינִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כג יט): ״בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ״ רִבָּה. אַחַר שֶׁרִבָּה הַכָּתוּב מִעֵט, הָא אֵין עָלֶיךָ לָדוּן אֶלָּא כַּדִּין הָרִאשׁוֹן: נֶאֱמַר הָבֵא בִּכּוּרֵי צִבּוּר וְהָבֵא בִּכּוּרֵי יָחִיד, מַה בִּכּוּרֵי צִבּוּר מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים הָאֲמוּרִים בְּשֶׁבַח הָאָרֶץ, אַף בִּכּוּרֵי יָחִיד מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים הָאֲמוּרִים בְּשֶׁבַח הָאָרֶץ. וְאֵלּוּ הֵם (דברים ח ח): ״חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ״.
42. “Then you shall take from the first and finest3, as here, can imply both “the first” in order and “the finest” qualitatively.of all the fruit of the soil” (Dt. 26:2).Is it possible to say thatall fruits stand under obligation for the First-fruits offering?4 literally, “early ripening fruit” The offering of these fruits is discussed in Dt. 26:5-11The 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 aboutwhat kind does stand under obligationand 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-fruitsmentioned 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!5And 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 speciesfor which the Land is praised,so, too, the individual’s First-fruits,mentioned here (Dt. 26:2),must come from the seven speciesfor which the Land is praised!7And here they are:“Wheat, barley, the grape-vine, the fig, the pomegranate—a Land [bearing] oil-olives, and honey” (Dt. 8:8)—
הזַיִת זֶה זַיִת אֲגוּרִי.
5as for olives, these are [the superior] olives that store up their oil;
ווּדְבָשׁ זֶה דְּבַשׁ תְּמָרִים.
6as for honey, this is date-honey.
זמֵרֵאשִׁית, אֲפִלּוּ אֶשְׁכּוֹל אֶחָד וַאֲפִלּוּ גַּרְגִּיר אֶחָד.
73. “From the first and finest” (Dt. 26:2)—even if this includes onlya single cluster or a single grape!8
חפְּרִי, פְּרִי אַתָּה מֵבִיא בִּכּוּרִים וְאִי אַתָּה מֵבִיא יַיִן וְשֶׁמֶן בִּכּוּרִים.
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
טהָאֲדָמָה, פְּרָט לַעֲרִיסִים וְלַחֲכוֹרוֹת וְלַסִּקְרִיקוֹן וְלַגַּזְלָן שֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִים מִשּׁוּם אוֹתוֹ הַטַּעַם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ״. יָכוֹל אַתָּה מֵבִיא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאַתָּה קוֹרֵא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהֵם מְצוּיִים עַל פְּנֵי אַרְצְךָ. יָכוֹל שֶׁאַתָּה קוֹרֵא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאַתָּה מֵבִיא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְאָמַרְתָּ... וְשָׂמַחְתָּ, אֵין קְרִיאָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת שִׂמְחָה. כְּשֶׁתִּמְצָא אוֹמֵר: מֵעֲצֶרֶת וְעַד הֶחָג מֵבִיא וְקוֹרֵא, מֵהֶחָג וְעַד חֲנֻכָּה מֵבִיא וְאֵינוֹ קוֹרֵא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָה אוֹמֵר: מֵבִיא וְקוֹרֵא.
9“The soil” (Dt. 26:2)—this excludes [from the rule] the soil ofshare-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 2.4. Is it possible to say thatyou may bring First-fruits as long as you are[entitled] to declaim11; literally, “to recite aloud.” See Pisqa’ 291.2. [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 asthe fruit is still available in the owner’s fields].Is it possible to say thatyou 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 totimes of rejoicing [such as harvest-time].You might conceivably say:From the Closure-festival12 literally, “stopping.” The festival is often known as “the First-fruits Festival” (khag habikurim) and “the Feast of Weeks” (shavuot). [in early summer]until the Festival13; literally, “festival.” A common rabbinic abbreviation of the autumn “Festival of Huts” (khag hasukot) [of Huts in the autumn]one brings the First-fruitsand declaims [the Torah’s confession].From the Festival until [the winter] Feast of Dedication,14 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.one brings the First-fruits, but does not declaim.R. Judah b. Betyra says:One brings and declaims [all year].15
יאֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ, פְּרָט לְנוֹטֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ וּמַבְרִיךְ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁל יָחִיד אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁל רַבִּים, וְהַמַּבְרִיךְ מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁל רַבִּים אוֹ מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁל יָחִיד לְתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְהַנּוֹטֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ וְהַמַּבְרִיךְ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ וְדֶרֶךְ הָרַבִּים וְדֶרֶךְ הַיָּחִיד בָּאֶמְצַע – הֲרֵי זֶה אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: בָּזֶה מֵבִיא. מֵאֵיזֶה טַעַם אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא? מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג יט): ״בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ״ – עַד שֶׁיְּהוּ כָּל הַגִּדּוּלִים מֵאַדְמָתְךָ.
105. “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 fieldinto that of another individualor into a public thoroughfare.Or one who plants trees within his own orchardor trains a shoot to sprout from his own fieldinto 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].16On 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 growthis from your soil.17