Parashat Ki Savo

Welcome to Parshis Hashavuah with Rabbi Garari. This is this week is Parshis Kisove. We're also getting deeper into Elul. So of course we'll try and connect what we learned today with to the avaida, to the service, to the mission of Elul as we get closer to Rosh Hashanah. So this week, Parshis famously has the mitzvah of the Kurim bringing over the first fruits where every time in the time of the day Samigdash the farmer would take from his first fruits, take them to Yushalim, give them to the koyin and the basket, the koyin will put them down next to the mitzvah. The person would then make a declaration of gratitude to Hashem and the whole thing was a sign of gratitude that Hashem had given us the land, given us the produce, given us the fruit which we had there to enjoy and to have simche and pleasure from and therefore was important to thank Hashem for that and therefore that's what the Kurim was. The way it was done normally is that it was done on Shavuus. Shavuus was called the Kurim but it could be done after Shavuus as well and there's a mission in the Kurim that describes all of the different halakhes relating to the Kurim. The first pashis and the pashis says, kissovay elha arats. When you come to the land that Hashem will give you and then the pashis adds an expression where your rash tov, your Shav tov, you will inherit the land and dwell in the land. Rashi says, Magi this teaches us this last expression you have to inherit and settle the land. Magi shloi nischaivu b'bikurim atchakovshu asha arats v'chokur that they even were not obligated in the midst of of the Kurim. Now right away when they came to Erzso they built a Mishkan, a place that was similar to Beisam Igdoch. There were kaihan in there, they could have brought the Kurim quite soon after they came but no the midst of the Kurim is only after they conquer and divide the land. So this rashi is actually very difficult. There are many questions on this rashi. I'm going to give you a few. First of all, Rashi elsewhere explains that when the Torah used an expression kisovoi that you will come to the land, that means that the Mitzvah that it's talking about in that case is only once you've inherited the land, once you've settled your part of the land, only then does that particular Mitzvah apply. For example, in the midst of taking khala, there it's different. There it says bovvv achem when you come to the land, doesn't say bohojo kisovoi, and if that rashi explains there that as soon as they came to the land and they baked bread, they were right away khaiv in the midst of khala, but not with the Kurim and not with other mitzvahs where it says bohojo kisovoi. If that's the case, it's really strange that Rashi says that the words where you're rushed over your shofterboard that you will inherit the land, you will settle the land, is coming to teach us that the midst of the Kurim only applies after you've conquered and settled the land and divided the land because we know that it's ready from hojo kisovoi. In fact, the question is really on the pasuk. In other words, the question is on the pasuk, why does the pasuk need to say where you're rushed over your shofterboard, you'll inherit and settle the land to teach us that the midst only applies after conquering and dividing the land, where you really know that from the words of hojo kisovoi. And there's many many other questions that can be asked on this rashi as well. Why does Rashi say that the teachers ask that they didn't become haim in Bikurim, we know we're talking about Bikurim, why does Rashi have to emphasize we're talking about Bikurim and so on and so forth. So the Babacherebe in the famous talk provides the following fiddush, the following idea. There's actually three stages, not two. In other words, normally we think of it as before conquering and dividing the land, after conquering and dividing the land. But no, there's actually three stages. There's the time that the Yudin came into Erzis Shrull before they conquered any part of Erzis Shrull, before they divided any part of Erzis Shrull, that's that stage one. Stage two is the beginning of conquering and dividing the land, meaning we have to understand that the full conquest of the land of Israel and the full dividing of the land so everyone could take possession took 14 years. It took seven years to conquer Erzis Shrull, took seven years to divide the land to everyone, which means there is a stage where some people are getting the land so some people have now fulfilled conquering and settling the land. They have already their farm, they've moved into their own, even though other people haven't, but it's not the full conquest and it's not the full dividing of the land. Stage three is the Akhir Chalukah, Akhir Kibush and Chalukah after the conquering and the dividing of the entire nation, which took 14 years. There was only 14 years later. Which gives us a bit of an insight to what Rashi is actually telling us. Yes, the Pasek says Vohayokhi Sove, we will come to the land, good. We know that means you have to separate land in order to fulfill this mitzvah, it doesn't mean the whole nation has to. So if we would just save Vohayokhi Sove, we would know that the mitzvah of Bikurim is not when you have any fruit, you have to own a field, you have to have conquered that part of the land, you have to own that farm, own that house and then the mitzvah of Bikurim begins, but it wouldn't have to wait for the whole Kali's role to settle and divide the land. It would just be Chalukah, the Ishiva would be the inheriting of the land, the taking ownership of the land, each person according to when they do it. Comes along, Rashi says, no, the fact that now the Torah adds another expression. In addition to the word Vohayokhi Sove, it adds another expression. The Yorishhtoviyashastra, but you'll inherit and you'll settle the land. That's teaching us that the Yidin did not come high, specifically with Bikurim, which is why Rashi adds the word Bikurim, until they all conquered the land totally and divided the land as a community. In other words, all the Yidin had to have conquered and divided the land in order for the mitzvah of Bikurim to kick in, which is the Pratina Rashi. That's why we have the extra phrase, Avirishhtoviyashastra. So the obvious question is why? What is Bikurim? Bikurim is a mitzvah of gratitude. It's a mitzvah to thank Hashem and appreciate the fact that Hashem has given us not just the land and the fruit, but the ability to enjoy its fruit and to have simcha and to really be, celebrate the goodness that Hashem has given to us. So one would imagine, as soon as that opportunity comes, there should be a mitzvah. As soon as person takes possession of a father and plants a tree and has fruits, right away there should be really a mitzvah to go and thank Hashem and thank Hashem for the ability to celebrate and have pleasure from the fruit of the land. Why do we have to wait till the whole trial is through? Why do we have to wait till everyone is finished? And the Rabbi says a beautiful thing, a beautiful idea. He says all Yidin are connected with each other. As long as one person does not have what they need, they don't have a portion in the land yet, it affects the pleasure and the joy of all the other Jews. Bikurim was brought specifically on the what we call the shlamosatra, the completion of the good, of the fruit for which Erzish Shol was praised. And it says in the pasukah, the declaration that was made besomachto, the simkhasalay, you have to have the simkhah, the joy and the pleasure and it's the gratitude not just for being alive, it's a pleasure of having to derive pleasure and enjoyment from the gift that Hashem has given us. Therefore, even if a personal farmer, it's an amazing idea, even an individual farmer took possession of a farm, grew a tree, had the fruit, put out the grapes for his family, was able to enjoy those fruits, the enjoyment, the celebration is not complete because there are still Yidin who don't have, there are still Yidin who don't have a portion in the land of the United States, so that took 14 years not to get and therefore Bikurim cannot apply because all the Yidin are connected and if one Yid doesn't have what they need, our joy of what we do have, what we need is diminished and therefore Bikurim cannot be brought. We mentioned that the learning, the learning of a pressure is always connected to the time it comes in this following week after Shabas on Monday will be Ha'i Elo, the 18th day of Elo. The 18th day of Elo is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and the Balatanya and this is very connected. Baal Shem Tov, one of the great areas of Baal Shem Tov was the concept of Avas Yashro of love of every single Jew coming from this idea that all Yidin are connected, all Yidin are one body or one entity and therefore what hurts one Jew hurts another Jew and therefore just one entity and this comes out in this mitzvah and there was something very very much that the Baal Shem Tov taught and I want to just mention another idea of the Baal Shem Tov not connected with Bikurim but connected with the first pasak. The pasak says when you come to the land of Ert israel, ashrash shem alaykach noishilat, ashram is given to you, you are rich tov, you are shafdab, you have to inherit and you will settle the land. Said the Baal Shem Tov, this is a general principle. When a Yid comes to the Areks, the land, the land comes to the word Rotsain. If sometimes a Yid is inspired to do the Rotsain Hashem, to have his own personal Ert israel, to be really inspired to keep the will of Hashem to turn to mitzvahs. You should know when you have that inspiration very often, ashrash shem alaykach noishilat, it's Hashem, your God giving you this inspiration. We have from time to time gifts of inspiration that God gives us, he awakens us, he inspires us, he lifts us up where suddenly we feel we really need to grow, we really need to connect. But of course we know the danger is that I will dissipate and disappear. That's why the Pasek says, you are rich tov, you are shafdab, but the first thing you have to do is, you have that inspiration, you have to inherit it, it has to become yours, you have to connect to it so much that it's just not a gift from above, that can just go and come as the winds blow, but it's something that you have to really hold on to, settle it, take ownership of it, so that inspiration lasts beyond just the gift and lasts in the days after the awakening, after the inspiration. That's just one idea from the Vashem tov that I wanted to say on the honor of his birthday, high elo, the 18th day of elo. Have a good day, everyone again, have a k'Sivvah, a k'Sim etayvah, a good image to your end, have a good Shabbos and a good week.