Devarim-26:1-19
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Please Note: Some alterations or
(additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember
the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Deuteronomy 26 marks a spiritual crescendo in
the journey of B’nei Yisrael. As the generation born in the wilderness,
prepares to cross the
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Let us
read Devarinm - Deuteronomy Chapter 26, verses 1 to
19:
(JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
1. “And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha
giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it,
and dwell therein; 2. that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground,
which thou shalt bring in from thy land that יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha
giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and
shalt go unto the place which יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha
shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 3. And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days,
and say unto him: 'I profess this day unto יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha,
that I am come unto the land which יְהוָה - the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.' 4. And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it
down before the altar of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha. 5. And thou shalt speak and
say before יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
The
LORD thy Eloheucha:
'A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down
into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation,
great, mighty, and populous. 6. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid
upon us hard bondage. 7. And we cried unto יְהוָה - the LORD, the of our fathers, and the LORD
heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our
oppression. 8. And יְהוָה - the LORD brought us forth out of
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Let us check on the commentary of Deuteronomy 26:1-19:
Verses 1-4: The Presentation of First-fruits (Bikkurim)
The entrance into the land is conditional on “possessing it and dwelling
therein”. Ownership is validated by the act of giving back. By taking the Bikkurim (the first-fruits) in a
basket to the Kohen, the individual acknowledges that
the land is a gift from the Almighty. The declaration “I profess this day” is a
legal and spiritual testimony that the farmer is not a squatter, but a rightful
heir to the Divine promise.
Verses 5-10: The Declaration of History.
This section is the heart of the Passover Haggadah.
The farmer must recite a brief history of the Jewish people from the “wandering
Aramean” (Jacob) to the Egyptian bondage and the
eventual liberation.
Insight: We do not thank merely for the fruit in the basket, but for the journey that made the fruit possible. We acknowledge that our strength comes from a history of survival and Divine intervention, not just our own hard work.
Verse 11: The Requirement of Joy.
“And thou shalt rejoice in all the good”. True service of the Creator requires
joy. This joy is inclusive; you must share it with the Levite (who has no land)
and the stranger (who has no family). Holiness is found when your personal
success becomes a communal celebration.
Verses 12-15: The Tithe of the Third
Year.
After the “year of tithing”, the individual makes a “Declaration of Tithes”.
They must state clearly that they have removed all sacred portions from their
house and given them to the vulnerable.
Insight: It is a “confession”" of obedience. It asserts that even the food kept in one's pantry was managed according to Divine ethics. You ask for a blessing on the land only after you have proven you looked after the people on it.
Verses 16-19: The Mutual Covenant.
These verses describe a “mutual affirmation”
between
Verse 17: You have “avouched” (affirmed) יְהוָה - the LORD to be your אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
Verse 18: יְהוָה - the LORD has “avouched” you to be His treasured people (Am Segulah).
This is a legal “closing”
of a contract. By keeping the statutes mentioned in this chapter, specifically
the tithes and the first-fruits,
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My Closing Message:
The essence of Deuteronomy 26 is the transformation of the material into the monumental. A basket of fruit is just food until it is accompanied by the story of our ancestors; a tenth of a harvest is just a tax until it is given with the intention of sustaining the stranger. This chapter teaches us that we “arrive” in our own lives only when we learn to look back at where we came from and look sideways at those who have less. To be a “Treasured People” is to live with the constant awareness that our “firsts” our best efforts and our greatest successes belong to a higher Purpose.
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what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
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