Cleaving to the Root

בקיצור

In brief.

A heading marking that this is the concise version of the piece.

עיקר חביבות מצות ביכורים הראשונים שהביאו בנ"י בכניסתם לארץ כמ"ש כבר טעם סמיכות הפרשה אחר מחיות עמלק שהוא ראשית גוים שהפריד עצמו משורש החיים

The essential preciousness of the mitzvah of bikkurim lies in the very first fruits that Bnei Yisrael brought when they entered the Land, as we have already explained the reason that the parsha is placed immediately after the wiping out of Amalek, who is 'the first of the nations' (Bamidbar 24:20) and who severed himself from the root of life.

The greatness of bikkurim comes from the very first offering Bnei Yisrael brought upon entering the Land. The Sfas Emes connects this to the placement of the parsha after the destruction of Amalek, who cut himself off from the source of all life by being 'first' in a negative sense.

ובנ"י מיד שנכנסו לארץ ישראל נחלתם

And Bnei Yisrael, as soon as they entered the Land of Israel which is their inheritance,

As soon as Bnei Yisrael came into the Land that Hashem gave them as their portion,

הביאו ביכורים להתדבק בשורש העליון

brought bikkurim in order to cleave to the supernal root.

they brought bikkurim as a means of attaching themselves to the higher spiritual root from which everything flows.

ואחר מחיות עמלק יכולין להביא אלה הביכורים כראוי

And only after the wiping out of Amalek are they able to bring these bikkurim properly.

Only once Amalek, the force that severs connection to the root of life, is removed can these first fruits be brought in the proper way.

ובכל שנה ע"י מצות הביכורים נתעורר כח ביכורים הראשונים כנ"ל

And every year, through the mitzvah of bikkurim, the power of those first bikkurim is reawakened, as explained above.

Each year when the mitzvah of bikkurim is fulfilled, it stirs anew the spiritual energy of that original first offering.

וז"ש במד' שראה שביכורים עתידין לפסוק תיקן סדר תפלה היינו להתעורר כח הראשית הנ"ל

And this is what the Midrash means when it says that the Men of the Great Assembly foresaw that bikkurim would one day cease, and therefore they instituted the order of tefillah, namely, in order to reawaken that power of 'reishis' (first/beginning) mentioned above.

The Midrash teaches that the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah saw bikkurim would eventually stop, so they established the structure of tefillah to keep alive that same power of 'reishis,' the offering of the first.

ובכל יום מתחדש זה הכח כמ"ש מחדש בטובו בכל יום מ"ב

And every day this power is renewed, as we say, 'He renews in His goodness, every day, the work of Creation' (from the morning berachos).

This power of beginning is not a one-time event; it is renewed daily, as expressed in the berachah that Hashem renews Creation every single day.

וזה ההתחדשות הוא לבנ"י כמ"ש החודש הזה לכם

And this renewal belongs to Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, 'This month shall be for you' (Shemos 12:2).

This daily renewal is given specifically to Bnei Yisrael, hinted at in the mitzvah of sanctifying the new month, 'This month shall be for you.'

ובכל שינוי זמנים ערב בוקר צהרים צריכין להתדבק בשורש כמ"ש לשקוד על דלתותי יום יום מכלל שיש בכל יום פתיחות דלתות לבנ"י

And with every change of the times, evening, morning, and midday, one must cleave to the root, as it is written, 'to be diligent at My doors day by day' (Mishlei 8:34), from which it is derived that every day there is an opening of doors for Bnei Yisrael.

At each shift of the day, evening, morning, and noon, a person must reconnect to the root. The pasuk about being diligent at Hashem's doors daily shows that each day opens fresh gates of connection for Bnei Yisrael.

וגם אחר שזוכין לגמור המצוה צריכין להתדבק בשורש

And even after one merits to complete the mitzvah, one must still cleave to the root.

Even after a person has finished doing a mitzvah, the work is not over; he must continue to cleave to the root from which the mitzvah came.

וזה הוידוי לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי כו'

And this is the viduy (confession of the maaser): 'I have not transgressed any of Your mitzvos and I have not forgotten' (Devarim 26:13).

This is the meaning of the maaser confession, 'I have not transgressed Your mitzvos and have not forgotten,' which expresses ongoing attachment rather than mere completion.

כי אין הכוונה שיתפאר איש ישראל בעשיות מצות הבורא ית' רק לתת הודאה ושבח על שזכה לגמור כל מצות המעשרות כתיקונם

For the intent is not that a Yid should take pride in his performance of the mitzvos of the Creator, may He be blessed, but rather to give thanks and praise that he merited to complete all the mitzvos of the maasros properly.

The point of this declaration is not self-congratulation over having done Hashem's mitzvos, but rather an expression of thanks and praise that one was privileged to fulfill all the mitzvos of maasros correctly.

כשמחזיר הראשית והסוף אליו ית' מתברך:

For when a person returns both the beginning and the end to Him, may He be blessed, he becomes blessed.

When a person gives both the first (bikkurim) and the final outcome back to Hashem, acknowledging Him as source and goal, he draws down blessing upon himself.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that the preciousness of bikkurim flows from the very first fruits Bnei Yisrael brought upon entering Eretz Yisrael, a way of cleaving to the supernal root of life, which is why the parsha follows the destruction of Amalek, the force that severed itself from that root. Each year the mitzvah reawakens the original power of 'reishis,' and when bikkurim ceased, the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah instituted tefillah to keep that power of beginning alive. This power of renewal is given to Bnei Yisrael daily, at every change of the day, requiring constant reconnection to the root rather than a one-time act. Even after completing a mitzvah, one must continue to cleave to its source, which is the deeper meaning of the maaser viduy, an expression of thanks rather than pride. By returning both the beginning and the end to Hashem, a person draws blessing upon himself.