Clinging to the Reishis

מצות ביכורים חשובה מאוד אשר הפסוק פורט כל מעשה ולקחת מראשית כמ"ש חז"ל אדם רואה כו' כורך גמי אח"כ ושמת בטנא כו' והלכת כו' לתת שכר על כל דבר ודבר

The mitzvah of bikkurim (first fruits) is exceedingly precious, for the verse spells out every single act involved: "And you shall take of the first (reishis)" (Devarim 26:2), as Chazal teach (Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1) that a person goes out into his field, sees a fig that has ripened first, and ties a reed around it; and afterward "you shall place it in a basket" (Devarim 26:2), and "you shall go" — all in order to grant reward for each and every detail.

Bikkurim is so beloved that the Torah details each step — seeing the first ripe fruit, tying a marker on it, bringing it in a basket — so that Bnei Yisrael receive reward for every individual act.

כי חיות הכל ע"י נקודה הראשית ויש לכל אחיזה בנקודה זו

For the vitality of everything flows by way of the original point (the reishis), and every single thing has a grip and attachment within this point.

All life in creation draws from one original point, and everything that exists is rooted in and connected to that point.

שכולם נבראו רק לצוות לזה להיות הכנה לזה הראשית

For all things were created only to serve as an accompaniment to this point, to be a preparation for this reishis (the beginning).

Everything else was created merely to accompany and serve as a setting for that beginning point; the reishis is the true purpose, and all else is preparation for it.

וכחן של ישראל לדבוק תמיד באותו ראשית כמ"ש במ"ד בפ' ונתנך ה"א עליון שהם תמיד צפין למעלה כמו השמן

And the strength of Bnei Yisrael is to cling always to that very reishis, as is stated in the Midrash on the verse "And Hashem your God shall set you on high" (Devarim 28:1) — that they are always floating upward like oil.

The special avodah of Bnei Yisrael is to stay constantly attached to that original point, rising upward like oil that always floats to the top.

לכן נק' ראשית תבואתו כלומר שהראשית דבוק בהם

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are called "the reishis (first) of His produce" (Yirmiyahu 2:3), meaning that the reishis is bound up and attached within them.

Because the reishis is bound up within them, Bnei Yisrael themselves are called "the first of Hashem's produce."

ובכח אחיזה בזה הראשית יכולין למחות זכר עמלק דכ' ראשית גוים עמלק שהוא היפוך הביכורים כמ"ש במ"א לכן סמכו הכתוב ענין לו

And through the power of being gripped within this reishis, they are able to wipe out the memory of Amalek, for it is written "Amalek is the reishis (first) of the nations" (Bamidbar 24:20) — for Amalek is the very opposite of bikkurim, as is explained elsewhere; therefore Scripture juxtaposed this matter (the wiping out of Amalek) to it.

By holding fast to this beginning point, Bnei Yisrael can erase Amalek, who is called "the first of the nations" and stands as the direct opposite of bikkurim — which is why the Torah places the two subjects side by side.

ורמזו חז"ל בפסוק ותרומת ידך אלו הביכורים שע"י מצות הביכורים מתרומם כחן של ישראל ומתקיים מ"ש כאשר ירים משה ידו וגבר ישראל

And Chazal hinted at this in the verse "and the terumah (offering) of your hand" (Devarim 12:17), which Chazal expound as referring to bikkurim — that through the mitzvah of bikkurim the strength of Bnei Yisrael is uplifted, and there is fulfilled that which is written "And it was, when Moshe raised his hand, that Yisrael prevailed" (Shemos 17:11).

Chazal connect bikkurim to the "terumah of your hand": the mitzvah lifts up the strength of Bnei Yisrael, just as Yisrael prevailed when Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hands.

וגם עתה יכולין לעורר זה הכח ע"י התפלה שכחן של ישראל בפה כמ"ש במד' תנחומא:

And even now we are able to awaken this very power by means of tefillah, for the strength of Bnei Yisrael is in the mouth, as is stated in the Midrash Tanchuma.

Even today, when we cannot bring actual bikkurim, we can arouse this same uplifting power through tefillah, since the true strength of Bnei Yisrael lies in the mouth.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the mitzvah of bikkurim is exceedingly precious because it draws everything back to its reishis — the original point from which all vitality flows and to which every created thing is attached, since all of creation exists only as a preparation for this beginning. The unique strength of Bnei Yisrael is to cling constantly to that point, floating upward like oil, which is why they are called "the first of His produce," with the reishis bound up within them. Through this grip on the reishis they are empowered to wipe out Amalek, who is "the first of the nations" and the very opposite of bikkurim, which is why the Torah juxtaposes the two. Chazal link bikkurim to the "terumah of your hand," teaching that the mitzvah uplifts the strength of Bnei Yisrael just as Yisrael prevailed when Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hands. And even now, without the actual offering, this power can be awakened through tefillah, since the true strength of Bnei Yisrael lies in the mouth.