Dedicating Creations First To Hashem

בענין מצות ביכורים ובמד' שתיקן משה רבינו ע"ה תפלות במקום ביכורים ע"ש בתנחומא

Regarding the mitzvah of bikkurim (first fruits), and in the Midrash that Moshe Rabbeinu instituted the tefillos in place of bikkurim, as is brought in the Midrash Tanchuma.

The Sfas Emes opens with the mitzvah of bikkurim and the Midrash that daily tefillah was established to take the place of bringing first fruits.

כי מצות ביכורים היא להביא הראשית למקדש ועי"ז נתחדש הפנימיות דכ' בראשית ברא ודרשו חז"ל בשביל ישראל שנק' ראשית

For the mitzvah of bikkurim is to bring the first (the choicest beginning) to the Beis HaMikdash, and through this the inner dimension is renewed, as it is written, "In the beginning Hashem created" (Bereishis 1:1), and Chazal expounded: for the sake of Bnei Yisrael, who are called "reishis" (the first).

Bringing the first fruits awakens the world's inner dimension, just as Creation itself happened "for the sake of" Bnei Yisrael, who are called "reishis," the first.

ולמה נתכנו כאן בשם ראשית

And why are they called here by the name "reishis"?

He raises a question: why are Bnei Yisrael specifically called "reishis" here?

ועוד קשה ובשביל ישראל נבראו כל האומות

There is a further difficulty: for the sake of Bnei Yisrael all the nations were created.

A second difficulty: the Midrash also teaches that even all the other nations were created for the sake of Bnei Yisrael.

אך הפי' שכן ברא הש"י עוה"ז להיות לו בו ראשית וחלק וכמ"ש בת"ד אלי' על הקב"ה עשיר ושמח בחלקו

But the explanation is that this is precisely how Hashem created this world: so that He should have within it a "reishis," a beginning and a portion, as is written in the Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu regarding the Holy One, Blessed is He, that He is wealthy and rejoices in His portion.

The answer: Hashem deliberately made this world so He would have a "portion" within it, like one who rejoices in his own share.

כי בוודאי של יכול הש"י לברוא העולם באופן שיכירו הכל את כבוד מלכותו ית'

For certainly Hashem could have created the world in such a way that all would recognize the honor of His blessed sovereignty.

Hashem certainly could have made a world in which everyone automatically recognized His kingship.

אך הלא יש לו אלפים ורבבות עולמות ורק רוצה הקב"ה להיות עדות בעולם שהוא ית' בראו וזה הראשית מקיים כל העולם אפי' שיהי' רשעים וכופרים מתקיים הכל ע"י הראשית

But behold, He has thousands and myriads of worlds, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires only that there be testimony in the world that He, blessed is He, created it; and this "reishis" sustains the entire world, so that even though there are reshaim and deniers, everything is sustained through the "reishis."

But He has countless other worlds for that; in this world He wants only a witness that He created it, and that single "reishis" sustains everything, even amid wickedness and denial.

ולכן הכל תלוי בעבודת בנ"י שע"י מתעורר פנימיות חיות העולם

And therefore everything depends on the avodah of Bnei Yisrael, through which the inner life-force of the world is awakened.

Because the world hangs on this point, the avodah of Bnei Yisrael is what awakens the hidden life-force animating all of Creation.

ולכן איתא במשנה כשהביאו ביכורים דיברו הלוים בשיר ארוממך ה' כי דליתני כו'

And therefore it is taught in the Mishnah that when they brought the bikkurim, the Leviim sang in song, "I will exalt You, Hashem, for You have raised me up" (Tehillim 30:2).

When bikkurim were brought, the Leviim sang the verse of being "raised up," tying the offering to song and elevation.

כי הי' כמו חנוכת הבית

For it was like a chanukas habayis (a dedication of the House).

The bringing of first fruits was experienced as a rededication of the Beis HaMikdash.

וכמו כן בכל יום אומרים מזמור שיר חנוכת

And so too, every day we say, "A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House" (Tehillim 30:1).

We echo this daily by reciting the psalm that begins "a song for the dedication of the House."

פי' חנוכת הבית אינו דוקא על בהמ"ק רק כל מעשה בראשית בנין ביתו של הקב"ה

The meaning of "chanukas habayis" is not specifically the Beis HaMikdash; rather, all of maaseh bereishis (the work of Creation) is the building of the House of the Holy One, Blessed is He.

"Dedication of the House" is not limited to the Beis HaMikdash; the entire created world is itself Hashem's House.

וע"י עבודת בנ"י בתורה ותפלה מתחנך ומתחדש הבנין כי הכל בכ"ב אתוון נברא ויש חינוך במעשה כמו שהי' בביכורים ויש בדיבור בתפלה

And through the avodah of Bnei Yisrael in Torah and tefillah, the building is dedicated anew and renewed, for everything was created through the twenty-two letters; and there is dedication through action, as there was with bikkurim, and there is dedication through speech, in tefillah.

Bnei Yisrael's Torah and tefillah continually rededicate and renew that House, since Creation was made through the twenty-two letters, with dedication coming both through action (bikkurim) and speech (tefillah).

שמעתי מפי <b>מו"ז ז"ל</b> פי' כי דליתני הוא לשון שפלות ולשון הגבהה ורוממות ע"ש בעניני חנוכה

I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, the explanation that "ki dilisani" ("for You have raised me up") is both a term of lowliness and a term of elevation and exaltation, as he explained there regarding the matters of Chanukah.

His grandfather taught that the word "dilisani" carries a double meaning, both lowliness and exaltation, as explained regarding Chanukah.

ונ"ל כי ע"ז משבחין שע"י שהש"י ברא אותנו בעולם הזה השפל ועי"ז באין תמיד להתחדשות

And it appears to me that this is what we praise: that through Hashem having created us in this lowly world, through this we come constantly to renewal.

The Sfas Emes applies this: precisely because Hashem placed us in this lowly world, we are constantly able to rise and be renewed.

וזה ענין מזמור שיר חנוכת

And this is the meaning of "A psalm, a song for the dedication."

This double movement of lowliness and renewal is the very theme of the "song for the dedication."

ולכן מבקשין בו מה בצע כו' להיות תיקון השלימות יזמרך כו' ולא ידום

And therefore we request within it, "What gain is there..." (Tehillim 30:10), that there be the rectification of completeness, "that my soul may sing to You and not be silent" (Tehillim 30:13).

Within that psalm we therefore ask for the complete rectification, that the soul sing to Hashem without ceasing.

כי בעוה"ז יש לעולם עלי' וירידה והוא ירידה שצורך עלי' כמ"ש

For in this world there is always ascent and descent, and it is a descent that is for the sake of an ascent, as has been written.

This world inherently has ups and downs, but every descent is really a descent that enables a greater ascent.

וכ' והי' כי תבא פי' להיות עיקר שמחת בנ"י בכניסתם לארץ כדי שיביאו ביכורים ושיבררו כבוד מלכותו בעולם

And it is written, "And it shall be when you come" (Devarim 26:1) — the meaning is that the essential joy of Bnei Yisrael upon their entering the Land should be in order that they bring bikkurim and that they make clear the honor of His sovereignty in the world.

The verse "when you come" teaches that the joy of entering the Land was so that Bnei Yisrael could bring bikkurim and make Hashem's kingship clear in the world.

והוא עצמו מצות הביכורים להיות ראשית כל דבר לשמו ית'

And this itself is the mitzvah of bikkurim: to make the first of every matter for His blessed Name.

That is the essence of the mitzvah of bikkurim: dedicating the first of everything to Hashem's Name.

וכן אמר מור"ז ז"ל כי לכן תפלות במקום ביכורים בראשית היום כשניעור האדם משנתו יזכור מיד בהש"י

And so said my grandfather, of blessed memory, that this is why the tefillos are in place of bikkurim: at the beginning of the day, when a person awakens from his sleep, he should immediately remember Hashem.

His grandfather explained that this is why tefillah replaces bikkurim: the moment a person wakes, he gives his first thought of the day to Hashem.

וכמ"ש שיהי' לו השמחה בהחזרת נשמתו בעולם כדי לעבוד אותו ית' כל היום:

And as is written, that he should have joy at the returning of his neshamah to the world in order to serve Him, blessed is He, the entire day.

Likewise, one should feel joy that his neshamah was returned to him in order to serve Hashem throughout the entire day.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that the mitzvah of bikkurim, bringing the first of one's produce to the Beis HaMikdash, awakens the inner life-force of Creation, since the entire world was created so that Hashem would have a "reishis," a portion and a witness, within it. The avodah of Bnei Yisrael, who are themselves called "reishis," is what sustains the world and renews it, which is why bringing bikkurim was like a chanukas habayis, a rededication of Hashem's House, which is really the whole of Creation. Drawing on his grandfather's teaching that the word "dilisani" means both lowliness and exaltation, he explains that precisely because Hashem set us in this lowly world, we are constantly able to rise and be renewed, every descent being for the sake of a greater ascent. This is the deeper meaning of dedicating the first of everything to Hashem's Name. And this, his grandfather taught, is why tefillah took the place of bikkurim: at the start of each day a person dedicates his first waking thought to Hashem, rejoicing that his neshamah was returned to serve Him all day long.