intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash. More on Bringing Bikurim "How were the Bikurim set aside? A man descends to his field (or orchard) and sees a fig which has begun to ripen early, or a cluster of grapes which has begun to ripen or a pomegranate which has begun to ripen, he binds it with a piece of reed-grass and says, 'These fruits are for Bikurim.'" The farmer earmarked fruit for Bikurim long before they matured. Teferet Yisrael comments that the Mishna did not list the maturing fruit in the order enumerated in the Torah - "grapes, figs, pomegranates..." (Devarim 8:8). The reason? "The fig ripens quickly and is the first fruit to mature as it is written; 'The fig tree puts forth her green figs…" (Shir Hashirim 2:13). Then the grape ripens, and finally, because its rind is hard, the pomegranate." Needless to say, the Bikurim brought into the Mikdash, consisted only of ripe fruit and grain. It was necessary to bring the Bikurim to Jerusalem in a container, "…you shall put it (the Bikurim) in a basket… (Devarim 26:2). The Mishna describes the baskets used. "The rich brought their Bikurim in baskets covered with silver or gold; the poor used wicker baskets or baskets of peeled willow branches." After the Bikurim were presented to the Kohein, the rich retrieved their baskets, the poor did not. The Tosefta describes how the farmers filled them. "It is a Mitzva to bring seven baskets, (one for each of the Sheva Minim - the seven species for which Eretz Yisrael is praised in the Torah.) But if the farmer brought only one basket, he has fulfilled his obligation. What does he do? He puts barley on the bottom of the basket and covers it with something, he puts down a layer of wheat (over the covered barley) and covers it, then olives and covers them, then dates and covers them, pomegranates and covers them and on top of everything, figs. And around the sides of the basket are clusters of grapes…" R. Shim'on ben Nanas reckoned that the Bikurim baskets could be decorated with non-Sheva Minim fruit, but the Yerushalmi records that R' Akiva ruled that decorations also had to be of the Sheva Minim, "lest people say, Bikurim could be also brought from fruits that are not of the Sheva Minim." The people who lived near Jerusalem brought fresh fruit for Bikurim, but "those who lived at a distance brought dried figs and raisins." Together with their Bikurim, the farmers brought birds, which were offered as Olot, burnt offerings. Even though Bikurim, is one of "those things for which no measure is prescribed" (Peah 1:1), the Sages recommended that a minimum of one-sixtieth of the harvest should be brought to the Mikdash as Bikurim. "How were the Bikurim taken up (to Jerusalem)? All the people, inhabitants of the villages which constituted the Ma'amad, assembled in the city of the Ma'amad." [A Ma'amad was the group of Israelites representing a particular geographic area. Eretz Yisrael was divided into twenty-four Ma'amad districts and each of the twenty-four Ma'amad groups was associated with one of the twenty-four Mishmarot (divisions) of the Kehuna. Both the Ma'amad group and the associated Mishmar of kohanim represented the same district. When a Mishmar was called to officiate in the Beit Hamikdash, some of the members of its associated Ma'amad group would go up to Jerusalem, enter the Azara and serve as witnesses to the daily sacrificial rite as representatives of their Ma'amad and K'lal Yisrael.] Since the farmers of that particular Ma'amad were all from one small geographic area of Eretz Yisrael and their harvest ripened more or less at the same time, they could bring their Bikurim up to Jerusalem together. "In the multitude of the people is the Glory of the King." Shavu'ot was the official "kickoff" of the Bikurim season. Farmers brought Bikurim until Sukkot and sometimes even until Chanuka! The Bikurim of subtropical Beit She'an ripened long before those of chillier Tzipori. The Mikdash authorities coordinated the arrival time of all the Ma'amadot. As they journeyed, for reasons of ritual purity, the farmers "spent the night in the open place…" Early in the morning the Memuneh - the appointed head of the Ma'amad - said, 'Arise and let us go up to Zion, into the House of the Lord our G-d" (Yirmeyahu 31:6). We can imagine the colorful procession of thousands of jubilant farmers and their families. Some rode donkeys, a few wealthy landowners probably utilized horses and wagons. Many walked. They carried their fruit-laden baskets as they wended their way through the hills and valleys of Eretz Yisrael singing, "I rejoiced when they said to me: 'Let us go unto the House of the Lord'"(Tehilim 122). Teferet Yisrael visualises the celebrants singing all 15 Shir Hama'alot - Tehillim 120-134, the "Songs of Ascent" - as they wound their way through Harei Yehuda. Leading the parade was a flutist, and behind him an ox walked "with horns covered with gold with a crown of olive leaves on his head". The ox would be sacrificed in the Beit Hamikdash as a Shelamim, a peace offering for the entire Ma'amad. And why the olive leaves? Teferet Yisrael answers; "Olive trees are the most estimable trees of Eretz Yisrael, their leaves are always green." Besides, olives represented the Sheva Minim. The Tosefta notes, "People did not go up on an individual basis, they went up by district". But what happened if someone refrained from going up to Jerusalem with his Ma'amad? Of course he had to bring his Bikurim to the Mikdash, but what Korban did he bring? Melechet Shlomo, a commentary on the Mishna, quotes the Yerushalmi; "If an individual was lazy and (did not ascend) with his Ma'amad - he had to bring (as a Korban) a kid whose horns were bedecked with silver!" The Mishna reads; "The flute was played before them - the
farmers of the Ma'amad - until they approached Jerusalem. When they drew
near to Jerusalem, they sent messengers before them (to inform the Mikdash
authorities of their arrival) and (in the meantime), they decorated their
Bikurim." The Bartenura explains how. "The people who brought dried figs as
Bikurim, now added fresh figs. Those who brought raisins, now decorated
their basket with fresh grapes. Those who did bring fresh grapes,
re-arranged their basket, and put the highest quality grapes on top." Time
was short. Soon they would be entering Jerusalem. <mtc> [The
Shavuot - Parshat Naso Homepage]
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