" Serve Hashem with joy" (Psalm 100:2)
"Serve Hashem, your God, amid gladness and goodness of heart,
when everything was abundant." (Deut.28:47)
"You shall be glad with all the goodness that Hashem,
your God has given you and your household."(Deut.26:11)
This week we read about the farmer living in Israel who
is asked to bring his first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem.
He is to travel, in some cases long distances, to show
appreciation for the miracle of newness and of growth.
Offering the first of his crop is his way of thanking God
for blessing his work and for allowing him to bring forth 'bread' from the earth
He presents his first fruits even before knowing
what his crop will be for that year.
He is happy and grateful for all the miracle of newness:
grateful that fruits are emerging on the vines and trees.
The farmers come to Jerusalem with great rejoicing.
They feel joy in the blessings of a new crop
and their opportunity to serve God.
Life is such a miracle.
After all the work of planting, and
working the soil, he prays for rain and a successful harvest.
Produce comes as a result of the toil of the farmer and the blessing of God
The farmer upon bringing the first fruits to the Temple is
required to make a declaration outlining Jewish history.
God promised his forefather Abraham that his descendants
would inherit and fill the land.
That promise has now been fulfilled.
The farmer must not only recognize the blessings of his own crops
but also see himself as being part of a much bigger picture of
generational blessings and Divine intervention.
His living in Israel is both a miracle and a blessing.
The world was created in the merit of the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits.
Recognizing the good- being grateful to God is essential to a joy-filled life.
It is a foundational character trait.
May we be a people who feel deeply grateful.
May we be able to express that appreciation to God and
to others for all the blessings bestowed upon us.
Much love
Elissa
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