Shavuot 5768

SHAVUOT - BIKKURIM

"How were the bikkurim taken up [to Jerusalem]? All [the inhabitants of] the cities that constituted the 'ma'amad' (group of people participating in the ceremony) assembled in the city of the 'ma'amad' and spent the night in the open place thereof without entering into any of the houses. Early in the morning, the officer said: Let us arise and go up to Zion, to the House of the Lord our G-d'.

Those who lived near brought fresh figs and grapes, but those from a distance dried figs and raisins. An ox with horns bedecked with gold and with an olive-crown on its head led the way. The flute was played before them until they were near to Jerusalem. And when they came close to Jerusalem, they sent messengers in advance and decked out their bikkurim. The governors and chiefs and treasurers [of the temple] went out to meet them…All the skilled artisans would stand up before them and greet them: 'brethren of such and such a place, we are delighted to welcome you'.

The flute was played before them until they reached the Temple Mount. And when they reached the Temple Mount, even King Agrippas would take the basket and place it on his shoulder and walk as far as the Temple Court. At the approach to the Court, the Levites would sing the song 'I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast raised me up and hast not suffered my enemy to rejoice over me'

The turtle-doves [tied to] the basket were [offered up as] burnt offerings, but that which they held in their hands, they presented to the priests.

While the basket was still on his shoulder, he recited from 'I profess this day to the Lord your G-d' to the end of the passage.

('A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down unto Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number, and he became a nation there, great mighty and populous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage. And we cried unto the Lord, the G-d of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terribleness and with signs and with wonders. And He has brought us unto this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which You, O Lord, have given me' (Deut, ch.26).

R. Judah said, until he reached 'a wandering Aramean was my father'. Having reached these words, he took the basket down from his shoulder and held it by its edge and the priest held his hand beneath it and waved it. He then recited from 'A wandering Aramean was my father' until he completed the whole passage. He would then deposit the basket by the side of the altar, prostrate himself and depart.

Originally, all who knew how to recite, would recite, whilst those unable to do so would repeat it. But when they refrained from bringing it, it was decided that both those who could and those who could not [recite] should repeat the words [after the priest]'. (Mishna, Tractate Bikkurim, ch.3)