Cyberdov

In Part I, we discussed R Yitz EtShalom’s take on the contrasts between Bikkurim and Maaser.

At our Friday night dinner table, Sue pointed out the importance of the placement of these passages - right before the dire warnings of exile in chapter 28. The obvious difference between Bikkurim and Maaser is that Bikkurim is a thanksgiving offering to God, with its attendant pomp and ceremony, and the declaration discussing national history - and the requirement that this be performed at the Temple - reflect this character. Maaser, on the other hand, is about the social justice system demanded by the Torah. It takes place locally, involving one’s landless neighbors. Only Maaser ends with a plea for God’s blessing (Deuternonomy 26:15):

“Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us”

The message is clear - it is Maaser which God judges us on. It is the support of the weaker elements of society which allow us to invoke God’s blessing and to hope to avoid the consequences of chapter 28. The emphasis in Maaser on attention to detail, and its proximity to the ceremonious Bikkurim, serve to reinforce the idea that our welfare as an independent nation enjoying God’s protection is based solely on the state of our social contract, not on the ceremonial trappings of the religious establishment.

Filed under: DJC, Torah