Open Beit Midrash - Bikkurim Week 2

(4) These people bring, but do not recite: the convert brings but does not recite, for he is unable to say [in the Biblical recitation] "[the land] that God swore to our fathers to give to us." And if his mother was from Israel, he brings and recites. And when he prays by himself, he says [in place of, "the God of our fathers"] "the God of the fathers of Israel." And when he is in the synagogue, he says "the God of your fathers." And if his mother was from Israel, he says "the God of our fathers."

(5) Rabbi Eli'ezer ben Ya'akov says, a woman who is the daughter of converts cannot marry into the Kohen class, unless her mother is an Israelite; [this ruling applies to] both converts and freed slaves, and even after ten generations [from the original convert/freed slave], until their mother is an Israelite. A trustee of an estate, an agent, a slave, a woman, a Tumtum [person with recessed sexual organs whose gender is therefore impossible to determine, presently, by external examination. It is halachically uncertain whether such a person is male or female] and an Androginos [person with both male and female sexual organs. It is halachically uncertain whether such a person is male, female or, perhaps, has a uniquely defined halachic gender.] all bring but do not recite, since they cannot say, "[the land] that You, God, have given me."

(6) One who buys two trees in [the field] of a fellow, brings but does not recite. Rabbi Meir says, one brings and recites. If the spring dried or the tree was chopped, one brings but does not recite. Rabbi Judah says, one brings and recites. From Atseret until Sukkot, one brings and recites. From Sukkot until Hanukkah, one brings but does not recite. Rabbi Judah ben Beteira says, one brings and recites.

(7) One who designated one's Bikkurim and [subsequently] sold one's field, brings and does not recite. And the second [one who bought the field] does not bring more from that same species. From a different species, one brings and recites. Rabbi Judah says, even from the same species one brings and recites.

(8) One who designated one's Bikkurim [and then] they were looted or rotted or were stolen or lost or became ritually impure, one then brings others in their place and does not recite. The second ones are not obligated in [the penalty of an additional] fifth. If they became ritually impure within the Temple courtyard, they are destroyed and one does not recite.

(9) And from where [do we know] that one is liable for their safekeeping until one brings them to the Temple Mount? Because it says (Exodus 23:19), "The first fruits of your land you must bring to the house of the Lord Your God"; this teaches that one is liable for their safekeeping until one brings them to the Temple Mount. One who brings from one species and recites, and then returns and brings another species, does not recite.

(10) These are brought and recited over: [fruit] from Shavuot until Sukkot, from the seven species, from fruit in the mountains, from dates in the valleys, from oil-olives [even from] on the other side of the Jordan River. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says, we do not bring first fruits from the other side of the Jordan since it is not "the land flowing with milk and honey" [that the verse describes].

(11) One who buys three trees in a fellow's property, brings and recites. Rabbi Meir says, even two [trees]. One who bought the tree and its ground brings and recites. Rabbi Judah says, even sharecroppers and renters bring and recite.

(2) Blessed are You, Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; the great, mighty and awesome God, the most high God, Who bestows loving kindness and goodness and is master/creator of all, Who remembers the good deeds of the fathers, and brings a redeemer to their children, in love and for the sake of His name.

(2) It is from the root of the commandment [that it is] since a man arouses his thoughts and draws the truth in his heart with the power of the words of his mouth. Therefore, in that God did good to him, and in that He blessed him and his land to bear fruits, and he merited to bring the fruits to the House of our God; it is appropriate for him to arouse his heart with the words of his mouth and ponder that everything arrived to him from the Master of the universe, and he recount His kindnesses, may He be blessed, upon us and upon the people of Israel, more generally. Therefore, he begins with the subject of Yaakov, our father, whom God rescued from the hand of Lavan, and the subject of the slavery of the Egyptians over us and His, blessed be He, rescuing us from their hand. And following the praise, he requests from Him to eternally bestow the blessing on him. And from the arousal of his soul with the praise of God and His goodness, he will merit that his land be blessed. Therefore, God commanded us about this, since He desires kindness.

(3) From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:5) that the obligation of the commandment of the recital of the first-fruits is not upon all that bring first-fruits to the Temple, as there are those that bring [them] but do not recite. And these are them: a woman; a tumtum; and an androginos (the latter two being those the sex of which is in doubt) - since these are not able to say, from "the land that the Lord gave me," as the land was only distributed to definite males. And so [too,] trustees do not recite, as they bring first-fruits for the sake of others. And so [too,] the slave and the agent do not recite, as they also cannot say, You "gave me" - as the land is not theirs.

(4) And from this matter we should learn to be very exacting, and to be careful about the language in our prayers and supplications in front of God, blessed be He - not to say anything in front of God without great precision. And remember this, my son, and keep it.

(5) And they, may their memory be blessed, also said (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:4) about this matter that converts bring them and recite, even though the land was not distributed to them. As it was given to Avraham first, and he was called "the father of many nations" (Genesis 17:4) - meaning to say that anyone who converts is considered like his son.

(3) A proselyte brings and reads, as it is said to Abraham, "A father of the many peoples I have made you..." This means that he was the father to the entire world that entered under the wings of the Shechina, and the promise was to Abraham first that his children would inherit the land. So too, priests and levites bring and read because they have open cities.