Rabbi Minkowicz Weekly Torah Lesson Parsha Ki Tavo 5780

welcome to this week's torah lesson this week's torah portion is parshas savoy the question of the week is what is the torah's approach on being grateful and thankful so in this week's torah portion pasha savay which is the name of the torah portion the rebbe asked a simple question the name of the torah portion is subway to enter enter into what we know that torah tells us enter into the land so why doesn't it say enter into the land of israel the torah be also begins by speaking about the mitzvah of bikurim the first fruit that you're supposed to bring to hashem after it starts planting in your field and the question to be asked is if you give a look the whole torah portion speaks about the bond of the jewish people with god for observing all the commandments so why does the torah begin specifically with the mitzvah of bikurim the first fruits that give forth in your land so ruby explains as follows the idea behind the quran giving the gift is the first fruits hashem is extremely important in judaism because it represents the idea of being grateful and thankful now we know in judaism we're always grateful and thankful every single day we say moirani as soon as we get up all throughout the day we're grateful and thankful but there's something unique and something special and something very powerful with the mitzvah bikurim and what is that so the torah tells us very clearly when it comes to the mitsubi quran the torah says that after you plant your field and the first fruit comes out we all know for a farmer wow that's the first fruit it's the most precious but the torah says you either take the first fruit take it and you're supposed to travel with it to jerusalem to the temple bring it to the priest and you have to actually leave it in the temple and the special prayers that you say and you do it not only saying the words but also you have to be very very happy so what do you see unique and special and different with the mitzvah bikurim what you find unique is besides the fact that always being grateful includes thought you thought you have thoughts of being grateful speech of being grateful but you don't necessarily always have action for example the grace after meals or any time we're grateful it's all speech what's unique about the mitzvikarim that it's not only in thought because you have to have the proper meditation not only in speech because you're saying the words of gratefulness but more importantly there's the action taking it traveling with it putting it down and that underscores the highest level of being grateful where it actually translates into something into action so based on this derby says the torah is telling us any time you enter into any mitzvah of any of the mistress of the torah the first thing is you have to enter you have to start with being grateful not only in thought and speech yes that's standard but more importantly in action and very brings out an interesting interesting law when it comes to bikurim that for example if someone brings bikram so you bring it on a tray so if somebody's wealthy they would bring it on a silver tray a gold tray but the law is that if you brought your recording your first fruits on a silver or gold tray the priest would take off the first fruits and give you back the tree however somebody was poor and was not able to afford the fancy tray and he went ahead and he took a wicker and he made a wicker basket he made one out of reeds and he brought it with his first fruit that was actually a gift that the cohen actually accepted and received so here you see that when it comes when somebody shows that he's being grateful and he puts his effort into it and he actually makes a basket that is accepted by god god wants our effort of action and we show our gratefulness not only in thought and speech but really in action that takes it to a whole different level so the answer the question what is the torah's approach of being grateful thought speech and most importantly action that when you act out your gratefulness that is a torah's approach of showing and expressing gratefulness thanks so much for joining us for our weekly torah lesson this week's torah lesson is dedicated to memory of barak banari labe shlom vanyose and rachel baslipa may their souls be elevated by the torah that we're studying in their memory for more information please see our website chabadswf.org have a great blessed week with full of thankfulness and gratefulness not only in thoughts and speech but also in action have a great and blessed week