Parashat Ki Tavo

A Gutten Erev Shabbos,

It is written in this week’s parashah:

“You shall come to the Kohen who will be in those days and say to him: ‘I declare today to Hashem, your G-d, that I have come to the Land that Hashem swore to our forefathers to give us.’”

Why does the pasuk specify, “the Kohen who will be in those days”? Isn’t it obvious that the bikkurim should be given to a Kohen living at that time.

There is a machlokes between Rashi and the Ramban regarding the meaning of these words.

Rashi explains that the Torah is teaching us: “You have only the Kohen of your own days, as he is.”

We find a similar teaching regarding a judge. The Torah states:

“You shall arise and ascend… to the judge who will be in those days.”

Chazal explain that you have only the judge who lives in your own time.

The Ramban asks on Rashi: When it comes to a judge, we can understand why the Torah needs to teach us this. Even if the judge is not as great or wise as the judges of previous generations, we are still obligated to listen to him, since he is the judge of our generation.

However, bikkurim are a gift presented to Hashem, and the Kohen performs the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash. What difference does it make whether he is as great as the Kohanim of previous generations?

Because of this question, the Ramban gives a different explanation. The pasuk is teaching us that the bikkurim must be given to the Kohen who is serving in the Beis HaMikdash on the day that the bikkurim are brought. Just as the korbanos are given to the Kohanim of the mishmar serving at that time, the bikkurim must also be given to them. A person should not bring along a Kohen from his own city to receive his bikkurim.

This is a quote from the Ramban:

“To the Kohen who will be in those days” means the Kohen who will be there at that time. The bikkurim, like the korbanos, are given to the Kohanim of the mishmar. A person should not bring a Kohen from his own city with him to offer his bikkurim.

Rashi writes: “You have only the Kohen of your own days, as he is.” I do not understand this. Regarding a judge, it is appropriate to say, “To the judge who will be in those days.” Even if he is not as great or wise as the judges of previous generations, one must listen to him. Yiftach in his generation is like Shmuel in his generation. However, regarding the offering of bikkurim, to whom should he bring them if not to the Kohen living in his time?

Be’ezrat Hashem Yisborach I found two great Acharonim explain Rashi.

1. The Taz, in his commentary on the Torah, Divrei David, explains as follows:

The pasuk states, “I declare today to Hashem, your G-d.” The pasuk associates the Name of Hashem with the Kohen.

Generally, Hashem does not associate His Name with a tzaddik during his lifetime. For example, Yaakov said, “The G-d of Avraham and the Fear of Yitzchak.” He did not say, “The G-d of Yitzchak,” because Hashem does not usually associate His Name with a tzaddik during his lifetime, as Rashi explains in Parashas Vayeitzei.

Here, however, the pasuk associates Hashem’s Name with the Kohen while he is still alive. We might therefore have thought that this declaration may be made only before a particularly distinguished Kohen. If the Kohen is not sufficiently distinguished, perhaps one should not bring the bikkurim to him, or perhaps he should bring them without reciting the declaration.

The Torah therefore teaches us that every Kohen, “as he is,” is worthy of receiving the bikkurim and having this declaration recited before him, because the importance of his generation rests upon him.

2. The Kli Yakar explains as follows:

The Gemara in Kesubos (105b) teaches that one who brings a gift to a talmid chacham is considered as though he had offered bikkurim in the Beis HaMikdash. We therefore see that there is a special connection between bikkurim and a talmid chacham.

We might have thought that bikkurim should be given specifically to a Kohen who is also a talmid chacham. If there is no talmid chacham among the Kohanim of the current mishmar, perhaps one should wait until the mishmar of a Kohen who is a talmid chacham arrives.

The pasuk therefore teaches us: “the Kohen who will be in those days.” When the Beis HaMikdash is standing and bikkurim are brought, they must be given to the Kohen who is serving in the Beis HaMikdash at that time.

This is a quote from the Kli Yakar:

“You shall come to the Kohen who will be in those days.” Chazal said: Did Elisha eat bikkurim? Rather, this teaches us that anyone who brings a gift to a talmid chacham is considered as though he had offered bikkurim.

Since Chazal compare giving a gift to a talmid chacham to bringing bikkurim, we might have thought that bikkurim should be given only to a Kohen who is a talmid chacham and who belongs to the current mishmar. If there is no talmid chacham in that mishmar, we might have thought that one should wait until the mishmar of a Kohen who is a talmid chacham arrives. The Torah therefore states, “who will be in those days.” This also answers the question of the Ramban, who wrote, “I do not understand this.”

Based on the above, we see that even today, we can fulfil an aspect of the mitzvah of bikkurim by giving a gift to a talmid chacham.

We therefore asked Moreinu HaGaon Harav Amram Fried shlita two practical questions regarding the proper way to fulfil this mitzvah:

May the gift be purchased with ma’aser money?

What is the best way to fulfil this mitzvah in nowadays?

The Rav’s Answer:

A. Yes.

B. Nowadays, this mitzvah is fulfilled by supporting talmidei chachamim who toil in Torah and are in need of financial assistance.

On behalf of the entire Sheilot website team, we wish you a Shabbos Shulem U’Mevorach.