ראשית קצירכם אין דרך ארץ שתאכלו מן החדש עד שתביאו ממנו דורון להקב״ה.
ראשית קצירכם, “the first fruit of your harvest;” it would not be good manners to eat of this harvest before your bringing a gift to the Lord acknowledging His share in your successful harvest.
אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַאי בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אָדָם לוֹקֵחַ לִטְרָא אַחַת שֶׁל בָּשָׂר מִן הַשּׁוּק, כַּמָּה יְגִיעוֹת הוּא יָגֵעַ, כַּמָּה צַעַר הוּא מִצְטָעֵר עַד שֶׁבִּשְּׁלָהּ, וְהַבְּרִיּוֹת יְשֵׁנִין עַל מִטּוֹתֵיהֶן וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשִּׁיב רוּחוֹת וּמַעֲלֶה עֲנָנִים וּמְגַדֵּל צְמָחִים וּמְדַשֵּׁן אֶת הַפֵּרוֹת, וְאֵין נוֹתְנִים לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׂכַר הָעֹמֶר, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל הַכֹּהֵן.
Rabbi Yannai said, “The way of the world is that a when person buys some meat from the market he must expend much effort and hard work until he cooks it. Yet, while people are sleeping God makes the wind blow and brings the clouds, which causes the plants to grow and nourish the fruits, and we only pay Him the value of an Omer. This is the meaning of the verse: “You shall bring an Omer of the first of your harvest to the Kohen.”
Rabbi Shamshon Refael Hirsch
When you have attained not only freedom, but also national independence which the possession of one’s own land gives, and you cut the produce of the land, bring that which the land has produced into your own personal possession, then bring the first Omer that you cut, i.e., the amount that corresponds to one day’s food; to the Kohen, to your representative in God’s Sanctuary … This cutting corresponds to the real harvest of the land – wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt … This Omer is brought from the barley, which is the earliest grain to ripen.
To the Omer, the law of waving is added – consisting of horizontal movements in all four directions, followed by moving upwards and downwards. By the procedure of waving, one’s material nourishment (flour), one’s well being (oil), and one’s mental satisfaction with life (incense), which are all represented in the Omer, are stripped of every idea of selfishness. [Represented by our giving the Omer offering to the Kohen who does the waving – see Vayikra 23:10-11.] Then this symbol of our earthly existence, with all its prosperity and joy of life, is placed in the Temple to acknowledge that only through the Torah’s ruling influence can we find our dedication to the community and to God.
Question:
What connection is there between cultivating the appreciation that all comes from G-d and the countdown to accepting the Torah?
He [Rabbi Eliezer] said to them: Be vigilant in the honor of your counterparts, and prevent your children from logic when studying verses that tend toward heresy (ge’onim), and place your children, while they are still young, between the knees of Torah scholars, and when you pray, know before Whom you stand. For doing that, you will merit the life of the World-to-Come.
אך יש לך לדעת עוד, כי מה אמר כל אחדויש לך לדעת כי מה שאמר ר' אליעזר יהי כבוד חבירך חביב עליך כשלך הוא ענין גדול מאד להביא את האדם לעולם הבא, ובפרק תפלת השחר (ברכות כ"ח, ב') כשחלה ר"א נכנסו תלמידיו אצלו אמרו לו רבי למדינו ארחות חיים ונזכה לעולם הבא אמר להם הזהרו בכבוד חבריכם וכו' הרי כי ר' אליעזר שאמר כאן יהיה כבוד חבירך חביב עליך כשלך, ר"ל כי דבר זה מביא האדם לחיי עולם הבא. ואל יקשה לך כי למה דבר זה מביא לחיי עולם הבא, כי דבר זה יש להבין מדבר זה שאמרו חכמים (ב"מ נ"ט, ב') כל המלבין פני חבירו אין לו חלק לעולם הבא ומזה תבין כי ההפך הוא הזהיר בכבוד חבירו הוא הדרך לחיי עולם הבא וכמו שיתבאר לקמן דבר זה בבירור, כי כאשר הוא נוהג כבוד באדם שנברא בצלם אלקים כי האדם נברא בצלם אלקים ומפני זה ראוי לעולם הבא. כי אין ראוי לאדם עולם הבא רק בשביל צלם אלקים אשר הוא לאדם מן העליונים וכדכתיב בכתוב (בראשית א׳:כ״ו) נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו ומפני זה ראוי האדם לחיי עולם הבא, ולפיכך אמר כאשר תהיו נזהרים בכבוד חבריכם יהיה לכם עולם הבא ולא תהיו ח"ו מבזים את הצלם שבו תלוי עולם הבא...
And you must know, that which is said by Rebbi Eleazar 'Let the honor of your friend as dear to your as your own' is a hugely important issue foundation for bringing a person to Olam Haba.
In Perek Tefillot Hashachar (Berachos: 28, Amud B) 'When Rebbi Eleazar got sick, his students entered by his side and said to him 'Rebbi, teach us the ways of life so we will merit the world to come'. He said to them 'Be careful in the honor of your friends....'. Behold that Rebbi Eleazar says over here 'Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own'. it means to say that this concept will bring a person to life in Olan Haba.
And lest you ask a question: why does this concept bring a person to the world to come? Because when one sensitizes oneself that each person deserves respect, regardless of who they are, since all humans were created in the Image of God A human's connection to Olam Haba, is due to the Image of God which bestowed upon them. Therefore it says that one should be careful in the honor of your friends ... Behold the warning of a one's friend is because he is created in the Image of God; this is the greatest attribute a person can have, making our respect for others part and parcel of our recognizing and validating their divinty.
He [Rabbi Akiva] used to say: Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6). Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to the All-Present. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said: “your are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that the desirable instrument, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).
והוא כי מלת צלם ודמות כאן אינו כמשמעו כי כתוב מפורש (ישעי' מ') ומה דמות תערכו לו. אלא פירושו דמיון מה באיזה דבר...כ''ה לפי הפשטנים הראשונים ז''ל וכן עד''ז הוא ענין מלת צלם. כי המה דומים במשמעם בצד מה:
2. That is, the words, צלם and דמות, here are not to be read according to their simple inferences (meanings). As it is written, "For, what דמות (physical characteristic or likeness) could be attributed to ה? {For G-d is incorporeal and has no physical form.} Therefore, its meaning is that there is within man a resemblance (to the attributes of ה)... So too, according to the simple explanation of the ראשונים of blessed memory; and similarly (על דרך זה) concerning the use of the word, צלם, that they are comparable (to that of ה); they are similar in their inference in certain respects.