Prayer Thanks for the Fruits of our Land and for the Rebuilding of the Temple and Final Redemption

 

Parashat Ki Tavo

Prayer Thanks for the Fruits of our Land and for the Rebuilding of the Temple and  Final Redemption
 
Hashem, thank You for the land of love, flowing with milk and honey!
This holy land is worth so much, more than gold, silver, and money!
 
What a privilege to live in Your presence under the skies so sunny!  
 I am enthralled by the trees, flowers, and birds, even by the stray bunny.
 
Your persecuted people have emerged from the dark, dingy shtetl!  
We have entered Your promised land and kept Your command here to settle!
 
We have worked the soil, removed rocks and pebbles, and planted fruit trees.
Now we can sit under the grapevine watching butterflies and bees!
 
Please keep us sound and safe in Your presence to enjoy a breeze!
Hashem will You please grant Your chosen people everlasting peace!
 
We treasure our teamwork with You bringing forth budding shoots.
Please ensure that the effort of our toil will establish roots!
 
How long must we wait until we can bring our first shiny fruits
to Your chosen place – Your Holy House – the aim of all pursuits?
 
Then we will bring You our olives, pomegranates, figs, and grapes,
in beautifully adorned baskets of many different shapes!
 
An ox will go before us, his horns bedecked with gold,
an olive-crown on his head, what a sight to behold!
 
While the flute shall play on our way, Your name will be extolled!
When we arise and go up to Tzion, our dream unfolds!
 
Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless us all!
May we shine Your light to the nations and grow spiritually tall!
 
Raise us up from the dust and never let us fall!
Please answer us Hashem, every time we call!
 
 We long for the Temple where Your eternal Name can dwell.
Your Presence shining through it will ensure that all is well!
 
We yearn to cleave to Your light and our thirst for Torah quell!
How long do we have to pray and wait, only time will tell? 

Based on Devarim Chapter 26 verse 1-2, 10-11, 15, 17-19

:ספר דברים פרק כו פסוק א וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ

(ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם:

“It shall be, when you come into the land which Hashem, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth that you will bring from your land, which Hashem, your G-d, is giving you. Then you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which Hashem, your G-d, will choose to have His Name dwell there” (Devarim 26:1-2).

ספר דברים פרק כו פסוק י וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לִּי הָשֵׁם וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לִפְנֵי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ: (יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּלְבֵיתֶךָ אַתָּה וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ:

“And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the earth which you, O Hashem, have given to me. Then, you shall lay it before Hashem, your G-d, and prostrate yourself before Hashem, your G-d. Then, you shall rejoice with all the good that Hashem, your G-d, has granted you and your household you, the Levite, and the stranger who is among you” (Devarim 26:10-11).

ספר דברים פרק כו פסוק טו הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ:

“Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people Israel, and the earth which You have given to us, as You swore to our forefathers a land flowing with milk and honey” (Devarim 26:15).

 

ספר דברים פרק כו  פסוק יז אֶת הָשֵׁם הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְוֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְלִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ: (יח) וַהָשֵׁם הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְלִשְׁמֹר כָּל מִצְוֹתָיו:

(יט) וּלְתִתְּךָ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כָּל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִתְהִלָּה וּלְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאָרֶת וְלִהְיֹתְךָ עַם קָדשׁ לַהָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר:

“You have selected Hashem today, to be your G-d, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and to obey Him.  Hashem has selected you this day to be His treasured people, as He spoke to you, and so that you shall observe all His mitzvot, and to make you supreme, above all the nations that He made, [so that you will have] praise, a [distinguished] name and glory; and so that you will be a holy people to Hashem, your G-d, as He spoke” (Devarim 26:17-19).

 

How does one set aside bikkurim? A man goes down into his field, he sees a fig that ripened, or a cluster of grapes that ripened, or a pomegranate that ripened, he ties a reed-rope around it and says: “Let these be bikkurim.” Rabbi Shimon says: even so, he must again designate them as bikkurim after they have been plucked from the soil. How were the bikkurim taken up [to Jerusalem]? All [the inhabitants of] the cities of the ma’amad would assemble in the city of the ma’amad, and they would spend the night in the open street, and they would not enter any of the houses. Early in the morning the officer would say: “Let us arise and go up to Zion, into the house of Hashem our G-d” (Yirmeyahu 31:5). Those who lived near [Jerusalem] would bring fresh figs and grapes, while those who lived far away would bring dried figs and raisins. An ox would go in front of them, his horns bedecked with gold and with an olive-crown on its head. The flute would play before them until they would draw close to Jerusalem. When they drew close to Jerusalem they would send messengers in advance, and they would adorn their bikkurim. The governors and chiefs and treasurers [of the Temple] would go out to greet them, and according to the rank of the entrants they would go forth. All the skilled artisans of Jerusalem would stand up before them and greet them saying, “Our brothers, men of such and such a place, we welcome you in peace.” The flute would play before them, until they reached the Temple Mount. When they reached the Temple Mount even King Agrippas would take the basket and place it on his shoulder and walk as far as the Temple Court. When he got to the Temple Court, the Levites would sing the song: “I will extol You, O Hashem, for You have raised me up, and You have not let my enemies rejoice over me” (Tehillim 30:2). The birds [tied to] the basket were [offered] as whole burnt offerings, and those which they held in their hands they gave to the Kohanim. While the basket was still on his shoulder he recites from: “I acknowledge this day before Hashem, your G-d that I have entered the land that Hashem swore to our fathers to assign us” (Devarim 26:3) until he completes the passage (Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1-6).