וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ׃

It shall be when you will come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it, and live in it. The following commandment applies only after the conquest and settlement of the land, which takes fourteen years.

וְלָקַחְתָּ֞ מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ית ׀ כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תָּבִ֧יא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָ֖ךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ בַטֶּ֑נֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃

Y ou shall take from the first of all the fruit of the ground that you will bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you. These first fruits are separated before any of the other gifts that are given to the priests and Levites. And you shall place it, the first fruit, in a wide, flat basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose to rest His name there, the Temple in Jerusalem.

וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו הִגַּ֤דְתִּי הַיּוֹם֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כִּי־בָ֙אתִי֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהוָ֛ה לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ לָ֥תֶת לָֽנוּ׃

You shall come to the priest who will be in those days, and you shall say to him, in the manner of a ceremonial declaration: I am telling today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land with regard to which the Lord took an oath to our fathers to give to us, and this is its fruit.

וְלָקַ֧ח הַכֹּהֵ֛ן הַטֶּ֖נֶא מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וְהִ֨נִּיח֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֕י מִזְבַּ֖ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

The priest shall take the basket from your hand, and he shall place it before the altar of the Lord your God. The first fruits are not an offering that is burned on the altar. They are placed next to the altar, where the ritual waving of the basket is performed.

וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גָר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃

You shall proclaim and you shall say the following standard formula before the Lord your God: A wandering Aramean was my father, my forefather Jacob. Jacob married the daughters of the Aramean Laban and dwelled far from his homeland as part of an Aramean family. Alternatively, some render the verse: An Aramean, close to annihilation, was my father. Others explain that the term “Aramean” refers to Laban, who sought to annihilate my father Jacob. And he, Jacob, descended to Egypt, and resided there, few in number, arriving in Egypt with a family of merely seventy members. And during the years that his descendants dwelled in Egypt, he became there a nation, great, mighty, and numerous.

וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃

The Egyptians mistreated us, and afflicted us, and imposed upon us hard labor.

וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עָנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃

We cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and He saw the extent of our affliction and our toil, the tasks imposed upon us for the sole purpose of causing us suffering, and our oppression.

וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יְהוָה֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃

The Lord took us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with deeds that inspired great awe in those that witnessed them, and with signs, and with wonders.

וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃

He brought us to this place, the Land of Israel, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יְהוָ֑ה וְהִנַּחְתּ֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יתָ לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Now, since You performed this great kindness with our ancestors, I have come to thank You: Behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land that You have given me, Lord. You shall place it before the Lord your God, before the altar, and you shall prostrate yourself before the Lord your God.

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכָל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ (ס)

You shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your household: you, and the Levite, and the stranger who is in your midst. Having brought the first fruits to the Temple, you should take advantage of the opportunity to remain in the vicinity of the Temple and rejoice before God together with all your dependents.

כִּ֣י תְכַלֶּ֞ה לַ֠עְשֵׂר אֶת־כָּל־מַעְשַׂ֧ר תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת שְׁנַ֣ת הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר וְנָתַתָּ֣ה לַלֵּוִ֗י לַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה וְאָכְל֥וּ בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ׃

When you shall conclude to tithe all the tithes of your produce in the third year of the Sabbatical cycle, the third and sixth years after each Sabbatical Year, each of which is the year of the poor man’s tithe, as you gave it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow. These include those individuals who do not possess an inheritance in the land, as well as the lower classes of society. And they ate within your gates, wherever they wished, not necessarily in the vicinity of the Temple, and were satisfied.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ לִפְנֵי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בִּעַ֧רְתִּי הַקֹּ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּ֗יִת וְגַ֨ם נְתַתִּ֤יו לַלֵּוִי֙ וְלַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֔ה כְּכָל־מִצְוָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתָ֑נִי לֹֽא־עָבַ֥רְתִּי מִמִּצְוֺתֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֥א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃

The harvest of the crop of the third and sixth years is completed toward the festival of Passover of the fourth and seventh years respectively, when the fruits of the trees that began to develop in the third and sixth years have all fully ripened. When you have performed all your obligations with regard to these crops, toward the end of the festival of Passover, you shall make the following declaration, stating that you have fulfilled the commandments of all the tithes of the last three years in accordance with the law: You shall say before the Lord your God, in the Temple: I have disposed of the portion of the produce that was consecrated to give to others, removing it from my house, and also I gave them to the Levite, and to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow, in accordance with all Your commandment that You commanded me. I gave each portion of the produce to those entitled to it. I did not violate any of Your commandments, and I did not forget to give each of the gifts in the correct manner and in their proper order.

לֹא־אָכַ֨לְתִּי בְאֹנִ֜י מִמֶּ֗נּוּ וְלֹא־בִעַ֤רְתִּי מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ בְּטָמֵ֔א וְלֹא־נָתַ֥תִּי מִמֶּ֖נּוּ לְמֵ֑ת שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי בְּקוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י עָשִׂ֕יתִי כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתָֽנִי׃

The following part of the declaration refers specifically to the second tithe, which must be eaten in Jerusalem by the owner and those who accompany him, in a state of ritual purity: I did not eat from it during my acute mourning, and I did not dispose of it in a manner that would cause it to attain a state of impurity, and I did not give from it, its monetary exchange, toward the purchase of a shroud or coffin for the dead. In general, I heeded the voice of the Lord my God, I have acted in accordance with everything that You commanded me. Obviously, if someone is unable to honestly make this declaration, for example, if he ate of the second tithe during his acute mourning, he does not recite the passage.

הַשְׁקִיפָה֩ מִמְּע֨וֹן קָדְשְׁךָ֜ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבָרֵ֤ךְ אֶֽת־עַמְּךָ֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֵת֙ הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תָּה לָ֑נוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙ לַאֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (ס)

The declaration is followed by a prayer: Look upon the land from Your holy abode, from the heavens, and bless Your

הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ מְצַוְּךָ֧ לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֤ וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ אוֹתָ֔ם בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Although the aforementioned gifts are given to people, the first fruits to the priests and the tithes to the needy, they are primarily a fulfillment of God’s commandments. Like those that preceded them, their primary importance is as part of the divine service. This day, the Lord your God is commanding you to perform these statutes, the commandments that you cannot comprehend, and the ordinances, which can be comprehended logically, and you shall observe and you shall perform them with all your heart, and with all your soul. Ensure that you perform each commandment at the proper time, in the appropriate place, according to the required measure, and with total dedication.

אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה הֶאֱמַ֖רְתָּ הַיּ֑וֹם לִהְיוֹת֩ לְךָ֨ לֵֽאלֹהִ֜ים וְלָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר חֻקָּ֧יו וּמִצְוֺתָ֛יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃

Even commandments that have social value should not be performed merely from the goodness of one’s heart. You should perform them because you have elevated God’s status in the world, and honored the Lord today by choosing Him to be your God . Alternatively, the verse means that you have crowned Him today to be your King and your God. And this obligates you to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and to heed His voice.

וַֽיהוָ֞ה הֶאֱמִֽירְךָ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם לִהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְלִשְׁמֹ֖ר כָּל־מִצְוֺתָֽיו׃

And likewise, the Lord has elevated you today. This relationship is mutual: You worship God alone and proclaim His unity, and similarly, He has chosen you alone, to be a people of distinction for Him, a unique nation, as He spoke to you before giving you the Torah: “You shall be distinguished for Me from among all the peoples.” And God also elevated you by choosing you to observe all His commandments.

וּֽלְתִתְּךָ֣ עֶלְי֗וֹן עַ֤ל כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה לִתְהִלָּ֖ה וּלְשֵׁ֣ם וּלְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְלִֽהְיֹתְךָ֧ עַם־קָדֹ֛שׁ לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃ (ס)

To place you uppermost over all the nations that He made, for your praise, and for your renown, and for your splendor, and for you to be a holy people to the Lord your God, as He spoke, on the same occasion, before giving you the Torah: “You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.”