This week's section begins with the mitzvah, the commandment, of firstfruits, bikurim in Hebrew. Simply put, it involves bringing the first fruits of the harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem once a year, usually before the festival of Shavuot. Hence its name, firstfruits, referring to the produce of the field.
Once there, the person would recite certain passages from the Torah that recount part of the history of the Jewish people and conclude by expressing gratitude to God for having given them good land and good harvests. These harvests were then given to the kohen (priest) who would eat them.
Now, from the produce of the field that grew after plowing, sowing, and other labors in the land, the first and best portions were to be taken, and instead of profiting from them, they were to be transformed into something holy by giving it to a Kohen. Here a complaint might arise: after so much effort invested, even if a portion must be given to holy matters, why must it be the best and most beautiful? Wouldn't it suffice to donate some other portion?
However, when a person meditates on this question, they will realize that its root comes from a lack of faith that the fruits of the earth were given by God.
Our sages coined the expression "believe in the Eternal Living One and sow." To understand this expression and, in turn, the motivation behind the producer's complaint about bringing in their first fruits, we must analyze what is happening in the producer's mind.
Outwardly, we see people sowing seeds in the land and crops growing. Beyond the mindset, feelings, and faith of the farmer, when he sows, something grows. Even a person who openly denies (God forbid) God's existence, when he sows, something grows. On the other hand, the true believer sows because he knows that God will make the crops grow, certainly through the soil, minerals, and other channels of nature predetermined in the Divine plan, but the true believer's motivation is different: he sows because he believes in God.
In other words, the non-believer attributes the growth of the crop to their own effort. Nature is, so to speak, forced to make the crop grow. There is an independent and autonomous force that automatically makes the seed grow. On the contrary, the believer knows that God is behind nature; it is merely a veil concealing the particular Divine Providence over each seed sown. (It should be clarified that God blesses the work of man; the believing farmer will not earn a penny if he does not work...).
The result is the same, the product of the field grows, but the motivation is diametrically opposed: the source of the blessing is the worker himself or God.
Returning to the question about the first fruits, it is clear that, if the true source of the produce of the field is God, it is logical that the best belongs to Him and is used to sanctify His Name.
This same concept should fill all aspects of life, from the first breath upon waking in the morning, including prayer, study, work, and other daily matters: the first and best belongs to God, because He is the one who gives us strength to grow.
""May they be registered and sealed for good, for a good and sweet year.".