APPRECIATION DAY

    How do you show appreciation to Hashem?  By giving Him all the credit after you do all the work.  Until now, it’s been easy.  We wake up in the morning, walk outside our doors and the manna is awaiting us.  As nightfall approaches, the quail flies overhead and we catch them and have meat to eat.  It is clearly from Hashem and we are constantly made aware of his control over the situation.  But, when we enter Canaan, all these miracles will come to an abrupt halt.  We will then have to farm our respective lands.  We will have to plow, plant, reap, etc all that we grow if we are to eat.   We will be in danger of forgetting who gave us all of our prosperity.  So, in order to avoid such a blunder, which will, of course, have deleterious consequences, Moshe explained the procedure that we will have to undergo every year starting around Pesach.  What we will need to do is to go through our fields and when we see the first fruits ripened, we will need to wrap a string around this fruit declaring it to be the bikkurim-first fruits.  This law will only apply to the 7 fruits that Canaan is praised for, namely, wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.  Then, anytime between Shavout and Sukkot, we are to put these fruits in a basket, bring them to the Kohain and declare that our success is only due to Hashem’s love for us.  We are also to retell our history, beginning with how Lavan tried to kill Ya’akov when he chased fter him, and how we were slaves in Egypt, finally to be redeemed by Hashem, who brought us to this land flowing with milk and honey. 

aThis procedure is to be done once a year and in a joyous way.  (That’s why this procedure is sandwiched between the holidays.)

   So I guess we have a lot to look forward to.  You know what they say, “Your reward is based upon the amount of effort expended,” so while we admit it comes from Hashem, it doesn’t mean that we can just sit back and wait for it.  We have to partners with Hashem, and who could think of a better partner.

 SO, IT’S WRITTEN IN STONE

   Moshe commanded us that upon crossing the Jordan River, we are to take twelve big stones and set them up on Mt Ebal.  These twelve stones will be inscribed with the entire Torah.  If that were not hard enough, it is to be done in all 70 languages of the world, so that anyone who wants to read of the greatness of Hashem could do so.  It must also be in legible script, so that one will not make a mistake in his learning, which could lead to disaster.  All these requirements will prove conclusively to all that this feat could have only been done with the assistance of Hashem, or in other words, via a miracle.  After that is done, then the writing is to be covered with soft plaster to protect the writing from the elements.  Obviously, one could ask, “By leaving it uncovered to the elements, wouldn’t that increase the miracles. After all, if the writing would not be harmed by the wind, rain, and sand storms, it would truly show that Hashem even guards stones from harm.” 

 The bottom line answer is that Hashem doesn’t want to train us to rely upon his miracles.  He wants us to do all that we could possibly do and then He will kick in and do the rest. 

 BLESSING & CURSES

   Moshe has informed us that upon entering Canaan we are to split into two groups.  The first group, tribes Lavi, Shimon, Yehuda, Yissachar, Yosef, and Binyamin will climb atop Mt Ebal and the other group consisting of tribes Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan, and Naphtali will climb up Mt Gerizim.  The Kohanim and the elders of the Levites will remain in the valley below and proclaim 11 curses and blessings to which each group will respond “Amen.”  When pronouncing the blessings, the Kohanim will turn towards Mt Gerizim, a mountain that is flourishing with flora representing the power of following the commandments.  When pronouncing the curses, they will turn towards Mt Ebal, a region that is barren representing the “reward” to those who break the law.