If we made a list of all the things that were provided to us before we even came into the world, the list would be a long one. No matter who we are or where we were born, coming into this world in the 20th or 21st centuries mean we have inherited hundreds of thousands of years of human development. We are the beneficiaries of technology far beyond what our ancestors could even imagine. There are countless other advantages we have received based on our family, our nationality, and our faith.
The first section of this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, features a ritual the ancient Israelites developed to acknowledge these many inheritances. It involves bringing the first fruits of their fruit bearing trees to the priest, and reciting a short passage describing the journey their ancestors made to arrive in the land they now inhabit. “My father was a wandering Aramean” (Deuteronomy 26:5), they declared to the priest, continuing by describing the way God led us out of Egypt with a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm,” leading us into “a land flowing with milk and honey.” You may be familiar with this passage, as it forms the basis of our Passover Seders.
If we were to list our own inheritances, what would they be? Where is our Egypt? Our land flowing with milk and honey? Today, more than ever, it is important to accept and account for the advantages given to us before we even came into the world, not to make us feel guilty, but grateful. The world is not an even playing field, but, perhaps, we can work toward making it one. As we head toward the High Holy Days, let us hold up our own first fruits with gratitude and appreciation. Knowing they are not ours alone, let us share them freely with the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex