ועתה הנה הבאתי את ראשית פרי האדמה…(דברים כי תבא כו:י)

And now, behold! I have brought the first fruit of the ground…

Harav HaKodesh Reb Aharon of Benedkovitz zt’l (a brother from the Imrei Yosef of Spinka zt’l) once visited Maran Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz zt’’l and noticed a basket full of big and beautiful garlic on the table.  Maran Rebbe Yehoshua picked up a head of garlic, fondly held it in his hand, and placed it back in the basket, and repeated it with other heads of garlic.

Maran Reb Yehoshua noticed Reb Aharon’s bewilderment and said, “Before you came here, a Hungarian Yid brought me this beautiful basket of garlic, and the Yid surely thought he was bringing me Bikurim (the first fruit that grows.) Since he thought it was Bikurim, this garlic is truly worthy and should be prominently displayed on my table.” Maran then inquired about Hungarian garlic’s worthiness and added, “Although Bikurim are the first fruits from the Shivas Haminim, however, since the Yid thought he is bringing me Bikurim, then it doesn’t matter to me what he brings as Bikurim, even garlic.”

When Reb Aharon left Maran’s home, he searched for the Hungarian Yid and asked why he specifically brought garlic? The Yid answered, “I own many orchids in Hungary, but when I come to Belz, I always bring the nicest fruit from my crop. Since the Gemara says (כתובות קה), ‘one who brings a gift to a Talmid Chacham it’s as if he has brought Bikurim.’ And since the garlic grew the nicest this year, I brought it as Bikurim to Maran.”

Reb Aharon asked him if he had told Maran that it was Bikurim.  The Yid replied, “When I gave Maran the garlic, I didn’t say anything; I just thought to myself that it’s considered Bikurim

Filed under Parshas Ki Savo | The Mittler Rav