This week's parshas is Parshas Ki Tavo, and you will learn about the topic of Bikurim.


        You have an imagination, right? Let's just pretend that you are a farmer in Eretz Yisrael (Israel). You own grain fields, vineyards, and fields of vegetables. The crops are starting to come up from the ground. One day you come by to check on your crops and you see a golden stalk of ripe barley. This barley belongs to Hashem, and you have to bring it to the Bais Hamikdash (The Holy Temple) as "Bikurim". You go and get a piece of string and come back and tie the string around the first barley so this way you know which stalk ripened first. When harvest comes you put the stalk aside.


        If you have a vineyard you should check it too, and when you see the first grape then you should also tie a string around it. What if there are several grapes that ripen at the same time? If several grapes ripen at the same time only one of them need to be set aside as "Bikurim". You might even have an apple tree or a field of potatoes, but you do not bring "Bikurim" from this tree. Why is it that you do not bring "Bikurim" from an apple tree or a field of potatoes? The answer is that there are only seven kinds of fruit that Eretz Yisrael (Israel) is famous for. Which are: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Pomegranate, Figs, Olives, Dates


         Bikurim is only brought from these varieties. These seven crops do not all ripen at the same time. When one ripens it is tied around with a string marking it and it is set aside until all of the kinds of crops that you have and can do "Bikurim" on are ready. When ready you may bring the crops to the Bais Hamikdash (The Holy Temple) as "Bikurim". If you scared that the fruit will spoil or get bad you may dry it. This makes it still usable. For example, when grapes are dried they become raisins.


        If you give someone a gift you would wrap it nicely. "Bikurim" is a gift for Hashem and must be arranged nicely and brought to the Bais Hamikdash (The Holy Temple) anytime between Shavuos and Chanuka.


        We bring Bikurim to Beis Hamikdash every year, except of the Shmita Year. That year the products are "hefker", they do not belong to anyone, so one cannot bring Bikurim in the Year of Smitta.