A couple of years ago, a friend of ours planted a small garden on her balcony. It was nothing fancy—just a few herbs, a tomato plant, and some strawberries. But when that first tomato ripened, it was like magic. She held it up to the sun, marvelling at its bright red skin, and the weight of it in her hand. It wasn’t the biggest or the most perfect tomato, but it was hers—something she had nurtured from seed to fruit. She said it reminded her of the first fruits offering in the Torah, the ancient practice of bringing the best of your harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem. And even though she wasn’t bringing her tomato to the Temple, it felt like an offering of gratitude, nonetheless.

In our Torah reading for this week, we will read about the mitzvah of Bikkurim, bringing the first fruits of the land to the Temple as a gesture of thanks to God. The Israelites were instructed to bring the very first and best produce from their harvest, to acknowledge the source of their blessings and to share their abundance with the community, particularly the Levites and the poor. It was a profound moment of connection between people, land, and God.

Now, here we are, just a little over two weeks before Rosh HaShanah. And while we no longer bring physical first fruits to the Temple, the essence of this practice can still speak to us in a meaningful way. Bikkurim is not just about offering physical produce—it’s about giving from ourselves, it is about gratitude and dedication. It’s a reminder to pause and reflect on the fruits of our own lives. What have we nurtured? What are we grateful for? And how can we bring our “first fruits”—the best of what we have and who we are—into the world?

We may offer our creativity, our activism, our love, and our time as sacred gifts. In a world that often values speed and quantity, this moment before the New Year is an invitation to value quality—to bring forward what is most meaningful and heartfelt from within us.

May this last two weeks of 5784 be a time of harvest for us all, as we gather the best of what we have nurtured and offer it to build a kinder, more just, and more peaceful world.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Adrian