והיה כי תבא אל הארץ, “it will be when you come to the Land, etc.” seeing that Moses had told the people in Deut. 25,19 that the commandment to wipe out Amalek would apply only after Hashem had given the people rest from all their enemies, he has to tell them here that what follows applies as soon as they enter and make their homes in the Holy Land. Some notable commandments that become due as soon as they will reap harvests in that land, are: the bringing to the Temple of the first ripened fruit of the seven species for which the land is famous, tithing the grain harvest by giving the Levites their share, inscribing the text of the Torah in the stones of the Jordan river, building the altar, as well as reciting the blessings and curses detailed in chapter 27,12-26 on the two mountains designates for this.

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה, “you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground;” the reason why the Torah repeats this commandment which had appeared already in Exodus 23,19, is to list the commandments in a certain order.

מראשית, from the first,” Rashi emphasises the importance of the letter מ i.e. “from,” as opposed to “all.”It is not even necessary to bring the entire fruit only part of it. [My version of Rashi, does not have this, but states that the farmer may designate the respective fruit before it has fully ripened. Ed.] An alternate interpretation: the word מראשית does not describe a time but describes quality, i.e. the best of these first fruit is to be brought to the Temple. The word ראשית appears in this sense of quality also in Jeremiah 2,3 ראשית תבואתו, “the best of His harvest;” [G-d comparing other nations to Israel whom He had chosen. Ed] The prophet Amos in Amos 6,6 also uses the word ראשית in that sense when he said: וראשית שמנים ימשחו, “and they anoint themselves with the choicest oils. Still another interpretation: the word מראשית means from the first in their respective category that have ripened, the very fact that they ripened earlier making those fruit superior.

כל פרי האדמה, “you are to bring these specimens in their original state,” i. e. when whole, not the wine you made out of the grapes, or the oil out of the olives, for instance. (Sifri)

ושמת בטנא, ”and you shall put it in a basket;” it should be presented in a dignified manner.

והלכת אל המקום, “and you will go to the place, etc.;” the owner of the first ripened fruit is to do all this himself, not through someone whom he designated in his place. This refers both to collecting the fruit from the tree or cutting it from the ground. When a King employs a servant to tend to his fields, he also expects that tenant to bring him his share personally, not to delegate someone else with performing that duty.

אשר יהיה בימים ההם, “who will be on duty during those days; he is not to wait until a relative of his who happens to be a priest is on duty and to give it to him.

הגדתי היום, “I profess this day, etc.;” I give thanks today for having been privileged to come to this country [or to have been born in it] the land that Lord your G-d had sworn to your forefathers to become ours. He has kept His promise, and I have received my share of it. Now it is my turn to tender a gift from its produce in order to demonstrate that it is He Who has given it to our people.”

ולקח הכהן הטנא מידך, “the priest will accept the basket from your hands;” the priest acts as the delegate of the king, i.e. Hashem, in this instance.

והניחו לפני מזבח ה' אלוקיך, “he will deposit it in front of the altar of the Lord your G-d.” If there is no altar, i.e. if the Temple is not standing, there are no bikkurim. (Sifri)

ארמי אובד אבי, “my forefather used to be a wandering Aramean;” this verse has been abbreviated. In full, it should have read: “Yaakov my forefather was a wandering Aramean.” While he was serving Lavan in Aram he was no better than a wandering Aramean, he had no house or land of his own; he was not even a resident in that country.”

אובד, “poor,” compare Proverbs 31,6, תנו שכר לאובד, “give liquor to the one who is perishing.”It is not astounding to find Yaakov referred to as Arami, as in Chronicles I 2,17 (יתר(ו is called Ishmaelite, although in Samuel II 17,24, he is clearly called Israelite.

ובמורא גדול, “and with awesome power,” compare Deuteronomy 7,19.

ארץ זבת חלב ודבש, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Just as the land flowing with milk and honey refers to only five of the seven Canaanite tribes where it is first mentioned in Exodus 13,5 so here too Moses refers to the areas of these five tribes. This is also the source of the statement of Rabbi Yossi ha’glili who ruled that firstling fruit could not be brought from produce grown on the east Bank of the Jordan because that area is not part of the land flowing with milk and honey [as the quality of the soil there did not lend itself to producing superior fruit].

והנחתו והשתחוית, “and you shall set it down and worship the Lord your G-d;” the verse teaches that these fruit have to be deposited twice. Once at the time the recitation is read, and once when the donor prostrated himself in prayer.

והשתחוית, “you will bow down,” as people do when taking leave of a superior such as a Rabbi.

כי תכלה לעשר, “when you complete tithing, etc.” this verse is also a repetition of Deut. 14,28; it is inserted here only on account of the confession as per verse 13: בערתי הקודש מן הבית, “I have removed everything that is holy (second tithe) from the house;”

ונתתי ללוי לגר וליתום ולאלמנה, “and I have also given to the Levite, the stranger the orphan and the widow.” This is not necessarily to be understood as cumulative, but you have given to any of the above mentioned categories of people.

בערתי הקודש, this is a reference to the bikkurim as these have to be brought to the Temple. Compare Mishnah in tractate Bikkurim 2,2: tithing and firstling fruit rules have something in common with one another which they do not share with T’rumah (2% of the grain harvest given to the priest as the first type of tithe) in that they require to be brought to Jerusalem, and that failing this they have to be destroyed.

לא אכלתי באוני ממנו, “I have not eaten from it when it was stolen property;” the expression און occurs in this sense in Job 20,10: ידיו תשבנה אונו, “his own hands must restore his wealth” (the illegally acquired wealth).

ולא בערתי ממנו, “neither I have destroyed any of it unlawfully;” בטמא, “nor have I eaten any of it while in a state of ritual impurity.” It is forbidden to make any use of the harvested grains before the tithes are separated.

ולא נתתי ממנו למת, “nor have I given any of it for the dead;” (a euphemism for given it to idols, i.e. “dead deities.”) I have given all of it to the living G-d, the King of the universe.

עשיתי ככל אשר צויתני, “I have acted in accordance with all that You have commanded me.” regarding first fruits and the tithes (of all that my fields produced).

ואת האדמה, “and the soil,” in order that You will provide the rain at the appropriate time so that I can continue to serve You with the same fervor next year, and fulfill all the commandments connected with ownership of this land.

את החוקים האלה, “these statutes.” The ones pertaining to the tithes and the firstlings of the fruit,

ואת המשפטים, “and the details surrounding these laws,” a reference to the details connected with the laws of tithing, such as not eating from these when in a state of mourning. (verse 14)

ושמרת, “you shall observe,” in your heart.

ועשית אותם, “and perform them, in the Holy Land.”

את ה׳ האמרת היום, “you have avouched the Lord this day;” you have singled out the Lord today; by accepting G-d’s commandments you, Israel, have adopted the Lord your G-d as your only deity. He has reciprocated by making you His special people, as He demonstrated by all the miracles He performed for your sake.

אמרת, according to Rash’bam,“you have become as if betrothed;” An alternate interpretation: you traded, exchanged; you have abandoned all other powers in nature by accepting Me as comprising all those forces combined. (seeing that I created all these forces.) He, in turn, has abandoned all attempts to directly educate the other nations by concentrating on you as His pilot project. [Some of these words are mine Ed.] [In order to understand this interpretation, the letter א in the words האמרת and האמירך have to be considered as non existent, something similar being the case in Jeremiah 32,21: ובאזרוע as well as in Kings II 4,2: דאסוך, and in Psalms 90,4: אתמול. A different interpretation: the word האמירך is an expression of admiration, praise, as in Psalms 94,4: יתאמת, ”will they indulge in self-glorification? [The psalmist speaks of the wicked. Ed.]

ולתתן עליון, “and to place you supreme;” where is the source for G-d doing this? Compare Deut. 28,13: 'ונתנך ה לראש ולא לזנב, “and the Lord will make you the head and not the tail.”