Deuteronomy
Chapter 26
Ritual Prescriptions
When you come into the land which the Lord, your God, gives you as an inheritance when you possess it and dwell in it,
you shall take the firstfruits of all your harvests, place them in a large basket and bring it to the place chosen by the Lord, your God, as the dwelling place for his Name.
Present these to the priest who is in office and say to him, “On this day, I confess that the Lord, my God, let me enter into the land he promised our fathers that he would give us.”
Then the priest shall take the large basket from your hands and place it before the altar of the Lord, your God,
and you shall say these words before the Lord, “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt to find refuge there; while still few, he became a great and mighty nation in that country.
The Egyptians maltreated us, oppressed us, and subjected us to harsh slavery.
So we called to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord listened to us. He saw our humiliation, our hard labor, and the oppression to which we were subjected.
He brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, demonstrating his power with signs and awesome wonders.
He brought us here to give us this land flowing with milk and honey.
So now I bring and offer the firstfruits of the land which you, the Lord, have given me.”
You shall place these before the Lord, bow before him, and worship the Lord, your God. Afterward, you and your household shall feast on all the good things the Lord has given you and your family. The Levite and the foreigner who lives among you shall also feast with you.
On the third year, the year of tithing, when you have finished separating the tithes from all your harvests and have given them to the Levite, the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan, that they may eat within your very city until they are satisfied,
you shall say in the presence of the Lord, “I have brought out of my house the sacred share. I have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow according to your commandments without going against or forgetting them.
Of that levy, I have not eaten anything during mourning or removed any of it while I was unclean. I have offered nothing to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, my God, and done as he commanded me.
From your Sanctuary, from on high in the heavens, look down and bless your people, Israel, as you bless the land you have given us, just as you had promised to our ancestors, the land flowing with milk and honey.
On this day, the Lord, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today, the Lord has declared to you that he will be your God, so you shall follow his ways, observe his norms, commandments, and laws, and listen to his voice.
Today, the Lord has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments.
He, for his part, will give you honor, renown, and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to the Lord, your God, as he has declared.
Commentaries
Ritual Prescriptions.
The so-called “Deuteronomic Code” (chapters 12-26) ends with specific ritual instructions related to presenting the first fruits (1-11) and distributing the triennial tithe (12-15).
The presentation of the first fruits is accompanied by the personal recitation of what, according to many critics, is considered the oldest creed in Israel. The first fruits of a harvest symbolize economic well-being and enjoyment of the land. Additionally, Israel must preserve the memory of their origins, recalling their history of oppression and slavery in Egypt, where the only one who “remembered” them and “heard” their cries was the Lord. Not only did he remember and listen, but he performed marvelous wonders to free them from Pharaoh’s power and lead them to live in freedom in a fertile land. Only in freedom can one offer both the fruits of the earth and a renewed conscience to the Lord—one capable of undertaking new acts of solidarity and justice each day. In this same spirit of presenting the first fruits to God, while not forgetting our neighbor, the law of sharing at least every three years a portion of the harvest with the Levite, the outsider, the orphan, and the widow is established (12). Abundance and prosperity should not cause us to forget society’s dispossessed, as they are the most valued in the heart of God; sharing with them is the clearest sign of blessing.
The chapter concludes with the declaration of the Covenant’s primary commitment (17-19), summarized by Israel’s duty to be God’s people and God’s promise to be Israel’s God.