Here is a Friday morning question for you:
Many a bakery gives their leftover baked goods to homeless shelters at the end of the day as an act of charity. Do you agree that this is a good deed? Or would you say that since they would be throwing it in the trash anyway, they might as well give it away?
The same can be said for clothes ... and many other such in-kind donations.
Interestingly, the Torah’s perspective is that if you really mean to do a Mitzvah, you should give away the “first” - a small portion – and do so happily. This way you are truly showing that you know where your blessings come from. Then, at the end of the day, you can and should give with abundance.
However, this begs the question, why?
Before I answer, let me fill you in about this law. The Torah teaches us about Bikurim, the laws about the “First Fruits.” In Temple times, Jews would bring the first of their fruits to Jerusalem and eat them there as a “gift to G-d," demonstrating that they understood the growth that occurs in the fields is all thanks to G-d.
Why is it important for us give a "gift" to G-d? Does G-d really need our gifts?
The question is not really about what G-d needs; it is more about us. Why do we have to show G-d that we appreciate what He does for us?
By showing our appreciation, we are not only recognizing that all of our blessings come from G-d, we are actually drawing down His blessings into our world, by “sending” them back up.
Let me explain: G-d provides us with a blessing. When we show G-d that we recognize that blessing, we are "returning" the favor, and hence get a renewed and a greater blessing in return.
We learn this from the prayer that we say while bringing our first fruits—we mention the miracles that G-d provided to Jacob while in Laban's home, and the miracle of the exodus from Egypt.
Why these two miracles when there were other times that G-d performed miracles as well?
These two miracles occurred while there was stability in the life of the Jews, during the 20 years in Aram and the 210 years in Egypt. During both of these times, the peace was challenged and both times the Jews were saved from calamity.
The Jews brought the Bikurim only after the Jews settled in the land of Israel and it was a peaceful time. At that point they were able to recognize that not only did G-d provide them with a blessing, they wanted to recognize it and capture the blessing by giving back.
This type of giving back is not with words, but through action! While we are working to earn a living, we take that earning and use it to give thanks to G-d.
That is why it is important to “sandwich” our livelihood with a gift to G-d.
Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.