“Then you shall go to the place from which HASHEM your God shall choose” (Dt.26:2)— that is, Shiloh [while it stood], or the Eternal Abode [while it stood].
2. “Now, when you reach the Priest who will officiate in those days” (Dt.26:3)— this is what R. Yose the Galilean taught: Now, can you imagine that you would go to a Priest who is not a contemporary? The point is, seek the rulings of a Priest who is eminently qualified among his contemporaries. If he had been kin to the litigants, but then lost the connection [e.g., through death], he is qualified to preside over the declaration. And in this connection, He states: “Do not wonder why the old days were better than today, for such a question does not proceed from wisdom” (Ecc.7:10).19Cf. T. RH. 2:3; Pisqa’ot 153.2, 190.3.
וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁטְּעוּנִים כְּלִי.
Pisqa’ 29818H:289; JN272
1. “And place it in a basket” (Dt.26:2).
This teaches that
First-fruits should be [presented in] a vessel.
וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ, זֶה שִׁילֹה וּבֵית עוֹלָמִים.
“Then you shall go to the place from which HASHEM your God shall choose” (Dt.26:2)—
that is, Shiloh [while it stood], or the Eternal Abode [while it stood].
(דברים כו ג) וּבָאתָ אֶל הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, זוֹ הִיא שֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי: וְכִי עָלְתָה עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ כֹּהֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּיָמֶיךָ? אֶלָּא כֹּהֵן שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר וּמֻחְזָק לְךָ בְּאוֹתָם הַיָּמִים. הָיָה קָרוֹב וְנִתְרַחֵק – כָּשֵׁר. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (קהלת ז י): ״אַל תֹּאמַר מֶה הָיָה שֶׁהַיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים הָיוּ טוֹבִים מֵאֵלֶּה״.
2. “Now, when you reach the Priest who will officiate in those days” (Dt.26:3)—
this is what R. Yose the Galilean taught:
Now, can you imagine that
you would go to a Priest who is not a contemporary?
The point is, seek the rulings of a Priest
who is eminently qualified
among his contemporaries.
If he had been kin to the litigants,
but then lost the connection [e.g., through death],
he is qualified to preside over the declaration.
And in this connection, He states:
“Do not wonder why the old days were better than today,
for such a question does not proceed from wisdom” (Ecc.7:10).19Cf. T. RH. 2:3; Pisqa’ot 153.2, 190.3.