Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 26 (Parashat Ki Tavo)

Devarim 26:1

וְהָיָה כִּי-תָבוֹא אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ

. .

And when you enter the land which God your Lord is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it,

Devarim 26:2

וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל-פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ--וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם

. . . . . .

then take from the first-fruits of the earth's produce which you bring in from your gardens, which God your Lord is giving you, and place it in a basket, and go with it to the place which God your Lord shall choose for His light to dwell therein,

Devarim 26:3

וּבָאתָ אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו הִגַּדְתִּי הַיּוֹם לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי-בָאתִי אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ לָתֶת לָנוּ

. . . . .

and go with it to the imām who serves in that time, and say to him: 'I have today given thanks to God your Lord, in that I have entered the land which God swore to our fathers that He would give to us.'

Devarim 26:4

וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן הַטֶּנֶא מִיָּדֶךָ וְהִנִּיחוֹ--לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

. .

And the imām shall take that basket from your hand, and set it before the altar of God your Lord.

Devarim 26:5

וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט וַיְהִי-שָׁם לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל עָצוּם וָרָב

. . . . . . ]] ]]

Then begin and say before God your Lord: 'Laban the Aramean nearly destroyed my father; and he went down to Egypt, and settled there with a small company, and became there a great, mighty, and numerous nation.

Devarim 26:6

וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים וַיְעַנּוּנוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה

.

And the Egyptians dealt evil with us and tormented us, and laid upon us a hard service.

Devarim 26:7

וַנִּצְעַק אֶל-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת-קֹלֵנוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת-עָנְיֵנוּ וְאֶת-עֲמָלֵנוּ וְאֶת-לַחֲצֵנוּ

. . . .

And we cried out to God, the God of our fathers; and He heard our voice, and looked upon our weakness and our toil and our oppression.

Devarim 26:8

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְהוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמֹרָא גָּדֹל--וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמֹפְתִים

. . .

And God brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with great awe, and with signs and proofs.

Devarim 26:9

וַיְבִאֵנוּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַיִּתֶּן-לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ

. .

And He brought us to this place, and gave us this land — a land flowing with milk and honey.

Devarim 26:10

וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת-רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר-נָתַתָּה לִּי יְהוָה וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

. . .

And now, behold, I have brought the first-fruits of the earth's produce which You have provided me, O Lord.' Then place it before God your Lord, and bow down before God your Lord.

Devarim 26:11

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל-הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר נָתַן-לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--וּלְבֵיתֶךָ אַתָּה וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ

. . .

And rejoice in all the good which God your Lord has provided you — you and your household, and the Levite, and the stranger who is in your settlements.

Devarim 26:12

כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר אֶת-כָּל-מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁת--שְׁנַת הַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְנָתַתָּה לַלֵּוִי לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה וְאָכְלוּ בִשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְשָׂבֵעוּ

. . . .

And when you have finished tithing all the tithes of your yield — that being in the third year, the year of the completion of the tithes — and you have given it to the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow, and they have eaten of it in your settlements and been satisfied,

Devarim 26:13

וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן-הַבַּיִת וְגַם נְתַתִּיו לַלֵּוִי וְלַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה כְּכָל-מִצְוָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי לֹא-עָבַרְתִּי מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ וְלֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי

. . . .

then say before God your Lord: 'I have removed the consecrated things from my house, and I have given them to the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You commanded me; I have not transgressed any of them, nor have I forgotten that.'

Devarim 26:14

לֹא-אָכַלְתִּי בְאֹנִי מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא-בִעַרְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ בְּטָמֵא וְלֹא-נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ לְמֵת שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי--עָשִׂיתִי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי

. . . .

And the tithe which is mine — I did not eat of it in my grief, nor did I divert any of it to anything impure, nor for the needs of a dead person; rather, I accepted the command of God my Lord, and I acted according to all that You commanded me.

Devarim 26:15

הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן-הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת-עַמְּךָ אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָנוּ--כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ

. . . .

Look out from the abode of Your holiness, from the heavens, and bestow Your blessing upon Your people the house of Israel, and upon the land which You gave us — as You swore to our fathers — that it be a land flowing with milk and honey.'

Devarim 26:16

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְצַוְּךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה--וְאֶת-הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְשָׁמַרְתָּ וְעָשִׂיתָ אוֹתָם בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשֶׁךָ

. . . .

And know that God your Lord commands you this day to perform these statutes and ordinances; so keep them and act by them, with all your heart and your soul.

Devarim 26:17

אֶת-יְהוָה הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְו‍ֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו--וְלִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ

. . .

And you, even as you have made God your Lord sovereign over you — that He be your God, and that you walk in His ways, and keep His statutes and His commandments and His ordinances, and accept His command —

Devarim 26:18

וַיהוָה הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר-לָךְ וְלִשְׁמֹר כָּל-מִצְו‍ֹתָיו

. . .

so likewise has God made you sovereign, to be for Him a particular nation, as He promised you, and that you keep all His commandments,

Devarim 26:19

וּלְתִתְּךָ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִתְהִלָּה וּלְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאָרֶת וְלִהְיֹתְךָ עַם-קָדֹשׁ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר

. . . .

and that He set you high above the rest of the nations whom He created, in praise and in renown and in glory; and that you be a holy people to God your Lord, as He promised you.