Rashi, Deuteronomy 26:2
מראשית- ולא כל ראשית שאין כל הפירות חייבין בבכורים אלא שבעת המינין בלבד. נאמר כאן ארץ ונאמר להלן ) לעיל ח,ח ( ארץ חטה ושעורה וגו' מה להלן משבעת המינין שנשתבחה בהן ארץ ישראל אף כאן שבח ארץ ישראל שהן שבעה המינין: זית שמן-זית אגורי ששמנו אגור בתוכו: ודבש- הוא דבש תמרים: מראשית- ...אדם יורד לתוך שדהו ורואה תאנה שבכרה כורך עליה גמי לסימן ואומר הרי זה בכורים:
of the first but not all the first, because not all fruits are subject to [the mitzvah of] “firstfruits”-only the seven species [for which the land of Israel is noted]. Here, in our verse, it says the word , “land,” and there [in the verse describing the praise of Eretz Israel], it says,“A land ( ) of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil-producing olives and honey” (Deut. 8:8). Just as the earlier verse (Deut. 8:8) is referring to the seven species through which Eretz Israel is praised, here too, [the verse is dealing with] the praise of the Land. [Rashi proceeds to explain two expressions in Deut. 8:8, which are relevant to the mitzvah of firstfruits, in light of the connection taught by our Rabbis above:] oil-producing olives [refers to]“ olives,” [see Sifrei 26:2, meaning superior quality] olives that retain their oil, keeping it gathered ( ) [as it were] inside it. [Hence, it is the superior fruits which must be brought here]. — [Ber. 39a] [And in the same verse (Deut. 8:8):] honey That is the honey of dates. — [Sifrei 26:2] of the first [of all the fruit] [What is the process of taking these fruits?] A man goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a reed around it for a sign and declares:“This is the firstfruit ( )."- [Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1] [translation by Judaica Press]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

How did the bringing of first fruits sanctify the land and the food?

What can we learn from this today?

Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)