There was an interesting enactment mentioned in the Mishnah[1] that related to the bringing of bikkurim to the Beis Hamikdash. Part of the mitzvah involves reciting a collection of verses which describe briefly the history of the Jewish people, from their humble origins as slaves in Egypt until this special time when they are in their land.^[2] However, as the Mishnah recounts, not everyone who brought the fruits was capable of reciting these verses by themselves, for some of them did not know how to read. In response to this, the kohanim were made available for these people so that the kohen would say the words and the farmer would repeat after him. The Mishnah continues that, after a while, the Sages instituted that everyone should have a kohen say the words before them, regardless of whether or not they could read, so as not to shame those who could not read the words themselves.

The following Mishnah[3] describes the different types of baskets that people used to bring their bikkurim in, for the purpose of beautifying the mitzvah. Those who were of means would bring the fruits in baskets made of silver, while those who could not afford such costly vessels brought them in baskets of straw. The question arises: Why do we not find a parallel follow-up enactment, similar to the one mentioned above, namely, that everyone should bring the fruits in a straw basket so as not to embarrass those who did not have silver ones?

By making an enactment in the first case, but not the second, the Sages were communicating a crucial lesson. In stipulating that everyone should have a kohen read before him, two things were achieved. Firstly, this spared anyone who did not know how to read any shame while reciting this section. Secondly, it let people know that not knowing how to read Hebrew is something that is worth being ashamed about. This is the beauty of the “non-enactment” regarding the materials for the vessels. No one was spared the shame of not bringing their fruits in a silver basket, to teach us that not having silver baskets is no cause for shame.^[4]

[1] Bikkurim 3:7.

^[2] See Devarim 26:5–10.

[3] Ibid. Mishnah 8.

^[4] Heard from my father, Rabbi Isaac Bernstein, zt”l.