[Avodah] Hashem your G-d

[Zvi Lampel]

>
>
> From: Akiva Miller <akivagmiller at gmail.com>
>
> In the Bikkurim procedure, the farmer says to the kohen, "I declare today
> to Hashem your G-d that..." (Devarim 26:3)
>
> Why does he say "your G-d" instead of "my G-d"?
>
 This may happen elsewhere too,

I think the idea is that some people have hasagos of Hashem that are higher
than those of lesser people. The lesser person recognizes this, and refers
to Hashem as perceived by the higher person. This is why we refer to the
G-d of Avraham, etc. Therefore, the layman refers to the G-d of the Kohane,
whose biblical role is to teach of Hashem and His Torah and therefore
conceptualized Hashem more accurately.

(I would have to concede that at first sight this does not work in
cases where the person bringing the Bikkurim is actually greater than the
Kohane. One can answer that it's a matter of *lo plug, *using a fixed
formula for everyone at all times, following the normal situation. Or I
would modify my explanation to say that the Kohane may not necessarily have
a higher conceptualization but, through his avodah, a unique one not shared
by others, which is relevant to the Bikkurim bringer in his role as such.)

but this case stands out because the form
> changes later on in this speech, when the farmer tells how "we cried out to
> Hashem, the G-d of *our* ancestors..." (Devarim 26:7) Why the contrast?...
>

I think the above explanation works to explain this. In fact, note that the
farmer is referring to the G-d of our "ancestors," meaning G-d as
understood by the avos.

Zvi Lampel
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