Musar su Esodo 23:19

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה . Rav Huna, commenting on the first verse in the Torah in Bereshit Rabbah 1,4, says that the universe was created in consideration of three merits acquired by Israel. They are: the merit of setting aside the חלה from their doughs, the merit of giving tithes, and the merit of bringing the first ripe fruit to the Temple. In fact, the reason that the word used by the Torah for describing the beginning of creation is בראשית, [and not e.g. בהתחלה] is that the legislation of חלה is described as setting aside מראשית עריסותיכם, "from the 'beginning' of your dough" (Numbers 15,20). The same word is also used in Deut. 18,4 in connection with the tithes. The expression is further used in connection with בכורים, as we know from our פרשה 26,2. The difficulty with this Midrash is why these three commandments should be so much more important than others to justify their being reported to be the reason that G–d created the universe. We have other easily understandable quotes about the word ראשית being equated with Israel and the world being created for the sake of Israel or for the sake of Torah. This special significance of the above-mentioned three commandments certainly needs elaboration! Another difficulty in the Midrash is the wording אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא חלה, which implies that the appellation ראשית is not accorded to anything else but חלה. How can the Midrash reverse itself immediately afterwards and state אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא מעשר? The Midrash compounds this by stating "אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא בכורים." How many things are there which qualify for the exclusive appellation ראשית? Another difficulty is that the verse (18,4) quoted by the Midrash as proving that the term ראשית applies to מעשר actually speaks of תרומה and not of מעשרות? Why does the Midrash not use the customary form for quoting a verse i.e. שנאמר, but instead says: כמה דאת אמר?