וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גָר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃
너는 또 네 하나님 여호와 앞에 아뢰기를 내 조상은 유리하는 아람 사람으로서 소수의 사람을 거느리고 애굽에 내려가서 거기 우거하여 필경은 거기서 크고 강하고 번성한 민족이 되었더니
Tiferet Shlomo
Deuteronomy 26:3: What's the meaning of "kohen in those days"? Rashi says you only have the kohen in your time [you must choose a kohen who's your contemporary, regardless of his qualities]. However, [approaching the verse a bit differently] we need to understand first fruits. A Jew brings two or three dates in his basket [as an offering] and with these mere two dates he merits to say the proclamation [of thanks]. It is known that the tzaddik has the ability to raise the prayers to Hashem and through the tzaddik everything can be raised, and therefore the Torah commands the Jew to come before the kohen so that the tzaddik of the generation [the kohen] will elevate it. And it says that the kohen will take the basket from his hands (and, in Hebrew, "basket" is an acronym for "tune, vowel, letter," which corresponds to prayer), and it says you will place a basket before alter of Hashem so that the kohen will raise your offering and prayer to Hashem. The Torah continues with "you will proclaim and say" (ibid 26:5). "You will proclaim" [can be homiletically understood as] even though at times your were low and couldn't pray and learn [the relationship between the "proclaim" and feeling low:] ("proclaim," in Hebrew, is related to the word "poor"), and, although you are poor in Torah and prayer, you should continue. "...and say" (ibid 26:5) [can be homiletically understood as] you bring your learn and pray before Hashem, even though you bring "little of fruit", a few mere two dates, and it didn't ascend upwards: nevertheless, the tzaddik of generation will lift it [the prayer and Torah learning] all up.