Introduction
In yesterday’s section we learned that the baraita which required one to waive the bikkurim and to sleep in Jerusalem overnight was the opinion of R. Judah. But today the Talmud offers another possibility as to the author of this baraita.
ודלמא רבי אליעזר בן יעקב היא? דתניא: +דברים כו+ ולקח הכהן הטנא מידך – לימד על הביכורים שטעונין תנופה, דברי רבי אליעזר בן יעקב.
מאי טעמא דרבי אליעזר בן יעקב – אתיא יד יד משלמים, כתיב הכא ולקח הכהן הטנא מידך וכתיב התם +ויקרא ז+ ידיו תביאינה את אשי ה’, מה כאן כהן – אף להלן כהן. ומה להלן בעלים – אף כאן בעלים.
הא כיצד? כהן מניח ידו תחת יד בעלים, ומניף.
But perhaps it follows R. Eliezer b. Yaakov, for it has been taught, "And the priest shall take the basket out of your hand" (Deuteronomy 26:4) this teaches that bikkurim require waving, the words of R. Eliezer b. Jacob.
What is the reason of R. Eliezer b. Jacob? He deduces it from the word "hand" occurring here and in the case of the shelamim-offering. Here it is written, "And the priest shall take the basket out of your hand," and there it is written, "His own hands shall bring the offering to the Lord," (Leviticus 7:3)—just as here the priest [takes it and waves it] so there the priest [takes it and waves it], and just as there the owner [brings and waves it] so here also the owner [brings and waves it].
How is this possible? The priest places his hand under the hand of the owner and waves it.
In this baraita we learn that R. Eliezer ben Yaakov also holds that bikkurim must be waved. He derives this from the fact that the same word "hand" is used in Deuteronomy 26:4 which discusses the bikkurim as is used in Leviticus 7:3, which discusses the waving of shelamim offerings. R. Eliezer b. Yaakov rules that for both offerings the priest and the owner together wave the offering before God.