By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Devarim 26:1 it says that when the Yidden will enter Eretz Yisroel that which Hashem gave them they will inherit it and settle in it. Rashi says that from this passuk we see that there was no chiyuv of Bikkurim until after they conquered Eretz Yisroel and divided it. The Sifri adds that the Torah is saying that when you enter Eretz Yisroel and will do a Mitzva of Bikkurim which in the zchus of this Mitzva you will enter Eretz Yisroel. The Panim Yafos asks how could the Sifri say that they will enter in the zchus of Bikkurim if they were not mechuyav only after they entered Eretz Yisroel? One can answer that it would be like a person gifting his friend a Sefer on condition that he learns from the Sefer. So too Eretz Yisroel was give on condition that the Yidden are mekayem the mitzvah of Bikkurim! Even more so since when they will be mekayem the mitzvah they will have the zchus of living in Eretz Yisroel therefore based on the future they already can enter Eretz Yisroel.
The story goes as follows; that Yidden gave a tzaddik money so he should daven that the soldiers to leave the city. The next morning the army left the city. The people found out that the command came down from the King way before they gave the tzedakah to the Rebbe. The question arose whether they could get their money back? The Maharshampaskened that they do not get it back and it is not considered giving the money be’taus. His reasoning was that the king’s command was given that they should leave in the zchus that the Yidden will give tzedakah to their Rebbe. This sevara is like the above that the Yidden got to enter Eretz Yisroel because in the future they will be mekayemBikkurim. This would be a nafka mina if one promised tzedakah for the refuah sheleima of someone and then they find out that the person died before he promised the money the person would be exempt from paying as it is a neder be’taus. But if the person gets healed before the person made the neder the person making the neder would need to pay as it could very well be that in the future zchus of the neder is what caused the sick person to be healed even before the neder was made.
The Maharsham brought a proof from the Gemara Brachos 63b That Hashem blessed the household of Oved Edom HaGiti that his mother-in-law and eight daughters-in-law should each give birth having six babies in each pregnancy. The reason for this Bracha was because he showed respect for the Aron and the Sefer Torah. The question is: that the Aron was by Oved only three months so how could they have enough time to have six in a shot? We must say that since Hashem knew that the Aron will be there for three months therefore, he was zoche in advance to this Bracha.
We do see the opposite in the Trumas Hadeshen 280 the story was: That a tzibbur was gozer a taanis because of another tzibbur who lived far away that were in dire trouble and were in jail. After they fasted a half a day, they found out that the tzibbur was already freed a couple of days before, and they were free before the gezeira of the tzibbur. The Trumas Hadeshen paskened they do not need to complete the fast as it was a gezeira be’taus. So too it is paskened in Shulchan Aruch 569:2. This would contradict the Maharsham.
One could differentiate when it comes to schar we get it in advance but when it comes to onesh or gezeiros we do not get those in advance.
May we be redeemed already in the zchus of the Mitzvos we will be zocheh to do in the Bais HaMikdosh!
