DEUT1482 The import of the Jubilee and sabbatical years, however, goes even beyond ownership of the land by the Deity. For these observances signify a reaffirmation by the Jew that the Deity is the primary factor in any economic success. A long list of mitzvot can be presented to demonstrate this idea, but perhaps the most interesting ones are those of the First Fruits (bikurim). Deuteronomy 26:1-11. To the farmer, the first fruits are very special, as they represent the beginning of a successful venture. Yet, the Torah obligated the Jew to take these first fruits to Jerusalem each year and present them to the priest. In itself, this presentation may not sufficiently demonstrate the concept of thankfulness. What does underscore it is the confession that accompanied the bringing of these first fruits. Every Jew was required to recite a confession at the Temple in which he described how an insignificant little family went down to Egypt, grew rapidly, but was enslaved and persecuted. It was only God’s love, and His power over the forces of nature and man, that redeemed this family (that is, Israel) from their slavery, carried them through the dangers of the desert, and brought them into the Land of Israel. The thankfulness expressed in the confession was for the God-given land, its fertility, its crops, and its first fruits, all granted simply through the grace of God. Nothing could be more indicative of Judaism’s teaching of man's utter dependence upon God for his economic welfare then this confession.