Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, Head of the Yeshiva: I Am for My Beloved and My Beloved Is for Me
By Yeshivat Nahar Shalom Staff
I am for my belovedKi Tavo is the portion of the First Fruitsto break lustseverything is for the honor of HashemAni LeDodi
If a person gives his entire "I", all the desires he wants, for lusts, and for all his personal desires, gives the entire "I" to my Beloved, and you completely nullify everything to my Beloved— then a person needs to know that "and my Beloved is for me".

- We need to know and have rooted within us that everything is for the honor of Hashem, may He be Blessed
- First thing: "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me." You know what our Rabbis say?
- This week is the portion of Ki Tavo, the portion of the First Fruits (Bikkurim). What does a person love?
- Himself, the "I". Every little thing—what will happen with me, I.
- How, where will I get a house from, how will I manage, how will I eat, how the "I", "I", "I".
- Give the entire "I" to my Beloved. The moment the "I is to my Beloved" (Ani LeDodi)—
- then "my Beloved is for me" (VeDodi Li).
- If a person gives his entire "I",
- all the desires he wants, for lusts, and for all his personal desires,
- gives the entire "I" to my Beloved, and you completely nullify everything to my Beloved—
- then a person needs to know that "and my Beloved is for me".
- This is the great matter.
- You know, the portion of Ki Tavo is the portion of the First Fruits, to give... to break the lusts.
- That a person should break the desires of his heart.
- We tell a person: Listen, you grew, you made, you prepared— know for yourself, first thing,
- You need to know: the first fruit, your very first of everything, whatever you made—it is all the Holy One's, Blessed be He.
- All the first fruits, first of all bring it for the honor of Hashem, may He be Blessed, that is the first thing.
- And we need to know and have rooted within us, that everything is for the honor of Hashem, may He be Blessed.