So you walk into a new local kosher food establishment, and taped to the wall behind the counter is a whole collection of dollar bills. You’ve seen this dozens of times, in all types of stores, wherever you go. What is this ubiquitous custom all about? Wouldn’t the dollars be contributing in a more meaningful way towards the business’s bottom line if they were safely deposited in their bank account?

In this week’s Torah portion of Ki Savo, we find an interesting parallel.

A Jewish farmer has worked his land, toiling for months on end – clearing, plowing, planting, watering, fertilizing, trimming, pruning, hoping, praying, etc. His prodigious efforts and ingenuity have not been in vain. The fields are filled with a most bountiful harvest. He proudly surveys the tall straight rows of corn that seem to stretch for miles on end. His grape vines struggle under the increasing weight of their luscious ripening clusters. The farmer is quite pleased. Having invested the sweat of his brow, he will soon harvest his crop and reap the rewards of his intense and all-consuming labor.

At this gratifying moment the Torah offers a challenge: “Dear Farmer, who truly deserves the credit for your success? Is it you, who invested all the time, energy and worry, and who took the tremendous financial risks involved in an agricultural venture; or is it the Almighty, who has given you the ability to do so?”

The answer to this question goes to the heart of the relationship between man and his Creator. A good analogy would be a law firm with senior and junior partners. The senior partner founded the firm, developed the mission and by-laws, and established the client base. The junior partner is brought on board to help with the case load and to bring each case to a satisfying conclusion.

The Almighty, a.k.a. the senior partner, created a magnificent world, invested it with meaning and purpose, and filled it with unlimited opportunities for humanity, a.k.a. the junior partners, to perfect it.

I witness this phenomenon on a daily basis, as my wife – the closest thing to perfection in this world and the quintessential balebusta – takes raw ingredients and creates a never-ending assortment of delectable, mouthwatering, nutritious culinary delights.

G-d could have created the world in an already perfected state, but where would that have left us? What would remain for us to accomplish?

The Almighty, in His infinite wisdom and kindness, specifically created an imperfect world in order to give us the opportunity to be His partner, and delight in the success of our accomplishments.

So getting back to our farmer, of course he deserves credit for being the ultimate junior partner, but who gave him the agricultural opportunity to begin with? The Almighty, of course!

In this vein, the Torah tells the farmer, “You’re feeling really accomplished, as well you should. It is precisely now that you should take from your first fruits (your first “dollar bills”), the pride of your labor, and offer it up as a token of recognition to your senior partner, the very One who gives you the opportunity to be so successful. Please use the occasion of this joint success to further strengthen your relationship with your partner, the Almighty.

We are all partners with the Creator. May we recognize the opportunities for greatness that our Senior Partner bestows upon us, and may we merit to have unlimited success in perfecting the world and furthering our relationship with Him. Amen!