(Devarim 26:4) "And the Cohein shall take the basket from your hand": From here it was ruled: The rich bring (bikkurim) in baskets of silver and gold, and the poor, in wicker baskets of peeled willow, and the baskets are given to the Cohanim in order to favor the poor.
"from your hand": We are hereby apprised that the bikkurim require "lifting." (viz. Vayikra 7:30). These are the words of R. Eliezer b. Yaakov. "and he shall place it before the altar of the L-rd your G-d": So long as there is an altar (i.e., a Temple), there are bikkurim; where there is no altar, there are no bikkurim.
(דברים כו ד) וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן הַטֶּנֶא מִיָּדֶךָ, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: הָעֲשִׁירִים מְבִיאִים בִּכּוּרֵיהֶם בְּקַלָּתוֹת שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְשֶׁל זָהָב, וְהָעֲנִיִּים מְבִיאִים בְּסַלֵּי נְצָרִים שֶׁל עֲרָבָה קְלוּפָה, וְהַסַּלִּים וְהַבִּכּוּרִים נִתָּנִים לַכֹּהֲנִים בִּשְׁבִיל לְרַבּוֹת מַתָּנָה לַכֹּהֲנִים.
(Devarim 26:4) "And the Cohein shall take the basket from your hand": From here it was ruled: The rich bring (bikkurim) in baskets of silver and gold, and the poor, in wicker baskets of peeled willow, and the baskets are given to the Cohanim in order to favor the poor.
מִיָּדֶךָ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁטְּעוּנִים תְּנוּפָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב. וְהִנִּיחוֹ לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ יֵשׁ לְךָ בִּכּוּרִים, וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ אֵין לְךָ בִּכּוּרִים. וְהִנִּיחוֹ, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: נִגְנְבוּ אוֹ אָבְדוּ, חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתָם. נִטְמְאוּ בָּעֲזָרָה, נוֹפֵץ וְאֵינוֹ קוֹרֵא.
"from your hand": We are hereby apprised that the bikkurim require "lifting." (viz. Vayikra 7:30). These are the words of R. Eliezer b. Yaakov. "and he shall place it before the altar of the L-rd your G-d": So long as there is an altar (i.e., a Temple), there are bikkurim; where there is no altar, there are no bikkurim.