And you shall answer and say before Hashem your God: An Aramean sought to destroy my father, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation — great, mighty, and numerous.
English: “And you shall answer” — originally, anyone who knew how to read would recite, and anyone who did not know how to read would be prompted; people refrained from bringing. They therefore enacted that everyone would be prompted.
In Yerushalmi: The verb “answer” implies a responsive reading. To remove embarrassment and keep the mitzvah alive for all, the practice became universal prompting: the official reads and every bringer repeats.
Type of Learning
Custom (diyuk on “ve’anita” + historical enactment).
What Is Learned
Mikra bikkurim is performed by prompting so that no one is shamed and all continue to bring first fruits.