The midrash Tanhuma comments on this: Moses saw that in the future the people of Israel would live in exile and the first fruits ritual would be abolished. Moses decided to institute the three daily prayer services to take the place of the first fruits ritual.

            The Sefat Emet, the Hasidic master, comments on this: that the farmer bringing the first fruits says: “I acknowledge this day, ha-yom”. This is essential because firstness is not a once a year event. Firstness happens each and every day. For the Sefat Emet, the world is recreated anew each day as we say in the morning liturgy---ha-mehadesh be-khol yom ma’asei bereishit—that God renews the work of creation every single day. We too are part of that re-creation. The Sefat Emet describes humans as a beriah hadasha—a new being. We are not the same old same old person we were yesterday. 

            Our problem is that is not how we experience the world or ourselves. For us, the words of Ecclesiastes seem true: There is nothing new under the sun. Instead, the Sefat Emet believes that each of us can connect to the spark of light that is within us and reveal the deeper reality of the world ---that holiness and light are waiting to be revealed both by changing our perception and by our doing deeds of caring. This will lead to being fully present to this moment and the potential to be a beriah hadasha: a new person. That is why it is written "this day” hayom meaning, to find the aspect of "this day" which consists of the uncovering and of revealing the light.

            We may not believe that we are a completely new creation each day, but it is true that we are not the same person that we were yesterday. Our body is always in process—cells die and new cells are born. Each day also adds to the storehouse of the experience of our lives. This notion of daily renewal can be a powerful encouragement to engage in the process of teshuvah despite our previous lack of success.