The beginning of Parashat Ki Tavo says,
“Take from the first fruit of your land…,” referring to the Mitzvah of Bikkurim, when we bring the first fruits to the Bet HaMikdash and proclaim aloud a Thank You for the year, for the fruits, and declare that we are happy with everything that Hashem gave us.
The Midrash says that the Torah uses the word
“ראשית Reshit/the first,” to indicate the first fruit, but it also connects back to the first word of the Torah בראשית Bereshit,
“Because the world was created for Bikkurim.”
That sounds like a heavy statement.
Rav Aharon Kotler explains that Bikkurim is about Hakarat HaTov, and recognizing everything that Hashem gives us, without any complaints or demands.It is appreciating Hashem hessed. That is the purpose of creation- To recognize Hashem’s Kindness, and thank Him.
The pasuk in Yeshaya ( perek מג, pasuk כא) says
עַם־זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ
I created this nation, they will praise Me.
Rashi says that the purpose of the Jewish people is to praise God.
We see this from Parashat Bo, where it talks about Yetziat Mitzrayim- the Ramban says there that the purpose of Yetziat Mitzrayim and all of the Mitzvot, is twofold: The first purpose is to believe in God, and the second is to thank Him. That is the purpose of creation- to believe in Him and to thank Him. Every Mitzvah that we do has in it, those two aspects-Belief and Thanks.
Regarding the pasuk from Tehilim,
וַאֲנִי ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי
I relied on your kindness
יָגֵל לִבִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ
I rejoice in Your salvation
אָשִׁירָה לַה׳ כִּי גָמַל עָלָי
I sing to Hashem, for He has been good to me
The Vilna Gaon asks: Why is singing to God brought into a pasuk with Bitachon?
The Gaon answers that for full bitachon, it’s not just enough that you rely on Hashem, but rather, when the salvation comes, you thank Him. That is Hakarat HaTov, and that is the purpose of creation.
Mizmor ק of Tehilim is called, the Mizmor L’Todah, the Song of Thanks. In that Mizmor we say,
דְּעוּ כִּי־ ה׳ הוּא אלקים
We should realize that Hashem is God, the One that is in charge of all forces.
הוּא־עָשָׂנוּ
He created us
ולא) [וְלוֹ] אֲנַחְנוּ
And (either) we didn’t create ourselves
(or) we are to Him (depending on how the word Lo is spelled- לו or לא)
The Sfat Emet says that if the words לו and לא are put together and rescrambled, it spells אלול- Elul, indicating that the job of Elul is realize לא אנחנו- it wasn’t us, and once we realize that, then לו אנחנו, we belong to Him
The underlying foundation of Thanks is the Emunah that Hashem is in charge of everything. He made us.
עמו וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתו
We are His nation, the flock that He tends.
That is the foundation of Thank you.
The amount a person thanks Hashem, is indicative of how much he believes in Hashem.
The Midrash tells us that Hashem said, Anochi Hashem- I am Hashem, Your God, that took you out of Mitzrayim. Believe in Me, and don’t be a Kafoy Tovah/ an Ingrate.
The Midrash says that a person who is an ingrate cannot accept Hashem as his king. So if we want Hashem to be our God, we have to appreciate that He took us out of Mitzrayim. Hakarat HaTov is part of accepting Hashem as King.
It is interesting to note that the 10 days of Teshuva correspond to the 10 Commandments. The first day, which is Rosh Hashanah, corresponds to the first commandment, which is Anochi Hashem Elokecha… I am Hashem your God, that took you out of Egypt.
Therefore, it is apropos that Rosh Hashanah is the day of appreciation, of Hakarat HaTov for what Hashem gives us.
Furthermore, the power of Hoda’ah/Thanks, saves us from difficulties and challenges.
The Ben Yehoyada in Pesachim tells us that when a person has a challenge, the merit of saying Hallel and thanking Hashem takes away difficulties.
The Pele Yoetz says, on the topic of Hallel, that whoever says Shira/ a song after experiencing a miracle, his reward is that he will experience another miracle.
Therefore, it’s appropriate to pause from time to time, to say thank you.
This is part of Bitachon, because if you really believe that everything comes from Hashem, when good things happen, instead of taking credit, you give credit to Hashem.
That is our job at the end of the year, in Parashat Ki Tavo; to dedicate this Shabbat as a Shabbat of Thanks. We should sit around the table and share all of the wonderful things that have happened to us.
Finally, I would like to share my Hakarat HaTov, by thanking Rabbi Ebstein of Lakewood for his weekly newsletter on Bitachon, which was the source for much of this information.
Have a Shabbat Shalom.