The Sefer Chareidim writes, "The mitzvah of Bikurim is to remind people to praise Hashem. They shouldn't complain like the unsatisfied people who cry and complain their entire lives, as though they don't have anything. Actually, everything in their life is good."
The Kav HaYashar (18) writes, "Everyone experiences miracles. Especially in recent times, when there is so much strife and hardship in the world, things are perpetually becoming worse – evil decrees, war, hunger, people in captivity, distress, and various diseases. When Hashem saves a person from all these tragedies, he should continuously think about Hashem's kindness. Anyone living with peace and security and parnassah must praise Hashem."
The Beis Yisrael zt’l says the mitzvah of bikurim is written towards the end of the Torah to tell us that even if a person transgressed the entire Torah, he can begin his avodas Hashem now. Just as the new fruits become a mitzvah, his avodas Hashem can begin anew, now.
Particularly, in Elul, at the end of the year, we should praise Hashem for all the kindness we enjoyed throughout the year. Therefore, we read about bikurim in Elul because Elul is an ideal time to recognize Hashem's kindness and praise Him.
Some people experienced difficulties over the past year, yet they were showered with an abundance of chesed, too, and they should praise Hashem. A hint to this is in the word ל"אלו which is roshei teivos for ועתה 1) ,תפרארתך שםל מהלליםו ךל נחנוא מודים אלקינו Divrei HaYamim 29:13) "And now, Hashem, we give thanks to You, and praise Your glorious Name." And ל"אלו is roshei teivos for (Shemos 15:1) 'הל שירהא אמרל יאמרוו, "They said, 'I will sing to Hashem."
Another hint that Elul is a time for gratitude is (Tehillim 100:3) הוא אלקים הוא 'ה כי דעו מרעיתו וצאן עמו אנחנו ולו עשנו, "Know that Hashem is G-d; He made us, and we are His people and the flock of His pasture." The word לו is read, but it is written as לא. The letters spell ל"אלו. This kapitel speaks of joyous praises to Hashem, so we have another hint that in Elul, we should praise Hashem with joy.
There is an important factor to remember when you review the year and count your blessings. We don't only praise Hashem for the wonderful things that happened to us (like when someone made a lot of money, or when someone ill became well, etc.). We also praise Hashem for protecting us from tzaros. We praise Hashem for protecting us from something that could have been so much worse.
The Mishnah (Avos 5:5) lists the ten miracles in the Beis HaMikdash. None of them are for something good that occurred. They are all that we were saved from tzaros. For example, among the ten miracles are: "No woman miscarried, the meat of kodshim didn't spoil, there was no fly in the meat room, and rain didn't put out the fire on the mizbeiach." These are called miracles, and one should praise Hashem for them. This is hinted in the words (Tehillim 107:1) כי 'לה הודו טוב, that we don't solely praise Hashem when there was a problem, and we were saved. We praise Hashem when everything is good, too.
There are many kindnesses that Hashem bestows on us that we aren't aware of. We must praise Hashem for those, too. The Ropshitzer Rav zt'l (Zera Kodesh, Toldos, ה"ד ויעתר) writes in the name of his father, Reb Menachem Mendel of Linsk zt'l, "One must praise Hashem for the kindness Hashem bestows on him all the time- all types of kindness, the revealed and concealed. This is as Chazal (Yoma 22:) say, מרגיש ולא חלי לא כמה סייעיה דמריה גברא, 'How little does the person need to be concerned and worried, a person whom Hashem helps him.'"
A bachur, a yasom, needed to leave the yeshiva and go work to support his mother, an almanah. His Rosh Yeshiva, Reb Yehudah Zev Segal of Manchester zt'l advised him, "Every night when you daven Maariv, and you say the words עמנו יום שבכל נסיך על, I want you to think of a miracle that happened to you that day." This bachur is today a chashuve Yungerman in London. He says, "For forty years, every night I do what my Rosh Yeshiva recommended, and I can testify with a full mouth that there wasn't one day all these years that I didn't find some miracle to praise Hashem for."
Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt'l told of a segulah to be saved from all worries. One should write on a paper all the kindness that Hakadosh Baruch Hu does for him, and when he says Modim in Shemonah Esrei, he should remember all those points and thank Hashem for them. Reb Shlomo Zalman noted that this is ומנוסה בדוק, a proven and true segulah to free a person from all worries.
When one brings bikurim, there are words of gratitude that he must say in the Beis HaMikdash (26:3-10), and he must say them loudly. It states (26:5) וענית, and Rashi says that he should raise his voice and say these words loudly. The Beis Yisrael explains that just as when he had tzaros, he shouted them out before Hashem, now when he is recounting his chasadim and his salvation, he should also express his praise out loud.
There seems to be a contradiction in the pesukim whether Hashem will bestow His favors on us when we don't deserve it. One pasuk (Devarim 10:17) states פנים ישא לא אשר, that Hashem doesn't shine his countenance on us if we don't deserve it. But it also states (Bamidbar 6:26) אליך פניו 'ה ישא, "Hashem will shine his face on you." The Gemara (Brachos 20) says that the malachim asked this question to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and Hashem replied, "How can I not favor the Jewish nation? I commanded them וברכת ושבעת ואכלת, that they only have to bench (after a meal) if they eat until they were satisfied, but they are machmir on themselves, and they bench after eating a kezayis or a k'beitzah." This hints at the times that the Jewish nation is still hungry, when all their needs don't seem fulfilled. Nevertheless, they praise Hashem for what they received; therefore, Hashem shines His countenance on them.
A granddaughter of the Birkas Avraham zt'l of Slonim sighed and said "Oy" when experiencing a difficult time. Her grandfather told her to say, "Oy du" (you, in Yiddish). Together, Oydeh is אודה to praise Hashem because when you know that your hardships come from Hashem, you will praise Hashem.
The Midrash (quoted in Orchos Yosher, Gemilus Chasadim) tells the following story:
A talmid chacham was traveling with an innkeeper when they met a poor, blind man collecting money on the outskirts of a city. The talmid chacham gave tzedakah, and he urged the innkeeper to do the same, but the innkeeper replied, "You know him, so you gave him tzedakah. I don't know him, so I won't give him anything." The talmid chacham replied, "That is your choice."
They walked further, and the malach hamaves appeared and said, "I am the malach hameves." They were very afraid. The malach hamaves told the talmid chacham, "You gave tzedakah, so your life will be spared. You will live another fifty years." The malach hamaves said to the innkeeper, "But for you, your final day has arrived." The innkeeper replied, "We traveled together. Is it right that he should return home and that I should die?" "Yes, it is fair," the malach hamaves replied. "He deserves to live since he gave tzedakah." "Let me give tzedakah now!" The malach hamaves explained to him that it was too late. He lost his opportunity. The innkeeper said, "Before you take me, allow me to praise Hashem for all the kindness He has done for me throughout my lifetime." The malach hamaves replied, "Since you want to praise Hashem, years have been added to your life."
We learn from this story the great benefit of praising Hashem. Tzedakah couldn't save him, but praising Hashem saved his life.
