Show Your Gratitude and Appreciation by Including Others in Your Simcha

Bikkurim is basically a Mitzva of Hakaras HaTov, and when you bring them, you thank and thank, by saying: אֲ ר מ יְ אֹּ ב דְ א ב י Hashem saved my father from the Arami, etc. And you include the poor in your Simcha, like it says: ו ש מ ח ת ְב כ לְה טּוֹבְאֲ שֶ רְנ ת ןְל ךְְה'ְְאֱ לֹקְֶיךְוּל ב יתֶ ךְא ת הְְ ו ה ל ו יְ ו ה ג רְ אֲ שֶ רְ ב ק ר בֶ ךְְכוְ יא you shall rejoice together with the Levi and the Ger. We see that when you thank, you also give, as if to say: Since Hashem is so good to me, therefore I have to be good to others.

Perhaps Vidui Maaser is also an expression of thankfulness, as it says by Vidui Maaser: ת ְח ְמ ְש ְיְו ְש ְימ ְת ְח ְיְבוְֹ, I gave happiness to others, similar to Bikkurim, where you include others in your Simcha. I’m happy and thankful, and therefore I include others. When you are thankful, you join others in your Simcha.

This is an important rule: Don’t just thank Hashem. Show your appreciation by acting like Hashem, and give others also.

When you read the Tochacha, you can get depressed. But the holy Torah gives you a way out: ת ח תְאֲ שֶ רְל ֹּאְע ב ד ת ְאֶ תְה'ְאֱ לֹקֶ יךְב ש מ ח הְְ תבאְ כחְ מז all you have to do is be thankful all day, and no Tochacha for you! And the more you thank non-stop, the less Tochacha in your life.

I know a Yungerman who, while he is busy thanking, things go better in his life, and as soon as he stops, he loses the good Hashpa'a (abundance).