In the beginning of this week’s Torah portion of Ki Savo we find a discussion of the mitzvah of bikkurim [bringing the first fruits of one’s harvest to the Beis Hamikdash]. The Torah elucidate a whole declaration, that one who brings his bikkurim must make proclaiming gratitude towards Hashem. Part of the declaration we say every year on Pesach in the haggada at the seder: “My father was a wandering Aramean, who went down to Egypt and sojourners there as a small group. There he became a nation, populous and numerous. And the Egyptians treated us viciously, they oppressed us and imposed hard labor upon” (Devarim 26:5, 6).
Rabbeinu Bachye observes two opposite extremes in the pasuk. One has to declare how our forefathers went down to Egypt, lost with very little, being strangers in a strange land, and a very small group. What is worse was that they eventually were forced into harsh slave labor! Yet eventually they became a great nation, were redeemed with tremendous signs and miracles, and were ultimately brought into a land flowing with milk and honey!
Rabbeinu Bachye concludes with a very important lesson learnt from this proclamation: “The intention of the phraseology of this parsha is that a person is obligated to have in mind in times of good fortune and tranquility his times of downfall and submission that he went through. Similarly, it writes in Koheles (7:14) ‘In a good day it was with good and in a bad day he saw.’ The explanation to this is that in a good day one should see into the bad day in order to focus in on the additions that he has, and then he will give gratitude to Hashem The One Who Is Good and did good to him.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The pasuk in Koheles is literally saying that one should be pleased when things go well, but in a time of misfortune should be reflective. But Rabbeinu Bachye says what it means by this is that one should concentrate and focus on the bad times just as much as the good times. Not because one has to acknowledge Hashem in both good and bad circumstances, which is true, but Rabbeinu Bachye says that by focusing in the bad times while showing gratitude for the good times then the appreciation is even greater, since one will see the extent of his low state, and the great heights Hashem helped him or allowed him to achieve. This will instill in him a greater feeling of hakaras hatov, gratitude, towards Hashem for the rich state he is in now.
However, why does the end justify the means in this case? Is it not possible that focusing and concentrating so extensively on the nightmares and horrors of our past might create stress and anxiety in some people, and everyone who has the means to bring bikkurim also has this obligation of gratitude to be proclaimed when they give the bikkurim; so why is this reasonable? Furthermore, Rabbeinu Bachye seems to be saying that in general this is a proper way to show gratitude to Hashem, by not only focusing on the good Hashem does for you but the terrible, bad, and horrible times in one’s personal life. To see how far gone he or she was and the heights he or she is now at. Yet that can be quite scary to ponder and can trigger anxiety; so why not just focus on the good? Why is it worth it to also focus on the bad, to be able to compare and have a greater sense of hakaras hatov to Hashem?
It must be that no person would get stressed out and anxious when focusing on the horrors and lowest levels of our past, since it’s attached with the positive intent of expressing the greatest gratitude possible for all the good bestowed upon them. No matter how much of a picture one paints in his mind; in fact the clearer the picture imagined in one’s mind, or the memories that were remembered, the greater the appreciation will be! It won’t have any negative effect on them whatsoever.
Rabbeinu Bachye is saying that the Torah is teaching us that when one properly uses bad times to appreciate the good times then only positivity results.