In Parshas Ki Savo we encounter the phenomenon of happiness three times. I'd like to share with you some of the treasures contained within these verses.
The parsha opens with the two Biblical mitzvos of bikkurim – first fruits. First, the farmer was to take of the seven species for which the Land of Israel is praised (Devarim 8:8) and "bring the first of the fruits to the Beis HaMikdash." The second mitzvah is the recitation of a paragraph of thanksgiving, in which the farmer thanks Hashem not only for a bountiful harvest but also for guiding Jewish history and bringing us to Eretz Yisrael.
It is striking that the first time the Torah mentions simcha – happiness – is at the conclusion of bikkurim: "V'samachta b'chol hatov - you shall rejoice with all the goodness that Hashem, your G-d, has given you" (26:11). We begin with a handful of grapes, a pomegranate, or a fig, and from there expand our gratitude to Hashem for all that He provides. The phrase "you shall rejoice" functions both as a prophecy and as a charge to the Jewish people. The farmer, realizing that success comes not from his toil alone but from Hashem's blessing, extends that recognition to every dimension of his life.
This, I believe, is the essence of tefillas Hallel. The chapters of Hallel (Tehillim 113–118) traverse past, present, and future: beginning with the Exodus, moving through our spiritual growth, praying for the nations to know Hashem, thanking Him for ongoing providence, and culminating in the universal recognition of Hashem with the coming of Moshiach. Rav Soloveitchik zt"l explained: once we begin praising Hashem, "we cannot stop." Hence, v'samachta b'chol hatov – beginning with one bunch of grapes, we are drawn into endless gratitude.
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh adds a breathtaking insight on this verse, one made famous in a song by Rabbi Hillel Paley in Eretz Yisrael: if people truly felt the sweetness of Torah, they would "go mad" with joy, realizing that nothing in the world compares to its beauty and worth. They would literally "devour" it. Though the Torah often teaches through extremes, we can all appreciate the depth of the Ohr HaChaim's passion for Torah. All of this is contained in the command: "You shall rejoice with all the good."
The second mention of happiness appears in 27:7, on "Opening Day," when the Jewish people entered the Land of Israel. Large stones inscribed with the Torah greeted them, serving as a national mission statement: to live by Torah in the Land. The Torah continues, "You shall offer peace offerings, eat there, and rejoice before Hashem your G-d." Was the joy merely from a celebratory barbecue? Once again, Rav Soloveitchik explained: true rejoicing stems from the awareness that one is standing in the presence of Hashem. That realization itself is the wellspring of simcha.
The final reference to happiness comes in the middle of the terrifying tochacha: "Because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with joy and a good heart, when everything was abundant" (28:47). Rashi reads this as a failure to learn the lesson of bikkurim: beginning with small gifts but extending gratitude to Hashem for everything. Even when all our needs were met, we failed to respond with appreciation.
But perhaps the verse is saying something sharper: it is not merely that we forgot to smile, but that our mitzvos themselves became hollow, performed without passion or joy. Two women can light Shabbos candles. One stands in tears, praying deeply, sensing an intimate encounter with the Creator. Her neighbor lights hurriedly, says the berachah, and moves on. Both fulfilled the mitzvah – but what a difference joy makes. Two men put on tefillin. One kisses the batim automatically, out of rote. The other, as one kisses a child or grandchild, does so with heartfelt awareness of their preciousness. Both wore tefillin – but only one did so b'simcha.
The Tur, in his introduction to the halachos of Rosh Hashanah (Orach Chaim 581), records the astonishment of Chazal. When a person stands trial for his life, he dresses in black, unkempt, and terrified. Yet the Jewish people, facing judgment on Rosh Hashanah, dress in white, bathe, and cut their hair, confident that Hashem will bring salvation. Happiness here is not naïveté but optimism, rooted in faith that "Hashem, the Torah, and the Jewish people are bound together as one" (Zohar).