Modeh Ani - Part 3

We covered most of Modeh Ani in the last two segments and are now up to the last two words: “רבה אמונתך (rabbah emunasecha – abundant is Your faithfulness).” These words require understanding, since if we are referring to our great emunah in Hashem, the wording would have been different.

These words actually mean “great is Your emunah [Hashem].” What does Hashem have faith in? The answer is: Hashem has faith in us! If we woke up this morning, Hashem has faith that we can fulfill our unique role in His world today. The world cannot exist without us today. Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (1823-1900) writes that while most of us have emunah in Hashem, our struggle is really believing and internalizing how much Hashem loves us and how impactful our every action, word, and thought is. Hashem has given us the power and responsibility to have great impact on worlds we know nothing about, and on our world, klal Yisrael, and those closest to us. We start off our day reminding ourselves and working to internalize this important and motivating truth.

We have now come to a deeper understanding of Modeh Ani and a greater appreciation of the potential growth, inspiration, and motivation that a heartfelt Modeh Ani can have on our day and lives, over time. The question we need to address now is: How can we reap these tremendous benefits if we are half (or more!) asleep, when we are attempting to say it with mind and heart and not anywhere close to peak mental clarity?

I had the great z’chus many years ago, in my younger years, to sit in on the musar vaadim of mori v’rebbi HaRav Mordechai Finkelman shlita, Mashgiach Ruchani of Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim (Please listen to Rav Finkelman’s shiurim on these Tefilah Focus segments on TorahAnytime.com). I vividly recall him conveying and infusing so many crucial life lessons. One of those priceless lessons was: The day does not begin when we open our eyes in the morning. It begins the night before, when we go to sleep. What time we go to sleep and how we go to sleep plays a pivotal role in how we rise in the morning.

I am grateful to every one of you reading these segments because I know that I benefit so much from working on them. A good example is this segment. When I asked myself the question as to how we can garner the maximum benefit from my Modeh Ani, I recalled my rebbi’s guidance. For the last few evenings, before I said K’rias Shema/HaMapil before bed, I have been thinking about the Modeh Ani as if I am just waking up. I review the meanings we have presented, and I ask Hashem to help me wake up with enthusiasm and energy to be able to start my day with a strong Modeh Ani. I believe Hashem has blessed that effort with great results so that I can share this idea with all of you. I realize that I am powerless over everything in life, especially whether and how I will wake up the next morning. Turning to Hashem, asking His help before going to bed, followed by admission, recognition, gratitude, and commitment upon waking, is a powerful way to close and open our day.

Truthfully, as Rav Finkelman said, how we go to bed is all part of starting our day with energy, enthusiasm, yir’as Hashem, bitachon, remembering Hashem’s love, kindness, and faith in us, and commitment to serve Hashem with awe, love, and simchah for the upcoming day.

May we all merit to see great success in our avodah of Modeh Ani, and may that avodah motivate us to enjoy each day with dveikus b’simchah, realizing our potential in our unique role, for each day.