Or: Modim, part II

In part I, we looked specifically at the word “Modim“, and how R Hutner shows it means here both “thanks” and “admission”. That the berakhah isn’t “simply” about thanking Hashem, but also an admission of our own limitations and our dependency on Him. (Deduce from the use of both “Lakh” and “al” — confessing to, and thanking for. And how this idea is central to Sheivet Yehudah‘s way of living the Sinaitic Covenant, and thus Judaism.

We saw the Gra took “HeKeil haGadol haGibbor veHanorah” to be four nouns, that we receive from Hashem in four ways. (And that this underlies the structure of Birchas Avos.) And that this also feels to me like a key part of the requests that are the heart of Shemoneh Esrei (i.e. the weekday Amidah), that we are asking for the “space”, repeair and perfection in four areas.

And so, it should be unsurprising that in Modim we thank and face our need to be dependent on Hashem for four things:

• עַל־חַיֵּֽינוּ הַמְּ֒סוּרִים בְּיָדֶֽךָ – for our life which are given over to Your control (literally: Your Hand).
• וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵֽינוּ הַפְּ֒קוּדוֹת לָךְ – and for our souls, which are entrusted to you
• וְעַל נִסֶּֽיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּֽנוּ – and for Your miracles which are which us daily, the things we dismiss as natural and take for granted because they’re daily: breathing, having a home, refrigerators, that we have food to put in them…
• וְעַל נִפְלְ֒אוֹתֶֽיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶֽיךָ שֶׁבְּ֒כָל עֵת עֶֽרֶב וָבֹֽקֶר וְצָהֳרָֽיִם – and for Your wonders and good things which are at all times. The miracles that we notice as miracles.

Iyun Tefillah says that the next words, “עֶֽרֶב וָבֹֽקֶר וְצָהֳרָֽיִם – evening, morning and afternoon” call back to the clause before this list “נֽוֹדֶה לְּךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ – we thank You and say Your prayers … evening, morning and afternoon.” Which fits taking this fourth thing we are thanking Hashem for as the special events, not those we think are natural because they are part of our daily routine.

Next Tefillah Meanings post: Modim, part III.