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First Words

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So, what does your day, as well as day of each person in general, begin with? Of course, with morning awakening. It's exactly to this very first moment of your new day beginning that the very first words pronounced by you refer to: "Mode (for girls - Moda) Ani Lefanecha, Melech Hai Vekayam, Shehekhezarta Bi Nishmati Behemla, Raba Emunatecha" ("I'm grateful to You, King Living and Eternal, for You, by Your Mercy, returned my soul to me, great is Your faithfulness" - Biblical language translation). This is expression of gratitude and thankfulness to G-d for that renewal of our body and consciousness they got due to dreaming and night rest.

The first thing we're convinced of when getting up in the morning, is we've woken up and we're alive. When we went to bed previous evening, we were tired and exhausted, "deadly" tired; but we get up refreshed with soul and body as if we were born anew. Of course, we must thank G-d for that.

Sages say each night we go to bed, our soul gets back to its celestial dwelling where it makes report about good and bad deeds it committed together with body during the day. That's why we recite in the prayer before bedtime: "B'yadcha Afkid Ruhi, Padita Oti A-donai, E-l Emet" ("Into Your hands I put my soul, You ransomed me, the L-rd, G-d of truth" - Biblical language translation). To entrust or to pawn is something what debtor gives to creditor for real security; usually creditor does not return the pawning unless debtor returns the loan. But G-d is very Merciful, and although we owe Him each day, He returns our soul to us each morning.

Moreover, Sages say: when somebody pawns, even a new thing, it gets older and worse by the moment of its return. But G-d returns our "pawning" to us as a new one and at reproachable state though it was "in use" as it's written: "They're new each morning; great is my faith into You". How much now we should be grateful to G-d.

By the way, the fact we go to bed being "deadly" tired and get up renewed, being back from the world of dreams, where we were unconscious - it's somehow like resurrection from dead and it strengthens our conviction of resurrection from dead to come, and it gives additional sense to words "great is our faith into You", for we absolutely believe in G-d not only as for returning our soul to us in the morning, but also as for returning our soul into our body at the end of days, when all deceased righteous among the nations get up from their "sleeping".

"Mode Ani" is pronounced right away after waking up from sleeping, even before getting up and washing, in a whisper, sitting at bed and slightly bending head forward, putting both hands onto the heart - right one onto left one.

Below is full text of "Mode Ani" (first words after awakening) and "B'yadcha Afkid Ruhi" (last words before bedtime) prayer in Biblical language with their English translation and transliteration of original reading.

מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה רבה אמונתך׃

Mo-de (for girls - Mo-da) a-ni le-fa-ne-cha, Me-le-ch Hai ve-Ka-yam, she-he-khe-zar-ta bi nish-ma-ti be-hem-la, ra-ba e-mu-na-te-cha

I'm grateful to You, King Living and Eternal, for You, by Your Mercy, returned my soul to me, great is Your faithfulness

בידך אפקיד רוחי פדיתה אותי יהוה אל אמת׃

B'yad-cha af-kid ru-hi, pa-di-ta o-ti A-do-nai, E-l e-met

Into Your hands I put my soul, You ransomed me, the L-rd, G-d of truth

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