Shemoneh Esrei 49 - Only You
מודים אנחנו לך
We gratefully thank You
In a shiur I once heard, it was suggested that each time we recite Modim, we think about some specifics to thank Hashem for, in order to personalize our thanks. While it is generally a beautiful suggestion, and clearly it is necessary to be specific in our thanks to Hashem, we would like to suggest that perhaps it is better not to think about specifics here in the early section of Modim. Here, we are acknowledging that we are totally dependent on Hashem for every facet of our lives. “חיינו המסורים בידך–Chayeinu ha’m’surim b’yadecha” stresses that every facet of our lives – both ruchniyus and gashmiyus – are “בידך–in Your hands” and not controlled by mazalos or happenstance. Wisdom (including wisdom in Torah), coming closer to Hashem, health, wealth, and every breath we take are all controlled by Hashem down to the last detail. We thank Hashem for the relationship we have with Him and for our total dependency on Him. Rav Avigdor Miller stresses the “לך–lach” and the “אתה–atah.” We thank only You Hashem because we recognize that it is only You. All other people or events that sometimes seem like the cause of something sweet or bitter that happen to us are only agents. Therefore, as we begin this section, we concentrate on the totality of our dependence and thanks, rather than anything specific.
Let us examine the words of Modim more closely: We acknowledge to You and thank You that You are Hashem Elokeinu (our G-d Who watches over us with hashgachah pratis) and the G-d of our forefathers and will continue to be our G-d l’olam va’ed (for eternity). In saying the above, we thank Hashem for the privilege of our unique and special relationship with Him, which will continue for eternity.
We skip now to “נודה לך ונספר תהלתך על חיינו המסורים בידך–nodeh l’cha u’n’sapeir t’hilasecha al chayeinu ha’m’surim b’yadecha.” We thank You, Hashem, privately, and we tell others (n’sapeir) Your praise. As in the brachah of רפאנו–R’fa’einu, “t’hilasecha” refers to the idea mentioned above that all praise is to Hashem because He is the source of all. All human beings, nature, events, etc. that appear as “causes” are only agents that carry out Hashem’s Will.
I was recently in a minor car accident. The other driver, a friend, had a brand new car that was now damaged and needed over $1,000 worth of repair and is the only car in the family. The accident was totally my fault. From the second he got out of his car, he smiled and said that this is from Hashem, don’t worry about it. Of course, I paid to get his car fixed, but an event that often leads to harsh feelings and words became a lesson in emunah and bitachon. How sweet life would be if we could only live with this reality every moment of our lives.
We tell of Hashem’s chasadim and g’dulah to arouse others to come closer to Hashem through praise and thanks. In fact, contemplating Hashem’s g’dulah in whatever minuscule ways that we can understand them, and remembering chasdei Hashem both to the klal and in our own personal lives, are two of the eleven mitzvos that Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei T’shuvah 3:17) refers to as the “maalos” that we were created for and upon which he comments: “ומה תקות הנברא אם לא ישים עמל נפשו ועיקר עסקו בדברים שנברא עבורם–What hope can there be for you if you don’t put all of your efforts and interests into the things that you were created for?” Please refer to SE 47 for a discussion of why praising and thanking Hashem is so important.