(א) מיד כשיעור משנתו, בעודו על משכבו, יאמר:
(ב) מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם שֶׁהֶחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ:
(ג) לאחר שנטל ידיו יאמר:
(ד) רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה, שֵֽׂכֶל טוֹב לְכָל עֹשֵׂיהֶם, תְּהִלָּתוֹ עוֹמֶֽדֶת לָעַד: בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
(1) Upon waking in the morning, even before washing your hands, say:
(2) I give thanks to You living and everlasting King for You have restored my soul with mercy. Great is Your faithfulness.
(3) After washing your hands, say:
(4) The beginning of wisdom is fear of Adonoy, good understanding to all who perform [His commandments], His praise endures forever. Blessed [is His] Name, Whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.
(ט) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו יֶשׁ־לִ֣י רָ֑ב אָחִ֕י יְהִ֥י לְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃ (י) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֗ב אַל־נָא֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ מִנְחָתִ֖י מִיָּדִ֑י כִּ֣י עַל־כֵּ֞ן רָאִ֣יתִי פָנֶ֗יךָ כִּרְאֹ֛ת פְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי׃ (יא) קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־חַנַּ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכִ֣י יֶשׁ־לִי־כֹ֑ל וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֖וֹ וַיִּקָּֽח׃
(9) Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let what you have remain yours.” (10) But Jacob said, “No, I pray you; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift; for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably. (11) Please accept my present which has been brought to you, for God has favored me and I have plenty.” And when he urged him, he accepted.
(ח) אָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא מָשָׁל לְשִׁלְטוֹן שֶׁנִּכְנַס לַמְדִינָה וְעִמּוֹ כִּתּוֹת כִּתּוֹת שֶׁל לִסְטִים, אָמַר אֶחָד לַחֲבֵרוֹ מַה דָּחֵיל הָדֵין שַׁלִּיטָא, אֲמַר לוֹ הֲדָא פִּסְטָמָא דִילָךְ טָבָא וְלֵית אַתְּ דָּחֵיל מִינֵיהּ, כָּךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרָשַׁת קָרְבָּנוֹת נִתְיָרְאוּ, אָמַר לָהֶן משֶׁה אַל תִּתְיָרְאוּ הִתְעַסְּקוּ בַּתּוֹרָה וְאֵין אַתֶּם יְרֵאִים מִכָּל אֵלֶּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ויקרא ז, לז): זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה לָעֹלָה וְלַמִּנְחָה, וְלָמָּה שְׁלָמִים בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מִינִין הַרְבֵּה. אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן הֲדָא גְּרַזְמִיתָא אֵינָהּ בָּאָה אֶלָּא בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, לָמָּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מִינִים הַרְבֵּה, כָּךְ לָמָּה שְׁלָמִים בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מִינִים הַרְבֵּה, דָּם וְאֵימוּרִים לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, חָזֶה וְשׁוֹק לַכֹּהֲנִים, עוֹר וּבָשָׂר לַבְּעָלִים. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר מִי שֶׁהוּא שָׁלֵם מֵבִיא שְׁלָמִים וְאֵין אוֹנֵן מֵבִיא שְׁלָמִים.
(8) Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan [said] in the name of Rabbi Menachem from Gallia: In the time to come, all sacrifices will be annulled - but the sacrifice of thanksgiving will not be annulled. All prayers will be annulled, but the prayer of gratitude will not be annulled. This accords with what is written [Jeremiah 33:11]: "The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say 'Give thanks to the LORD of hosts' etc." - this is the prayer of gratitude. "Those who bring [the sacrifice of] thanksgiving to the House of the LORD": this is the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thus David said: "I owe You vows and will offer you thanksgivings" [Psalms 56:13] - not "thanksgiving," but "thanksgivings," [indicating both] the thanksgiving prayer and the prayer of gratitude.
אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come.
Making Our Souls Great
To pray is to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings,
the divine margin in all attainments.
Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.
It is all we can offer in return.
Who is worthy to be present at the constant unfolding of time?
Here we are admist the meditation of the land, the songs of the water,
the humility of the flowers,
flowers wiser than all alphabets -
Suddenly we feel embarrassed,
ashamed of our complaints and clashes in the face of tacit glory.
How strange we are in the world!
Only one response can maintain us:
gratefulness for the gift of our unearned chance to serve, to wonder,
to love life and each other.
It is gratefulness which makes our small souls great.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel