Why do we say this? The reason is that our bodies are not just
hydro-carbon based cells, proteins, water and minerals. We are also
imbued with a Neshama, a soul, – called in Sefer Iyov a “Chailek Elokah
Mimaal. – A Divine portion from Above.” When we sleep at night, our
Neshamos leave our physical bodies and arise to Heaven. Hashem in His Chemla
– kindness, returns our Neshama to us when we wake up in the morning.
The Modeh Ani is a way of expressing gratitude which makes us into
better people, but it is also more than this. There is an element of
yearning for Geulah in it too.
The last words, “Great is your faithfulness is based upon a verse in
Aicha (3:23), “They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.”
The Psikta Zutrasa explains that since each and every morning You renew
our souls, we know that in the future You will redeem us as well.
The words “that You have returned my soul to me” come from the
Avudraham, a Spanish Rishon, in his Hilchos Krias Shma. Yet, he did not
advocate this formula as something to recite each morning upon
awakening. It seems that the author of the Seder HaYom combined these
elements together in conceiving of the Modeh Ani. [...]
When you say : "A Divine portion from Above" It is heresy to suggest that G-d has parts.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all what you are doing for us.
Be well.
It is a strong Jewish belief that any verse in Tanach is not considered heresy. Obviously, it is understood kavyachol..
ReplyDelete"We are also imbued with a Neshama, a soul, – called in Sefer Iyov a “Chailek Elokah Mimaal. – A Divine portion from Above.”
ReplyDeleteThat is not the plain meaning of the posuk. Since few people learn Iyov, it is easy for them to be fooled about it, but it is still very wrong and improper for Rabbi Yair Hoffman to write such a misleading thing, implying that that is the plain meaning of the verse.
Mr. Patrick, you might want to learn some more about Judaism before you jump to conclusions about what is classified as heresy, thereby relegating vast numbers of G-d-fearing Jews to such an objectionable status.
ReplyDeleteIt's indeed not the plain meaning, but that pirush quoted is based on sources in Kabbalah (sefer Shefa Tal at the beginning), and, of course, Chassidus: Tanya ch. 2, which quote that verse and explain it as referring to the Neshamah.
In any case, see my post on the topic: Modeh Ani: Inviolate and ineffable