מוֹדה אֲנִי | Returning the body to the soul: an adaptation of Modeh Ani by Moshe ibn Makhir

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=5924

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Date: 2013-02-10

Last Updated: 2025-03-29

Categories: Attaining consciousness

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Gratitude, thankfulness, Wakefulness, waking, מודה אני Modeh Ani, רשות reshut, מודים Modim

Excerpt: Modeh Ani first appeared as an addendum in Seder ha-Yom (1599) by Moshe ibn Makhir of Safed. A slightly different formula offers a deep insight into who and what has returned to one's self upon waking. . . .

Content:
I have difficulty with the idea of thanking God for “returning my soul to me” sheheḥezarta bi nishmati when I’m getting up with an awareness of trying to stay in touch with my dreams. It’s not my soul that’s been missing through the night; I’m returning to experience my body. So I much prefer what I heard someone suggest, that instead of saying nishmati (my soul), to say instead ha-[hitgalmut shel] nishmati (the embodiment of my soul). I thank God for returning me to my body — my soul was never missing! In the words of my Sufi teacher Murat Yagan, “I am a soul, and I have a body.” –Ya’qub ibn Yusuf
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
מוֹדָה|מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ
מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם
שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי
הַהִתְגַּלְּמוּת שֶׁל נִשְׁמָתִי
בְּחֶמְלָה
רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ‏׃
So thankful am I before you,
Living and enduring Majesty,
for you have returned to me
the embodiment of my soul
with compassion.
So great is your faith!
Proceed to hand washing

Modeh Ani first appeared as an addendum in Seder ha-Yom (1599) by Moshe ibn Makhir of Safed. Around February 2012, I was sitting with Ya’qub ibn Yusuf in his bookstore, Olam Qatan (then at 54 Emek Refaim in South Jerusalem), asking if he might share some useful practice that I might share through the Open Siddur Project. He offered this thought which he had heard from someone else. (Unfortunately, Ya’qub could not remember who taught this insight. If you know its origin, please contact us or share in the comments.) The Hebrew adaptation and translation I’ve offered is based upon Ya’qub’s teaching. Read more on Modeh Ani from Shmuel Gonzales at Hardcore Mesorah. –Aharon Varady

 

Contributor: Ya'qub Ibn Yusuf

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
I don’t Like Being Woken Up by Mac_NZ (CC-BY)
Title: I don’t Like Being Woken Up by Mac_NZ (CC-BY)
Caption: I don't Like Being Woken Up (Credit: Mac_NZ, license: CC-BY 2.0)