Notes from Cantor Avima

Gratitude is a main theme of Jewish prayer. In fact, Jewish prayer has often been summed up by the words: Thank you, WOW and Please. Upon waking up we begin our day by thanking God for our souls, our bodies and our Judaism. One of the first prayers taught to Jewish children was always the prayer "Modeh Ani". "I am grateful to You, living and enduring Sovereign, for restoring my soul to me in compassion. You are faithful beyond measure. The Hebrew prayer consists of 12 words and takes only a few seconds to recite. As Americans we are about to celebrate Thanksgiving and many of us will take the opportunity to share what we have with others who have less. But Judaism teaches us to express gratitude each and every day and several times a day. I have found that gratitude requires the cultivation of awareness. In Judaism, the term for gratitude is "Hakarat Hatov", literally "recognizing the good". Unfortunately, many of us often we fall into a sense of entitlement thinking  we "deserve" this and that reward. A sense of entitlement actually prevents us from appreciating what we do have because it focuses on what we don't have - but we feel that we SHOULD have or deserve to have. Starting our day with the word TODAH or MODEH/MODAH ANI can lead us to the right direction. And, the prayer only takes a few seconds to recite as you sit up and prepare to get out of bed. 

MODEH (males) / MODAH  (females) ANI, L'FANEH-CHA, MELECH CHAI V'KAYAM

SHEH-HEH-CHEH-ZARTA BEE NISHMATEE  B'CHEMLAH

RABBAH EHMUNA-TEH-CHA.