Spiritual Grammar
Mo-deh ani le-fa-ne-ka The Blessing Upon Waking
Modeh ani – I know you won’t find this in your Bible so don’t bother to look. But I also know that if you look in your Bible without this, you won’t find anything at all. We explored the meaning of Mo-deh ani le-fa-ne-ka in August. Maybe you incorporated this blessing into your daily renewal of life. I hope so. If you want to read about the theological implications, you can click here. But that’s not what I want to mention today. Today I want to show you something about the grammar of this sentence – grammar that reveals a deep sense of awe and reverence and something more.
The Hebrew phrase Mo-deh ani le-fa-ne-ka is translated “I gratefully thank You.” It is the first blessing of the day, the moment my eyes open. But it isn’t literally “I gratefully thank You.” It is literally:
“Continuously, with regular repetition, with uninterrupted observance (mo-deh)
I (emphatic ani)
set before You, come into your presence – literally at the face – wait in attendance on, bow down before, face (le –fane)
You.” (ka)
But even that isn’t quite right. You see, in Hebrew the subject (that’s you and me) isn’t separate from the action. So, in Hebrew this expression really is like saying “the continuously uninterrupted observing set before You in waiting attendance – that action that I call me.” In other words, I am not some person who sometimes engages in facing the Lord with a grateful heart waiting to serve. The gratefully-hearted-serving-continuously is who I am! When I wake, my identity is “continuously in Your presence ready to serve waiting before Your face bowing before You.” That’s who I am at the first moment of the day. That’s what makes me me.
Let me give you an example. There is a woman in our community who had her legal names changed to Truthful LovingKindness. She isn’t Susan or Sarah or Sally. She is Truthful LovingKindness. That’s her identity. That’s how people know her. “Today I had lunch with Truthful LovingKindness. We talked about Yeshua. I was blessed to have her as my friend.”
When you start the first moment of your day with Mo-deh ani le-fa-ne-ka, you are “continuously in Your presence ready to serve waiting before Your face bowing before You.” You are the action represented by this phrase. And you will notice that in Hebrew the phrase doesn’t begin with “I.” It begins with “continuously, uninterrupted, repetitively” “I” comes after the action. “I” is the summation of the verb, not the initiator of the verb.
Today we learned a bit about Hebrew thinking – and we learned a lot more about how we see ourselves. Are you the actor who is separate from the actions you decide to take or are you the summation of the actions, the evidence of all those verbs? What is your name?
Topical Index: gratefully, mo-deh, blessing on waking, grammar, ani
This “self concept” seems to relate to Rabbi Saul’s many references to his being a “bondservant of Jesus.” Being a bondservant is not something we do it is who we are. Our very existence is to serve God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.
“Mo-deh ani le-fa-ne-ka”
“Are you the actor who is separate from the actions?”
Hmmm
I’ve heard a sound like “le-fa-ne-ka” in a favorite Reggae song, but can remember which one….
“Are you the actor who is separate from the actions you decide to take or are you the summation of the actions, the evidence of all those verbs? What is your name?”
Hmmm
Th tragic view of life
Shakespeare named a character after the concept of one who is “separate from the actions”
Named Macbeth
Macbeth:
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
a_revolutionary_a_zero_a_counterfeit_hero
“a_revolutionary_a_zero_a_counterfeit_hero”
Hi Jan,
I think it is the revolutionary who counts (1)
The agent of change who is the authentic hero
The one with the “fire in the belly”
What the Hindus call “Hom”
Like Paul Newman in Hombre
No sound no fury
But signifying something 🙂
Michael, i see JESUS
I think it is the revolutionary who counts (1) – JESUS THE ONLY ONE
The agent of change who is the authentic hero – JESUS THE ULTIMATE HERO
The one with the “fire in the belly” – JESUS THE ONE WHO SWEAT DROPS OF BLOOD 4 US
What the Hindus call “Hom”
Like Paul Newman in Hombre – JESUS, GOD AS MAN
No sound no fury – JESUS THE STILL SMALL VOICE
But signifying something – JESUS SIGNIFYING EVERYTHING
MY BELOVED REVOLUTIONARY – BY BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW (hombre if you may)…
JC
Hi Jan,
As I recall Jesus said something like
If you want to enter the Kingdom of God
Make the two things one 🙂
This is part of the whole “first fruits” part of worship, then, right? First fruits offering goes back so far before the Law that this is really another expression of the awe and reverence, coupled with utter thankfulness, that we have for the Lord. Love it.
For me, this helps to perfectly answer questions about James comments on faith and works. He wasn’t contradicting Paul, he was elaborating on the nature of faith. In other words, what value is faith if not empowered or enlivened or made effectual by actions?
Show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works. Faith without works is dead. See then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (Jas 2:14-26)
Ken
Below is a link to the words of the song. Thanks Skip for all you do!
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/692777/jewish/2-Modeh-Ani-Song.htm