The Amidah: Retzei, Modim, Sim Shalom and Elokai Netzor
This lesson can be read on www.tebeka.com. Printing is for signed-in users only. © Rabbi Haim Tebeka.
I have asked that my Shabbos rest find favor. Now I turn to the last three blessings: service, thanksgiving and peace. I learn their order, the separate response Modim d’Rabanan, and the personal prayer Elokai Netzor. From restoring the service in His House to guarding my own tongue, I ask that what happens in the Amidah shape the person who leaves it. Lesson 24 returns to the Kedushah of the repetition.
Leaving the Amidah with thanks
I have just finished the holiness of Shabbos, the middle blessing of Lesson 22. Now I reach the last three blessings: avodah, thanksgiving and peace. These are not three new weekday requests inserted into Shabbos. They are the closing movement shared by the Amidah. In Berachos 34a, Rabbi Chanina compares the first blessings to a servant arranging praise before his master, the middle ones to asking for a gift, and the last ones to a servant who has received a gift and takes leave.
I hear this as a change of posture within the words: not a hurried exit, but gratitude in the presence of the Giver. The Gemara also discusses bowing at the beginning and end of hodaah, the blessing of thanksgiving. I learn its meaning here; questions about the actual movements, interruptions or a mistake go to my rav.
אַחֲרוֹנוֹת — דּוֹמֶה לְעֶבֶד שֶׁקִּבֵּל פְּרָס מֵרַבּוֹ, וְנִפְטָר וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ
Why service, thanks, and then peace?
Megillah 18a explains the order by verses: prayer leads to avodah, and avodah to thanksgiving. It calls avodah and hodaah one connected matter. Then comes Birkas Kohanim, and then Sim Shalom. The Gemara explains that the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He, is peace. This is a Talmudic account of the order, not a claim that one Sage composed every word of the present printed text.
In Retzei I ask that prayer and Israel’s service be accepted, and that the Shechinah return to Zion. In Modim I recognize that life itself is entrusted to Him. In Sim Shalom I ask that the blessing reach all Israel together. Even the close of prayer leads me beyond myself.
עֲבוֹדָה וְהוֹדָאָה חֲדָא מִילְּתָא הִיא
Siddur Tehillat Hashem, Annotated Edition 5771/2011, pp.214–217 · Trusted PDF page images (PDF pp.442, 444, 446, 448), checked at 600 dpi; reading-aid stars and meteg omitted; the Name represented by יְיָ
Modim d’Rabanan: several Sages, one response
Sotah 40a asks what the people say when the prayer leader says Modim. Rav gives one formula, Shmuel another; Rabbi Simai and other Sages add words about the Creator, life, sustenance and a whole heart. Rav Pappa concludes that we should say them all. That is the Talmudic background of Modim d’Rabanan, the thanksgiving of the Rabbis.
Our siddur places it in its own inset, beside the chazzan’s Modim. I must not join the two as if both belonged to my silent Amidah. Nor do I replace our printed wording with the wording of one Talmudic opinion: our response includes וּתְקַיְּמֵנוּ and וְנָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ, and closes בָּרוּךְ אֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת. The received nusach is what I am learning.
Siddur Tehillat Hashem, Annotated Edition 5771/2011, pp.214–217 · Trusted PDF page images (PDF pp.442, 444, 446, 448), checked at 600 dpi; reading-aid stars and meteg omitted; the Name represented by יְיָ
Elokai Netzor: a personal prayer after the blessings
Berachos 17a preserves prayers that Sages said after their Amidah. The prayer of Mar son of Ravina begins by asking that the tongue be guarded from evil, asks for a silent soul before those who curse, and for an open heart in Torah. It supplies the core of Elokai Netzor. Its wording is not identical to every line in our siddur. The Gemara includes further requests for protection; our siddur includes the verses about chaff and about the rescue of G‑d’s beloved, and the four requests “act for the sake of…”.
After the communal “us” of the blessings, I say “my G‑d”, “my tongue”, “my heart”, “my soul”. This is not self-absorption. I ask that the person leaving the Amidah be able to live what he has just prayed. The repeated Yihyu leratzon gathers speech and inward thought into one request for acceptance.
Siddur Tehillat Hashem, Annotated Edition 5771/2011, pp.214–217 · Trusted PDF page images (PDF pp.442, 444, 446, 448), checked at 600 dpi; reading-aid stars and meteg omitted; the Name represented by יְיָ
Retzei: acceptance is not the same as achievement
I notice the family ר־צ־ה: רְצֵה, “accept”; בְּרָצוֹן, “with favor”; לְרָצוֹן, “for acceptance”. I do not announce that my service is perfect. I ask that it be welcomed. The prayer names both the offerings of Israel and their prayer, and then asks that our eyes see His return to Zion. The longing is concrete: not only a better mood in prayer but the return of avodah to His House.
At the end of this lesson I ask again for the Beis HaMikdash and for my portion in Torah. My reflection is that the beginning and end belong together: I long for the rebuilt House, and I ask for the Torah that gives my own life a share in serving Him.
Modim: life entrusted, not owned
The words הַמְּסוּרִים and הַפְּקוּדוֹת are passive: our lives are entrusted, our souls deposited. I can thank Him not only for an unusual rescue but for the life that lets me notice anything at all. The paragraph widens time: every day, at every time, evening, morning and noon. Then it widens the speaker: “all the living”.
I read מוֹדִים as both thanking and acknowledging. Gratitude begins with admitting that I am not the source of my own life. The same family appears as נוֹדֶה, “we will thank”, לְהוֹדוֹת, “to thank”, and הוֹדָאוֹת, “thanksgivings” (§G94). In Modim d’Rabanan I even thank Him “for we thank You”: the possibility of turning to Him is itself a gift.
A quiet soul, an active soul
Elokai Netzor asks my soul to be silent before those who curse me, and then asks that the very same soul pursue His mitzvos. Silence is not the disappearance of energy. I ask to move my energy from retaliation to Torah and mitzvos. The grammar makes the connection visible: תִדּוֹם, תִּהְיֶה and תִּרְדּוֹף all agree with the feminine noun נַפְשִׁי, “my soul” (§G95).
I do not turn the line “like dust to all” into a practical ruling about how someone should respond to harm. Here I am learning a prayer for humility and self-mastery; concrete situations and practical halacha belong with a rav. I can begin with one honest request: let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart belong to the same service.
Talmud Bavli, Berachos 17a, Mar son of Ravina’s prayer · Opened and read; my translations and paraphrases · sefaria.org/Berakhot.17a
Peace above, kindness below
When I say Oseh shalom, I am not asking that every difference disappear. In Iggeres HaKodesh 12 the Alter Rebbe explains that Michael expresses chesed and Gabriel gevurah, like water descending and fire rising. Their opposition belongs to their measured attributes. A revelation of G‑d’s infinite light brings them into their common source, and they become truly one.
The letter then turns to our own actions: giving life, graciousness, kindness and compassion to someone in need awakens that peace above. In note 5, the Rebbe points out that these are precisely the blessings requested in Sim Shalom. This is an exact connection made in the source, not a connection I am attributing to Tanya on my own.
I translate the short Hebrew excerpts below myself. The longer English explanations on Chabad.org are the elucidation of Rabbi Yosef Wineberg, translated by Rabbis Levy Wineberg and Sholom B. Wineberg and edited by Uri Kaploun; I do not present their explanatory wording as the Alter Rebbe’s own words.
“But the Holy One, blessed be He, makes peace between them.”
“And they become truly one.”
“And the bestowal of life, graciousness, kindness and compassion.”
— The Alter Rebbe, Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh 12; my translations of the Hebrew excerpts printed below. The connection to Sim Shalom is the Rebbe’s note 5.
What I take into my prayer
My reflection, not another quotation. I connect the two ends of our passage this way: the peace I ask for in the siddur calls for kindness beyond the page. “Bless us, our Father, all of us as one” asks me not to leave someone else outside my concern.
On Shabbos. Giving money is not the action of this day. I can reflect on kindness, speak warmly and think about the good I will do at the proper time; practical questions go to my rav.
The exact Hebrew excerpts
These three excerpts occur, in this order, in the opening discussion of Epistle 12. My translations are in the insight above.
אַךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא – עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶםוְהָיוּ לַאֲחָדִים מַמָּשׁוְהַשְׁפָּעַת חַיִּים חֵן וָחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים
The scope of this lesson
I follow the trusted current-edition PDF, printed pp.214–217, using the page images and not the TXT as authority for letters and vowels. As a historical comparison only, I also looked at the core passages in the 1953 printing, pp.180–182, including Retzei’s opening on p.180; it is not an authority for this text. On November 8, 2026 I checked every letter, vowel and punctuation mark again against the current edition and corrected the text to it. Stars and meteg used as reading aids are omitted; I represent the printed Divine Name by יְיָ, as in the earlier lessons. The English and French line translations are my own.
This is a lesson, not yet the book’s complete siddur for davening. Special-day insertions and the chazzan’s priestly-blessing passage are not reproduced; their locations are identified below. Modim d’Rabanan is kept separate. I retried Chabad.org’s weekday siddur pages, but obtained titles rather than usable Hebrew text, so I do not claim a completed online nusach comparison.
Tehillat Hashem, Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, 1953, pp.180–182 (historical comparison only) · Opened and read; my translations and paraphrases
Retzei: restore the service
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| רְצֵה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִתְפִלָּתָם שְׁעֵה, | Accept, Hashem our G‑d, Your people Israel, and turn to their prayer; |
| וְהָשֵׁב הָעֲבוֹדָה לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ, | and restore the service to the inner sanctuary of Your House; |
| וְאִשֵּׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּתְפִלָּתָם בְּאַהֲבָה תְקַבֵּל בְּרָצוֹן, | and lovingly accept the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer with favor; |
| וּתְהִי לְרָצוֹן תָּמִיד עֲבוֹדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ: | and may the service of Israel Your people always find favor. |
| וְתֶחֱזֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ בְּשׁוּבְךָ לְצִיּוֹן בְּרַחֲמִים. | And may our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. |
| בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמַּחֲזִיר שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְצִיּוֹן: | Blessed are You, Hashem, Who restores His Shechinah to Zion. |
The Yaaleh Veyavo inset belongs between the fourth and fifth lines on the appropriate days; it is not reproduced here. This Retzei is the blessing of avodah, not the Retzei vimnuchaseinu of Lesson 22.
Modim: thanksgiving
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, | We acknowledge and thank You, for You are Hashem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers forever and ever; |
| צוּר חַיֵּינוּ, מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ, אַתָּה הוּא לְדוֹר וָדוֹר, | the Rock of our life, the Shield of our salvation, You are, from generation to generation. |
| נוֹדֶה לְּךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶךָ, | We will thank You and recount Your praise, |
| עַל חַיֵּינוּ הַמְּסוּרִים בְּיָדֶךָ, וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ הַפְּקוּדוֹת לָךְ, | for our lives entrusted to Your hand, and for our souls deposited with You, |
| וְעַל נִסֶּיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּנוּ, | and for Your miracles that are with us every day, |
| וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת, עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרָיִם, | and for Your wonders and goodness at every time, evening, morning and noon. |
| הַטּוֹב, כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ, וְהַמְרַחֵם, כִּי לֹא תַמּוּ חֲסָדֶיךָ, כִּי מֵעוֹלָם קִוִּינוּ לָךְ: | The Good One, for Your mercies have not ended; the Merciful One, for Your kindnesses have not ceased; for we have always hoped in You. |
| וְעַל כֻּלָּם יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְיִתְרוֹמָם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: | And for all these, may Your Name, our King, be blessed, exalted and uplifted always, forever and ever. |
| וְכָל הַחַיִּים יוֹדוּךָ סֶּלָה, וִיהַלְלוּ שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל לְעוֹלָם כִּי טוֹב, | And all the living will thank You forever, and praise Your great Name eternally, for You are good, |
| הָאֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ וְעֶזְרָתֵנוּ סֶלָה, הָאֵל הַטּוֹב. | the G‑d of our salvation and our help forever, the good G‑d. |
| בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַטּוֹב שִׁמְךָ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת: | Blessed are You, Hashem; Good is Your Name, and it is fitting to thank You. |
On Chanukah the Al Hanisim inset comes before Ve’al kulam. The Ten Days of Repentance inset Uchesov comes after Ve’al kulam. Neither inset is reproduced. The printed form is שָׁאַתָּה at the opening, not שֶׁאַתָּה; and נוֹדֶה לְּךָ has a dagesh in the ל.
Modim d’Rabanan: the congregation’s response
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, | We acknowledge and thank You, for You are Hashem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, |
| אֱלֹהֵי כָּל בָּשָׂר, יוֹצְרֵנוּ, יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית, | G‑d of all flesh, our Maker, Maker of creation; |
| בְּרָכוֹת וְהוֹדָאוֹת לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ, | blessings and thanks to Your great and holy Name, |
| עַל שֶׁהֶחֱיִיתָנוּ וְקִיַּמְתָּנוּ, כֵּן תְּחַיֵּנוּ וּתְקַיְּמֵנוּ, | for You have given us life and sustained us; so may You give us life and sustain us, |
| וְתֶאֱסוֹף גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ לְחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ, | and gather our exiles to the courtyards of Your holiness, |
| וְנָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ לִשְׁמוֹר חֻקֶּיךָ, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנֶךָ, וּלְעָבְדְּךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם, | and we will return to You, to keep Your statutes, to do Your will, and to serve You with a whole heart, |
| עַל שֶׁאָנוּ מוֹדִים לָךְ, בָּרוּךְ אֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת: | for we thank You; blessed is the G‑d of thanksgiving. |
This is printed in its own inset for the congregation during the chazzan’s Modim. It is NOT an extra paragraph of the individual’s silent Amidah. I keep the closing בָּרוּךְ אֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת exactly as printed, without adding the usual opening formula.
Sim Shalom: peace and blessing
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| שִׂים שָׁלוֹם, טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה, חַיִּים חֵן וָחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים, עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ. | Grant peace, goodness and blessing, life, graciousness, kindness and mercy, to us and to all Israel Your people. |
| בָּרְכֵנוּ אָבִינוּ כֻּלָּנוּ כְּאֶחָד בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ, | Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance; |
| כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ נָתַתָּ לָּנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ תּוֹרַת חַיִּים וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וּצְדָקָה וּבְרָכָה וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם, | for with the light of Your countenance You gave us, Hashem our G‑d, a Torah of life and love of kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace. |
| וְטוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה בִּשְׁלוֹמֶךָ. | And may it be good in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel at every time and at every hour with Your peace. |
| בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם: | Blessed are You, Hashem, Who blesses His people Israel with peace. |
The chazzan’s priestly-blessing passage printed between Modim and Sim Shalom is not reproduced here: I refer to Lesson 6 for Birkas Kohanim. The Uvesefer chayim inset before the closing blessing on the Ten Days of Repentance is outside this lesson’s text. Note בְּאוֹר in the second line, but בְאוֹר (without a dagesh in ב) after כִּי in the third, as printed.
Yihyu leratzon
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ, יְיָ צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי: | May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You, Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer. |
Our siddur prints this verse before Elokai Netzor and again at its end. I keep both occurrences.
Elokai Netzor: my words, my heart, my soul
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| אֱלֹהַי, נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנִי מֵרָע, וּשְׂפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה, | My G‑d, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit; |
| וְלִמְקַלְלַי נַפְשִׁי תִדּוֹם, וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה. | and let my soul be silent toward those who curse me, and let my soul be like dust to all. |
| פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, וּבְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי, | Open my heart in Your Torah, and let my soul pursue Your mitzvos. |
| וְכָל הַחוֹשְׁבִים עָלַי רָעָה, מְהֵרָה הָפֵר עֲצָתָם וְקַלְקֵל מַחֲשַׁבְתָּם. | And all who plan evil against me: quickly annul their counsel and frustrate their intention. |
| יִהְיוּ כְּמֹץ לִפְנֵי רוּחַ וּמַלְאַךְ יְיָ דֹּחֶה. | May they be like chaff before the wind, with an angel of Hashem driving them away. |
| לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ, הוֹשִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי. | So that Your beloved ones may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer me. |
| עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ, עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן תּוֹרָתֶךָ, עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. | Act for the sake of Your Name, act for the sake of Your right hand, act for the sake of Your Torah, act for the sake of Your holiness. |
| יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ, יְיָ צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי: | May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You, Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer. |
I follow our siddur’s spelling and vowels, including כְּמֹץ with a dagesh in the כ, דֹּחֶה without a vav, the form יֵחָלְצוּן and the singular מַחֲשַׁבְתָּם. The longer text in Berachos 17a is a source for the prayer, not a replacement for our nusach.
Oseh shalom
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: | He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel; and say: Amen. |
The printed seasonal alternative is הַשָּׁלוֹם, “the peace”, from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. For practical questions about steps, bowing, responses or insertions, I refer to my rav.
The rebuilding request
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, | May it be Your will, Hashem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, |
| שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ: | that the Beis HaMikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and give us our portion in Your Torah. |
This is the rebuilding request on p.217. It returns to the longing for avodah with which Retzei began.
Retzei: acceptance and return
I separate prefixes, written root letters and endings. Previously learned words are recalled rather than re-taught.
| רְצֵה | = | רְצֵה |
| r’tzei accept | accept |
| וְהָשֵׁב | = | שֵׁב | + | הָ | + | וְ |
| v’hosheiv and restore | return | hif’il imperative | and |
| הָעֲבוֹדָה | = | ◌ה | + | עֲבוֹדָ | + | הָ |
| ho’avodoh the service | feminine noun | serve | the |
| וְתֶחֱזֶינָה | = | ◌נָה | + | חֱזֶי | + | תֶ | + | וְ |
| v’sechezenoh and may they behold | they (feminine) | behold | feminine plural future | and |
| עֵינֵינוּ | = | ◌ינוּ | + | עֵינֵ |
| eineinu our eyes | our (paired/plural noun) | eye |
| הַמַּחֲזִיר | = | חֲזִיר | + | מַּ | + | הַ |
| hamachazir Who restores | return | hif’il participle | the |
Modim: the family of thanks
I separate prefixes, written root letters and endings. Previously learned words are recalled rather than re-taught.
| מוֹדִים | = | ◌ים | + | דִ | + | מוֹ |
| modim we acknowledge / thank | plural | thank / acknowledge | hif’il participle מוֹ |
| נוֹדֶה | = | וֹדֶה | + | נ |
| nodeh we will thank | thank | we (future) |
| הַמְּסוּרִים | = | ◌ים | + | מְּסוּרִ | + | הַ |
| ham’surim entrusted | plural | entrust | the |
| הַפְּקוּדוֹת | = | ◌וֹת | + | פְּקוּד | + | הַ |
| hap’kudos deposited | feminine plural | deposit / entrust | the |
| נִסֶּיךָ | = | ◌יךָ | + | נִסֶּ |
| nisecho Your miracles | Your (plural noun) | miracle |
| קִוִּינוּ | = | ◌נוּ | + | קִוִּי |
| kivinu we have hoped | we (past) | hope |
| לְהוֹדוֹת | = | ◌וֹת | + | ד | + | הוֹ | + | לְ |
| l’hodos to thank | infinitive ending | thank | hif’il הוֹ | to (infinitive) |
| וְהוֹדָאוֹת | = | ◌וֹת | + | דָא | + | הוֹ | + | וְ |
| v’hodo’os and thanksgivings | plural of הוֹדָאָה | thank / acknowledge | noun opening הוֹ | and |
Life, service and blessing
I separate prefixes, written root letters and endings. Previously learned words are recalled rather than re-taught.
| שֶׁהֶחֱיִיתָנוּ | = | ◌נוּ | + | ◌תָ | + | חֱיִי | + | הֶ | + | שֶׁ |
| shehecheyisonu that You have given us life | us / our | You (past) | live | hif’il past | that |
| וְתֶאֱסוֹף | = | אֱסוֹף | + | תֶ | + | וְ |
| v’se’esof and may You gather | gather | You (future) | and |
| וְנָשׁוּב | = | שׁוּב | + | נָ | + | וְ |
| v’noshuv and we will return | return | we (future) | and |
| וּלְעָבְדְּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | עָבְדְּ | + | לְ | + | וּ |
| ul’ovd’cho and to serve You | Your / You | serve | to (infinitive) | and |
| בְּלֵבָב | = | לֵבָב | + | בְּ |
| b’leivov with a heart | heart | with |
| בָּרְכֵנוּ | = | ◌נוּ | + | בָּרְכֵ |
| bor’cheinu bless us | us / our | bless |
| כְּאֶחָד | = | אֶחָד | + | כְּ |
| k’echod as one | one | as / like |
| הַמְבָרֵךְ | = | בָרֵךְ | + | מְ | + | הַ |
| ham’voreich Who blesses | bless | pi’el participle | the |
Elokai Netzor: guard, be silent, pursue
I separate prefixes, written root letters and endings. Previously learned words are recalled rather than re-taught.
| נְצֹר | = | נְצֹר |
| n’tzor guard | guard |
| לְשׁוֹנִי | = | ◌י | + | לְשׁוֹנִ |
| l’shoni my tongue | my | tongue |
| מִדַּבֵּר | = | דַּבֵּר | + | מִ |
| midabeir from speaking | speak | from (מִן) |
| תִדּוֹם | = | דּוֹם | + | תִ |
| sidom may it be silent | be silent | she (future) |
| תִּרְדּוֹף | = | רְדּוֹף | + | תִּ |
| tirdof may it pursue | pursue | she (future) |
| הָפֵר | = | פֵר | + | הָ |
| hofeir annul | annul | hif’il imperative |
| וְקַלְקֵל | = | קַלְקֵל | + | וְ |
| v’kalkeil and frustrate | spoil / frustrate | and |
| אִמְרֵי | = | ◌י | + | אִמְרֵ |
| imrei the words of | plural construct | say / word |
| וְגוֹאֲלִי | = | ◌י | + | גוֹאֲלִ | + | וְ |
| v’go’ali and my Redeemer | my | redeem | and |
- Lesson 1 §G2 · Hidden root letters: yud, vav and hei can change shape or drop; a dagesh can mark a merged letter
- Lesson 1 §G4 · Pronouns: standalone and attached: ani I, Ato You; endings -i my/me, -cho/-echo your, -einu our, -o/-ov his
- Lesson 1 §G6 · Adjectives, and sentences without “is”: the adjective follows its noun and agrees with it; put first, it makes a sentence with no word for “is”
- Lesson 1 §G7 · Verb patterns (binyanim) and the hif’il: a root becomes a verb through a pattern; the hif’il means “cause to” and is marked by he- (past) or ma-/mo- (present)
- Lesson 2 §G10 · The construct chain: “X of Y”: two nouns side by side mean “X of Y”; the article goes on the second; feminine -oh becomes -as
- Lesson 2 §G11 · The pi’el: a doubled middle letter: the pi’el doubles the middle root letter with a dagesh; past ki-, present me-
- Lesson 2 §G13 · The passive participle: boruch: the pattern kotuv (kamatz, then u before the last letter) means “-ed”: boruch blessed
- Lesson 3 §G17 · Words that work as nouns: “the blind”, “the One Who”: an adjective or participle can stand alone as a noun; with ha- in front, a participle means “the One Who …”
- Lesson 4 §G23 · The infinitive: “to do”: the infinitive names the action itself and usually takes le-: la’asos to do, la’amod to stand, l’havchin to distinguish, l’hiskayeim to survive
- Lesson 6 §G33 · Naming an action: nouns from the verb patterns: each verb pattern has its own noun of action: pi’el kibud honoring, bikur visiting; hif’il hachnosoh bringing in (hachnosas in a chain); kal n’tiloh taking; also talmud, g’milus
- Lesson 9 §G44 · Hollow roots: when the middle root letter is a vav (אוֹר, מֵאִיר, טוּבוֹ): in roots like א־ו־ר (light) and ט־ו־ב (good) the middle ו is a vowel, not a full letter: or light, mei’ir gives light (hif’il, §G16), mo’or a luminary (מ in front, §G28), tov good, tuvo His goodness
- Lesson 10 §G48 · Roots that end in hei (עֹשֶׂה, פּוֹדֶה, הָיָה): when a root ends in ה, the participle ends in -eh (עֹשֶׂה oseh, פּוֹדֶה podeh), the past “he” ends in -oh (הָיָה hoyoh), and before an ending the ה drops (מַעֲשֶׂה → מַעֲשֵׂי)
- Lesson 20 §G80 · “To love” and “to serve Him”: לְאַהֲבָה and לְעָבְדוֹ: לְאַהֲבָה uses the noun-like form אַהֲבָה, not the plain infinitive לֶאֱהֹב, while לְעָבְדוֹ is an infinitive with the ending ־וֹ, “Him”
- Lesson 21 §G86 · Titles in the present: participles of the kal and the pi’el: The first two blessings describe Hashem with participles (§G15): kal גּוֹמֵל, זוֹכֵר, סוֹמֵךְ, רוֹפֵא, קוֹנֵה; pi’el, with מְ, מְכַלְכֵּל, מְחַיֶּה, מְקַיֵּם; the objects are often participles too: נוֹפְלִים, חוֹלִים, אֲסוּרִים
- Lesson 21 §G88 · Asking: the future as a request, “remember us”, and “they praise You”: A request can be a future (תִּפְתָּח, “open”; יַגִּיד, “will tell”) or a command with an ending (זָכְרֵנוּ, וְכָתְבֵנוּ, “remember us”, “inscribe us”); and an ending on a future verb is its object (יְהַלְלוּךָ, “they praise You”)
- Lesson 22 §G91 · Asking on Shabbos: commands of the kal, pi’el and hif’il, with ־ֵנוּ: Retzei is a chain of commands said as requests (§G31, §G88): kal רְצֵה and וְתֵן; pi’el קַדְּשֵׁנוּ, שַׂבְּעֵנוּ, וְשַׂמֵּחַ, וְטַהֵר (doubled middle letter; a final ח takes a patach read before it); hif’il וְהַנְחִילֵנוּ (הַ … ־ִי־); with ־ֵנוּ, “us”
One family, several forms. I already know the hif’il (§G7) and weak roots (§G2). Here I meet the family י־ד־ה in a concentrated form. In the context of Modim its sense is thanking and acknowledging. It does not mean every form in every context can be translated by the same English word.
The people speaking. מוֹדִים is a masculine plural hif’il participle: with אֲנַחְנוּ, “we acknowledge / thank”. It is not a past verb with an ending meaning “we”. נוֹדֶה is the first-person plural future: the initial נ is “we”; here it is not the נ of nif’al. The weak root does not display a separate י in each form. I recognize the family through its forms, not through a rule that every root letter must be visibly present.
Infinitive or noun? לְהוֹדוֹת is the infinitive, “to thank”, with לְ (§G23). Its ות belongs to this weak-root infinitive; it does not make a plural noun. הוֹדָאוֹת is the plural noun, “thanksgivings”, from הוֹדָאָה. Its א belongs to the noun’s formation, not to a new root י־ד־א. In בָּרוּךְ אֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת, the noun has the article; in וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת the infinitive completes “it is fitting”.
| מוֹדִים | modim | acknowledging / thanking | plural participle with אֲנַחְנוּ |
| נוֹדֶה | nodeh | we will thank | נ = we |
| לְהוֹדוֹת | l’hodos | to thank | infinitive, not a plural noun |
| הוֹדָאוֹת | hodo’os | thanksgivings | plural noun |
Find the subject first. עֵינֵינוּ, “our eyes”, is grammatically feminine and paired/plural. The verb וְתֶחֱזֶינָה therefore has the feminine plural future pattern ת … נָה. The root is ח־ז־ה; the final ה is not written as a separate ה of the root here (§G48). The ending נָה marks the subject; it is not the polite particle נָא of רְצֵה נָא.
One soul, three verbs. נֶפֶשׁ is feminine; נַפְשִׁי is “my soul”. Thus תִדּוֹם, “may it be silent”, תִּהְיֶה, “may it be”, and תִּרְדּוֹף, “may it pursue”, are feminine singular. The ת does not mean that I am addressing my soul as “You”; the sentence speaks about what my soul should do. תִדּוֹם is from the doubled root ד־מ־ם; I keep the siddur’s lack of dagesh in ד after נַפְשִׁי.
Not every ת is “she”. In וְתֶאֱסוֹף, “and may You gather”, I am addressing G‑d: ת marks second-person masculine singular. Context, the noun that goes with the verb, and the ending tell me who acts. I do not translate a prefix before reading the sentence. These are requests made with future forms, as already learned in §G88.
| וְתֶחֱזֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ | v’sechezenoh eineinu | and may our eyes behold | feminine plural |
| נַפְשִׁי תִדּוֹם | nafshi sidom | may my soul be silent | feminine singular |
| תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי | tirdof nafshi | may my soul pursue | the same subject, now active |
| וְתֶאֱסוֹף | v’se’esof | and may You gather | second-person masculine singular |
Read the phrase. וּשְׂפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה asks that my lips be guarded “from speaking deceit”. The infinitive can follow מִן, “from”, not only לְ (§G23). Here the infinitive דַּבֵּר is joined to מִן: its נ is assimilated into the following ד and represented by the dagesh (§G2). Thus the written form starts מִדַּ, not מִנְדַ.
Two dots, two explanations. In מִדַּבֵּר, the dagesh in ד represents the assimilation of נ from מִן. The dagesh in ב belongs to the pi’el pattern itself (§G11). Both are doubling dageshes, but they arise for different reasons. I should not call the ד dot merely a hard/soft pronunciation mark or treat the מ as the participle prefix.
Compare without replacing. דִּבֵּר means “he spoke”, a past. לְדַבֵּר means “to speak”, an infinitive with לְ. מִדַּבֵּר means “from speaking” here. The context and vowels matter: an unpointed sequence מדבר can belong to different words. I keep the pointed prayer and let the sentence identify the form.
| מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה | midabeir mirmah | from speaking deceit | מִן + pi’el infinitive |
| דִּבֵּר | dibeir | he spoke | comparison form, not a prayer line |
| לְדַבֵּר | l’dabeir | to speak | comparison form with לְ |
A purpose clause. לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ means “so that Your beloved ones may be delivered”. The phrase is followed by a verb and its subject; it points toward an intended result. The form יֵחָלְצוּן has a plural ending וּן, a Biblical form; I do not mistake its final נ for the polite נָא.
For the sake of a noun. עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ asks “act for the sake of Your Name”. The four objects are Your Name, Your right hand, Your Torah and Your holiness. לְמַעַן is a complete relational expression; it is not the same grammatical unit as the single-letter prefix לְ in לְשִׁמְךָ, “to Your Name”. I learn the phrase as a unit rather than translating each written letter separately.
A familiar comparison. בַּעֲבוּר can also express “for the sake of / on account of”. I encountered it in Lesson 19, וּבַעֲבוּר אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, “and for the sake of our fathers”. It does not occur in the core text reproduced here. I compare meanings, without importing the word or a different nusach into this prayer.
| לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ | l’maan yeicholtzun y’didecho | so that Your beloved may be delivered | purpose + clause |
| לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ | l’maan sh’mecho | for the sake of Your Name | sake + noun |
| וּבַעֲבוּר אֲבוֹתֵינוּ | uvaavur avoseinu | for the sake of our fathers | recalled from Lesson 19 |
Not always a root letter. שֶׁ is a joining prefix, “that / which / for”. In שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּנוּ, it begins a clause describing the miracles: “which are with us every day”. Inside it, בְּ is “in” and כָל is “every”. The clause has no explicit verb “are” (§G6). I separate its grammar before trying to invent a root ש־ב־כ.
A printed vowel matters. The opening of both Modim texts is שָׁאַתָּה, with kamatz under ש, as printed in our siddur. It is still the joining ש with אַתָּה, “You”; I do not silently normalize it to שֶׁאַתָּה. In this sentence my translation “for You are…” brings out the reason for thanksgiving.
עַל followed by a clause. עַל שֶׁהֶחֱיִיתָנוּ names the reason for thanks: “for You have given us life”. עַל שֶׁאָנוּ מוֹדִים לָךְ can be rendered “for we thank You”: even the ability to thank becomes a subject of thanks. אָנוּ means “we”, like אֲנַחְנוּ; it is a whole pronoun, not the verb-ending נוּ. In the rebuilding request, שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה begins what I ask to happen, “that it be rebuilt”. The same joining prefix works in different sentence structures.
| שָׁאַתָּה | sho’atoh | for You are | kamatz, exactly as printed |
| שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּנוּ | sheb’chol yom imonu | which are with us every day | relative clause |
| עַל שֶׁהֶחֱיִיתָנוּ | al shehecheyisonu | for You gave us life | reason for thanks |
| שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה | sheyiboneh | that it be rebuilt | a clause expressing the requested event |
Small words to recognize
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Root | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַל | al | for, upon | — | Modim: the reason for thanks. Elokai Netzor: “against me”, עָלַי. |
| סֶּלָה | seloh | forever | — | As translated here in וְכָל הַחַיִּים יוֹדוּךָ סֶּלָה. |
| כֵּן | kein | so, thus | — | Modim d’Rabanan: as You gave us life, so sustain us. |
| תָּמִיד | tomid | always | — | Retzei and Ve’al kulam: a lasting acceptance and praise. |
| מְהֵרָה | m’heirah | quickly | — | An adverb, before הָפֵר; not the word for tomorrow. |
| לְמַעַן | l’maan | so that; for the sake of | — | Purpose or sake; see §G97. |
| ר־צ־ה rotzon · favor, acceptance Retzei: רְצֵה, then בְּרָצוֹן and לְרָצוֹן; the closing verses ask for acceptance too. | שָׁלוֹם sholom · peace Sim Shalom; Oseh shalom; and the whole heart, שָׁלֵם, in Modim d’Rabanan. |
| תּוֹרָה toroh · Torah, teaching Sim Shalom: Torah of life. Elokai Netzor: open my heart. Rebuilding request: our portion. | חַיִּים chayim · life Modim thanks for our lives; the response thanks for life; Sim Shalom asks for life. |
- Where did Lesson 22 end, and what are the three closing blessings studied here?
- How does Rabbi Chanina describe the final blessings in Berachos 34a? What does taking leave with thanks mean to me?
- What order does Megillah 18a give for avodah, hodaah, Birkas Kohanim and Sim Shalom?
- How does the Retzei of this lesson differ from Retzei vimnuchaseinu in Lesson 22? Which root links רְצֵה, בְּרָצוֹן and לְרָצוֹן?
- Which words in Modim describe our lives and souls as entrusted? What everyday gifts am I thanking G‑d for?
- Why is Modim d’Rabanan a separate response? What does Rav Pappa conclude in Sotah 40a?
- Which part of Elokai Netzor comes from Mar son of Ravina’s prayer? Why must I not substitute the Gemara’s whole text for our siddur?
- Why does our text print Yihyu leratzon twice? What do the mouth and the heart each contribute?
- In Iggeres HaKodesh 12, how do chesed and gevurah become united? What exact link to Sim Shalom does the Rebbe make in note 5?
- Distinguish מוֹדִים, נוֹדֶה, לְהוֹדוֹת and הוֹדָאוֹת: participle, future, infinitive or noun? → see §G94
- Why does וְתֶחֱזֶינָה end in נָה? In תִדּוֹם and תִּרְדּוֹף, what is the subject? Why is וְתֶאֱסוֹף different? → see §G95
- Explain both dageshes in מִדַּבֵּר. How does the word differ from דִּבֵּר and לְדַבֵּר? → see §G96
- Translate לְמַעַן before יֵחָלְצוּן and before שְׁמֶךָ. Name the four things for whose sake I ask “act”. → see §G97
- What does עַל שֶׁ־ do in Modim d’Rabanan? Which vowel does our siddur print in שָׁאַתָּה? Name the omitted insets so I do not mistake this lesson for a complete davening text. → see §G98
The lesson PDFs are for signed-in users.