Have you ever thought about why we're called Jews? The answer appears in Parashat Vayetze that we read this week. In the portion, our matriarch Leah named her fourth son Yehuda (Judah), and explained the name thus: "This time I will thank God." Our sages say this was the first time in the world that someone said thank you to God.
We are called to this day by the name of Yehuda—Jews (Yehudim). And Yehudim—give thanks (modim). The word Yehudi (Jew) originates from the word todah (thanks), because thanksgiving is part of our identity.
The first word a Jew says every day is first and foremost a word of thanks. "Modeh ani lefanecha melech chai vekayam, shehechezarta bi nishmati bechemla, raba emunatecha" (I give thanks before You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great). Thank you for waking up to another day, it's not taken for granted.
In English you can say it like this: We thank before we think. Even before any thoughts or plans jump into our heads, the mouth already declares: thank you.
You can't count how many times a day we say thank you, without noticing, for small and routine things. Thank you to the guard at the parking lot entrance or thank you to someone at the office who helped us. So what shall we say to God Himself, for another day of life in this world?
But it's worth noting: The word modeh is not only from the language of thanks (todah) but from the language of acknowledgment (hoda'ah) of the truth, like a person who acknowledges things and confirms that they are correct. Thus when a person opens their eyes and sees the wonderful world, they don't just say thank you, but recognize that there is a Creator for all this. They begin the day with this acknowledgment.
And again, it's important to "catch" this initial moment: before all sorts of false and confusing statements appear during the day, we want to start the day at a point of truth. We thank God, and we also acknowledge God.
(From the book “Birkat Hashachar” - A Guide to the First Moments of the Day)
