Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz
The blessing מודים אנחנו לך – “We acknowledge and thank You”
Here one should praise the Almighty for His miracles, because the person for whom a miracle is performed does not realize that it is a miracle—yet every day, many miracles are performed for a member of the people of Israel, as it is said: “(Give thanks to) Him who alone performs great wonders” (Tehillim, 136:4)—without that person being aware of them.
Scripture means by this that the Almighty sees these miracles and extraordinary things, while a person does not. Yet without His miracles, we would have perished long ago, for all the heavenly princes (the angels responsible for the nations of the world) and the mazalot wage war against us.
One should give thanks especially for the return of the soul [in the mornings], as explained in the Zohar: “One who lends to another against collateral, if the borrower does not repay, takes the collateral in payment of the debt. We, however, give Him our souls as collateral every night, and He returns them to us every day and does not take them in payment of what we owe Him because of our many sins.”
And for this we must thank and praise Him.
The blessing שים שלום – “Grant peace”
Here one should pray for peace, for there is no other “vessel” capable of holding a blessing except peace (see Vayikra, 26:6, and Rashi there), for it is the desired bond and complete unity of Israel.
When a person prays for peace, that person should also pray that there be no discord in Israel, no jealousy, hatred, or competition, and that instead there be love, togetherness, complete unity, and friendship among all the people of Israel, and that Israel become a single soul.
One should also resolve to fulfill the words: “And love your neighbor as yourself,” for this is the foundation of the entire Torah, and it is the culmination and foundation of the entire prayer.
A person should also pray to be entirely free of the trait of anger and to have humility toward everyone; then that person will merit peace, for where there is anger, there is no peace.
Therefore, we pray to remove anger and replace it with love, brotherhood, and peace. This is a sign of how great the Almighty’s holiness is within us, for the greater it is, the less anger there is and the more peace and love. Therefore, we pray that He establish His dwelling among us and grant us peace.
Therefore, we say: ולמקללי נפשי תדם – “And before those who curse me, may my soul remain silent”—a request to lessen its capacity for anger so that it may contain more love—and this is a sign of its holiness.
Therefore, on the day before Yom Kippur, devoted to preparation for this holy and awe-inspiring day, mutual forgiveness, the removal of anger, and an increase in love are necessary, and (Yom Kippur itself) becomes a sign, for it is a day holy to our Lord.
This is the purpose and culmination of our thoughts during prayer—the duty of every member of the people of Israel toward the Creator.
Translation by Rav P. Perlov.