Who Sets the Tone for Your Day?

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

If your answer is checking your phone—notifications, emails, social media, or the news—you’re certainly not alone. Research suggests that 89% of people check their phones within 15 minutes of waking, and for many, the smartphone has become the last thing they see at night and the first thing they see in the morning.

It may seem like a small habit, but it raises a bigger question:

Who gets to set the tone for our day?

When we reach for our phones immediately, we expose ourselves to a flood of information, demands, and distractions before we have had a chance to establish our own priorities. Instead of beginning the day with intention, we can quickly find ourselves in reactive mode, responding to other people’s messages, requests, and opinions before deciding what matters most to us.

Research on daily mood and attention proves that how we begin the day greatly influence the emotional and psychological tone we carry into the hours that follow.

Judaism offers a remarkably simple alternative:

Begin with gratitude.

Bikkurim: Give G-d Your First

This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, introduces the mitzvah of Bikkurim—the first fruits.

During the Temple era, when a farmer’s crops began to ripen, he was commanded to bring the first and finest fruits of his harvest to the Holy Temple and present them to the Kohanim (priests). It was an expression of gratitude and an acknowledgment that the blessing of the land ultimately came from G-d.

But why did the Torah specifically require the first fruits?

Why not allow the farmer to enjoy the early harvest for himself and his family and contribute a portion later?

Because the Torah is teaching a principle that goes far beyond agriculture:

What we give first reveals what we value most.

By dedicating his first and finest fruits to G-d, the farmer was doing more than fulfilling a mitzvah. He was establishing a perspective: his success was not solely the result of his own efforts, and everything he possessed was ultimately entrusted to him with purpose.

The first fruits were only a small portion of the harvest, but they set the tone for everything that followed.

Giving Our Best to What Matters Most

This principle extends far beyond the fields of ancient Israel. It speaks to how we invest our time, attention, resources, talents, and energy.

Maimonides writes:

“Everything that is for the sake of G-d should be of the best and most beautiful.”

When we dedicate something to a higher purpose, we shouldn’t simply offer what is left over. We should give our best—our first and our finest.

Bikkurim therefore asks us to consider not only how much we give, but what we give first.

Begin the Day With Gratitude

In reply to a young child who once asked the Rebbe what his favorite prayer was, he responded: 

“It's a very short prayer. It's the very first prayer we say in the morning, Modeh Ani le'fanecha – מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּים. שֶׁהֶֽחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי ,בְּחֶמְלָה. רַבָּה אֱמֽוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ – I give thanks before You, Living and Everlasting King, that You restored my soul to me with compassion; great is Your faithfulness.”

The Rebbe explained that one of the messages of this prayer is that G‑d has great faith in us, so let us not disappoint Him. How do we know He has faith in us? Because He gave us another day of life, even though He owes it to no one.

Instead of beginning by consuming what the world is sending us, we begin by recognizing what G-d has given us.

Give your first moments to gratitude, and you are quietly declaring what you want your day, and ultimately your life, to be about.

Practical Ways to Ingrain Gratitude in Daily Life

• Express appreciation
  Make it a habit to say at least one compliment or word of gratitude to your spouse, children, and workmates each day. Small acknowledgments strengthen relationships and foster a positive home and work environment.

• Prioritize Giving
  Allocate the first 10% of your earnings (a tithe) to charity before paying bills or other expenses. This mitzvah helps cultivate a sense of gratitude over entitlement by acknowledging the true source of our blessings and emphasizing the importance of giving before accumulating.

• Start the day with Modeh Ani
  Each morning, before doing anything else, take a few seconds to recite the Modeh Ani prayer, expressing thanks to G‑d for granting you a new day. This simple ritual sets a tone of gratitude, guiding your actions and outlook throughout the day.

Saying thank you is also integrally connected to preparing the world for the era of Moshiach. G-d wants us to appreciate and acknowledge the world aroud us. This realization is fundamentally connected to the concept of Redemption, because in the era of Redemption, we will fully recognize and appreciate the purpose behind all of creation.