It is important to start the day with holiness because that sets the tone for the rest of the day. As tzaddikim say (Shemos 13:2) בכור כל לי קדש, it is important to make the bechor, the beginnings, holy.
This concept is stated in Rashi (23:24) in this week's parashah: "When [Yidden] awaken in the morning from their sleep, they become strong like a lion to grab mitzvos, to put on a talis, to say the Shema, to put on tefillin." They begin the day with holiness.
Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa zt'l (quoted in Beis Yaakov, Ki Savo) says that the mitzvah of bikurim (to bring the first fruit that grows on one's property to the Beis HaMikdash) is to remind us to sanctify everything that is 'first'. He adds that in our generation, when there is no Beis HaMikdash, we keep the mitzvah of bikurim by sanctifying everything new. Therefore, one should make the beginning of the day holy. He should start the day with Torah and tefillah. This is the reason we begin the day with Modeh Ani. We thank Hashem even before our feet touch the ground. The beginning of the day should be for Hashem, which helps the rest of the day follow accordingly.
The Divrei Yisrael (Bereishis 4:7) explains the pasuk רובץ חטאת לפתח that the yetzer hara stands לפתח, at the beginning of the day, and he wants to ruin the beginnings, that they shouldn't be for Hashem. תשוקתו ואליך, his primary desire is to destroy the beginnings, בו תמשול ואתה, but if you don't permit him to take the beginnings, you can win over the yetzer hara.
The Mishnah Berurah (549:2) writes, "Five tzaros took place on Shivah Asar BeTamuz: (1) the luchos were broken (2) The korban tamid ceased (3) העיר הובקעה, the walls of Yerushalayim were breached (4) Apustamos the rasha burned a sefer Torah. (5) An idol was erected in the heichal."
One of the reasons that we fast is because the luchos were broken. Chazal (Tanchuma, Ki Sisa) teach that the first luchos were broken because they were given in public. For the second luchos, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, הצניעות מן יפה לך אין, there is nothing better than when a mitzvah is performed with tznius, without fanfare, without people knowing about it, as it states (Michah 6:8) אלוקיך 'ה עם לכת והצנע. Therefore, the second luchos, which were given in a more concealed manner, weren't broken.
The Sfas Emes zt'l (Ki Sisa 5639) asks, doesn’t Hakodesh Baruch Hu know the future? He knew that the first luchos, which were given with וברקים קולות, with loud sounds and with lightning, in a revealed manner, wouldn't last. So, why didn't Hashem initially give the Torah in a concealed manner?
The Sfas Emes replies that this was the first time that Hashem was speaking with the Jewish nation; he was giving them the Torah. At such a time, the only way to give the Torah is with hislahavus. It is impossible to begin a beginning in a concealed, silent manner.
We quote the Sfas Emes: "If it weren't for the hislahavus at the beginning, with great revelation, it would be impossible to afterwards give the Torah in a concealed manner. However, since the Torah was given with קולות קולי, in a loud voice, now the Torah can be given in a concealed manner. And this is a lesson for all generations. You must begin with great hislahavus, even if the hislahavus won't last..."
The Rokeiach (introduction) writes, חוזק אין בתחילתו כחסידות, "Nothing is stronger than chasidus at the beginning." And it has to be that way. The beginnings should be with a lot of energy and excitement, and that gives momentum for the good deeds to continue. In contrast, Siforno (Bereishis 9:20) discusses Noach's error that the first thing he planted after the mabul was a vineyard, as it states, כרם ויטע האדמה איש נח ויחל. Siforno writes, "He began with something that isn't proper, and that's why improper things emerged. This is because a drop of קלקול, imperfection, at the beginning results in a lot of problems in the end, as this is known regarding the sciences when they have a false foundation at the beginning."
There is a lot to think about when we study these words. Beginnings are important. The beginning sets the mode for everything that will follow.
Lessons and Parables
When a person prepares a cup of coffee, he boils up water to the highest degree and then makes the coffee. But he won't drink the coffee when it is that hot. He will wait for it to cool off. So, why doesn't he initially cook the water to the degree that he plans to drink it and prepare the coffee at that temperature? The answer is that the coffee wouldn't taste good if the water didn’t boil at the beginning. This is a mashal for the need to begin with hislahavus. The hislahavus may cool off with time, but there must be hislahavus at the beginning.
We can compare it to when one mistakenly buttons his shirt’s top button with the hole intended for the second button. At first, he doesn’t realize there is a problem, but when he finishes all the buttons, he sees that the shirt is lopsided, and he has to start all over again. This illustrates the problem of beginning slightly off.
