The concept of ‘Yehuda,’ which is ‘הו דָּ אָּה-humble submission and gratitude,’ is to be directly experienced in a manner of “א ת ָּהַׁ-you.” When saying “you” to someone, that person must be directly in front of him and visible to him. When the verse says “יְהוּדָּה אַתָּּה-You, Yehudah” it means Yehudah as he is standing in front of the person saying that, in this case, in front of Yaakov our forefather, who was talking directly to him. In the context of Yehudah as representing total submission/devotion to Hashem, the idea of “You, Yehudah” means that the person sees and directly experiences this total submission/devotion to Hashem in a revealed and conscious manner.
For that to happen, there needs to be “ַָּׁךיֶח אַָּׁךודֹוי-your brothers will bring out your ‘הוֹדַָּׁאָּהַׁ-humble submission and devotion,’” meaning, that there first needs to be the aspects of Divine service represented by Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, that through their help this aspect of ‘הוֹדַָּׁאָּהַׁ-humble submission and devotion’ will be brought out and revealed. For, without the first having the aspects of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, one cannot bring out this aspect of Yehuda, which is the ability to “lose oneself” and become part of the Truth of Hashem in a revealed manner, only in a hidden and subconscious manner.
On a subconscious level, every Jew has a hidden capacity of total devotion to Hashem to the point of self-sacrifice. This is expressed in the first prayer of the day “Modeh Ani.” As soon as Jew wakes up, he declares his humble gratitude and devotion to Hashem before he can think about anything in depth, as if instinctively. However, he is not fully conscious of the true intensity of this devotion to Hashem until Shemona Esai.
Therefore, it is impossible to start Shemona Esrai without first reciting Pesukei Dezimra and Shema with its blessings etc. (Regarding Mincha, when we only pray Shemona Esrai (without Pesukei Dezrimra etc.), this is only possible because we already recited in Shachris (Pesukei Dezimra and) Shema with its blessings (and Mincha always follows Shachris). However, in Mariv, (which is somewhat removed from Shachris) we need to recite Shema and its blessings once again before Shemona Esrai.)
This is the idea that “the beginning is expressed in the end” (Sefer Yetzira 1:7), and one who is wise will understand. The idea of the “beginning” being expressed in the “end” in this context refer to how Yehuda, who represents ‘הו דָּ אָּה-humble submission and devotion’ is both the first and most basic level, as well as the highest and most advanced level.
We mentioned before that the first prayer of the day is “מו דֶה אֲנִּי-I thankfully and humbly acknowledge and devote myself to Hashem.” This is the fist, and seemingly lowest level of connection to Hashem. We say this prayer while our hands our impure, before washing “negel vasser,” and before we are fully conscious of the meaning of what we are saying. This represents our most basic level of humble devotion to Hashem, as a simple servant the obeys his master without understanding the reason for his tasks and what they accomplish.
The highest level of prayer is the Shemona Esai, when we experience our devotion to Hashem so completely that stand in attention without moving around and whisper our prayers and bow down to Hashem, showing our absolute negation of ego in the very presence of the King Himself. This negation of ego and feeling that we have no existence other than being Hashem’s agent in this world only comes after all the previous levels of prayer. These include the Morning Blessings, studying Chassidus, Pesukei Dezimra, reciting Shema and its blessings, with the accompanying mental focus on their meaning etc.
The idea that “beginning is expressed in the end” in this context means that the real power and intensity of our humble devotion to Hashem, of Modeh Ani, is only fully experienced at the end, in Shemona Esrai. Alternatively, it could mean that in the lowest level, basic humble devotion to Hashem, is found (in essence) the highest level, the absolute selfless devotion of Shemona Esrai.
In the Hebrew footnote, the Tzemach Tzedek elaborates on the above concept of the two level of הו דָּ אָּה-humble submission and devotion,’ one (Modeh Ani) being lower than love and fear of Hashem, and one (Shemona Esrai) being higher than love and fear of Hashem.
