Over the past two days, we have spoken about the importance of contemplating before prayer. This year, I saw a fascinating commentary from Maran Bet Yosef, Rav Yosef Caro, in his commentary on Chumash. (Most people know the Bet Yosef for his Halachic works, but he also has a commentary on Chumash) In Shemot chapter 10, he offers a fascinating approach to Ashrei. He links Ashrei to the concept of waiting before you pray, as did the pious men of old. Furthermore, he says that it’s really a short introduction of the following important thoughts, that you're supposed to have every day before you pray:
1-The first thing one must do is to organize Hashem's praise like Moshe Rabbenu. When he prayed V’Etchanan, he started off by praising Hashem.
2-Then, after you praise Hashem in general, you must mention His ability, His power, His strength to do whatever He needs to do, and whatever we want Him to do for us.
3-Then we have to mention His kindness. If we're only counting on what we deserve, then most of us can't pray at all. So we have to arouse in ourselves the belief in Hashem’s kindness.
4-Then we have to talk about the greatness of His kingdom and
5- how the Shechina will eventually return and the world will know about God.
Once we know about God's great abilities and His kindness and His kingdom, we may wonder what His kingdom has to do with me and my needs,
6 -So next, we have to give a little speech on Hashgacha Pratit, and that Hashem is is involved in our lives.
7-We also have to talk about how the world is not a free-for-all. There's reward and punishment for what we do. Although we're counting on Hashem's kindness, there is justice in the world.
8- Finally, we have to thank Hashem for everything that happens to us.
We can see how these concepts actually fit into the praise of Ashrei:
The first four pesukim
(after the introductory pasuk, Ashrei Yoshvei Betecha, found in perek 84) organize the praise of God.
תְּהִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ אֱלוֹהַ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַאֲבָרְכָ֥ה שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
בְּכׇל־י֥וֹם אֲבָֽרְכֶ֑ךָּ וַאֲהַֽלְלָ֥ה שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהֹוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד וְ֝לִגְדֻלָּת֗וֹ אֵ֣ין חֵֽקֶר׃
ד֣וֹר לְ֭דוֹר יְשַׁבַּ֣ח מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וּגְב֖וּרֹתֶ֣יךָ יַגִּֽידוּ׃
Lift up God, bless Him. Every day I'm going to bless Him and
Praise Him. God is great, and very praiseworthy, there is no end to his greatness. From generation to generation, we'll speak of God's great deeds.
The next two pesukim, 5 and 6, talk about Hashem's ability, His wonders and His awesome strength.
הֲ֭דַר כְּב֣וֹד הוֹדֶ֑ךָ וְדִבְרֵ֖י נִפְלְאֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה׃
וֶעֱז֣וּז נֽוֹרְאֹתֶ֣יךָ יֹאמֵ֑רוּ (וגדלותיך) [וּגְדֻלָּתְךָ֥] אֲסַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃
Now, lest someone think that he’s not deserving, we talk about His goodness, in Pesukim 7, 8, 9, and 10.
זֵ֣כֶר רַב־טוּבְךָ֣ יַבִּ֑יעוּ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶ֥רֶךְ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם וּגְדׇל־חָֽסֶד׃
טוֹב־יְהֹוָ֥ה לַכֹּ֑ל וְ֝רַחֲמָ֗יו עַל־כׇּל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃
יודוּךָ יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יךָ יְבָרְכֽוּכָה׃
God is kind and gracious. He has patience and unlimited kindness. God is good to all, and has mercy on all creatures.
Then we talk about the greatness of God’s kingdom
כְּב֣וֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ֣ יֹאמֵ֑רוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ֥ יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
להוֹדִ֤יעַ ׀ לִבְנֵ֣י הָ֭אָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָ֑יו וּ֝כְב֗וֹד הֲדַ֣ר מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃
We talk about the honor of His kingdom, His strength to tell the people of His strength and the honor and glory of His kingdom in this kingdom.
And although we don't see it now, pasuk 13 tells us,
מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗ מַלְכ֥וּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִ֑ים וּ֝מֶֽמְשַׁלְתְּךָ֗ בְּכׇל־דּ֥וֹר וָדֹֽר׃
It’s here throughout generations dominion in every single generation and will return.
Pesukim 14-18 mainly talk about how Hashem deals with us directly.
סוֹמֵ֣ךְ יְ֭הֹוָה לְכׇל־הַנֹּפְלִ֑ים וְ֝זוֹקֵ֗ף לְכׇל־הַכְּפוּפִֽים׃
עֵֽינֵי־כֹ֭ל אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְשַׂבֵּ֑רוּ וְאַתָּ֤ה נֽוֹתֵן־לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אׇכְלָ֣ם בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃
פּוֹתֵ֥חַ אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ וּמַשְׂבִּ֖יעַ לְכׇל־חַ֣י רָצֽוֹן׃
צַדִּ֣יק יְ֭הֹוָה בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָ֑יו וְ֝חָסִ֗יד בְּכׇל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃
קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הֹוָה לְכׇל־קֹרְאָ֑יו לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִקְרָאֻ֣הוּ בֶֽאֱמֶֽת׃
Hashem deals with me directly. When people fall, God picks them up. People are hunched and God stands them up. All our eyes are on God hoping to Him. He gives us our bread in the right time. We open our hands and God satiates our every need. God is righteous, and He’s close to all that call out to Him
In pesukim 19 and 20,
רְצוֹן־יְרֵאָ֥יו יַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְֽאֶת־שַׁוְעָתָ֥ם יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵֽם׃
שׁוֹמֵ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־כׇּל־אֹהֲבָ֑יו וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־הָרְשָׁעִ֣ים יַשְׁמִֽיד׃
God does the will of those that fear Him. (This is reward and punishment.) God watches over those that love Him and eradicates the wicked.
And finally, we have the last principle in pasuk 21
תְּהִלַּ֥ת יְהֹוָ֗ה יְֽדַבֶּ֫ר־פִּ֥י וִיבָרֵ֣ךְ כׇּל־בָּ֭שָׂר שֵׁ֥ם קׇדְשׁ֗וֹ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ {פ}
I praise God. I thank God.
These are the eight important points that Ashrei tells us. So, therefore, before our prayers, we say Ashrei- in order to put us in the right frame of mind, to fulfill these concepts.
That is our beautiful lesson, from the Bet Yosef.
You can print the chart below and keep it in your siddur.
Have a wonderful day.
To organize Hashem’s praise
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ספר תהילים פרק קמה:(א) תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלוֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: (ב) בְּכָל יוֹם אֲבָרְכֶךָּ וַאֲהַלְלָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: (ג) גָּדוֹל יְהֹוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד וְלִגְדֻלָּתוֹ אֵין חֵקֶר: (ד) דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ: |
To mention His ability
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(ה) הֲדַר כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה: (ו) וֶעֱזוּז נוֹרְאֹתֶיךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְדֻלָּתְךָ אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה: |
To mention His kindness
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(ז) זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ וְצִדְקָתְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ: (ח) חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהֹוָה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל חָסֶד: (ט) טוֹב יְהֹוָה לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו: (י) יוֹדוּךָ יְהֹוָה כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְבָרְכוּכָה: |
To mention the greatness of His kingdom
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(יא) כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ: (יב) לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ: |
To mention the kingdom of the Shechina
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(יג) מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדֹר: |
To mention His divine providence
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(יד) סוֹמֵךְ יְהֹוָה לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים: (טו) עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ: (טז) פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן: (יז) צַדִּיק יְהֹוָה בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו וְחָסִיד בְּכָל מַעֲשָׂיו: (יח) קָרוֹב יְהֹוָה לְכָל קֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת: |
To mention reward and punishment
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(יט) רְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶת שַׁוְעָתָם יִשְׁמַע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם: (כ) שׁוֹמֵר יְהֹוָה אֶת כָּל אֹהֲבָיו וְאֵת כָּל הָרְשָׁעִים יַשְׁמִיד: |
To thank at the end
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(כא) תְּהִלַּת יְהֹוָה יְדַבֶּר פִּי וִיבָרֵךְ כָּל בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: |