When we talk about God in prayer, who are speaking to? A Kavanah for Ashrei

Ashrei and Psalm 145

Ashrei, in Hebrew, means “Happy” and it is the name we give to a prayer that many communities say at least 3 times a day. Apart from the first two lines and the very last line, Ashrei is taken from Psalm 145 “A praise of David.” From the fourth line onward, it is written out as an acrostic following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, (“Aromimecha…”, “Bichol…”, “Gadol…”). It is, however, missing one letter.

Although this psalm is about the importance of praising God, which is naturally relevant to prayer, nothing in the psalm itself indicates that this is about communal prayer. Nor is it specifically associated with Jews, as praising God is incumbent upon all nations, and indeed all of creation. It is only in the additional lines that we talk about people sitting in God’s house, that it is a Jewish context, and that praise is done by a community, a “we”, as opposed to an individual. Perhaps these verses were added to make this inspiring biblical poetry more relevant to communal Jewish prayer.

Nevertheless, I think there is a hint about minyan, the quorum of ten required for much of communal Jewish prayer. Like many parts of our prayerbook (siddur), Psalm 145 moves back and forth between lines that directly address God, using pronouns like “You” and “Your,” and lines that speak about God in the third person. There are 11 lines that speak to God directly and 10 that speak about God.

When we speak about God in the third person during prayer, who are we speaking to? Where are we directing our speech?

 

Kavanah – Intention:

For the following kavvanah (intention) we imagine not only that you are declaring praise for God to the community, but in fact, to individuals in the congregation. The first 9 statements about God might be addressed to specific individuals. The 10th declares that you yourself, “my mouth,” declares God’s praise. That is your minyan – your quorum of 10.

Below are three versions of Ashrei: Hebrew, Transliteration, and English. Please pick the one most comfortable to you for reciting this prayer.

Opening Lines – recognize that you are sitting in a sacred space, made sacred by the fact that people have gathered to praise God in a house of God.

When you get to the main section after the words Tehila L’David (A praise by David), direct your speech to God where the text is marked “to God.”

For each line marked “to a person” notice and acknowledge a single person in the congregation. No need to stare or be rude, just notice that they are there, with you gathered for prayer.

Go back and forth doing this until you get to the second to last line. Bring your attention to yourself for the moment and declare that you, like everyone else assembled, are praising God and that you have helped make this quorum, this minyan.

For the last line, as you say vanachnu nivarekh yah, “and we praise God,” expand your attention to the whole congregation. We are here together for the purpose of communal prayer, just like those before us and those who will come after us.

 

 

אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה.

אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לּוֹ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁיֲהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו.

תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד

 

אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלוֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

(To God)

בְּכָל יוֹם אֲבָרְכֶךָּ וַאֲהַלְלָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

(To God)

גָּדוֹל יְיָ וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד וְלִגְדֻלָּתוֹ אֵין חֵקֶר.

(To a person 1)

דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ.

(To God)

הֲדַר כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה.

(To God)

וֶעֱזוּז נוֹרְאֹתֶיךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְדוּלָּתְךָ אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה.

(To God)

זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ וְצִדְקָתְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ.

(To God)

חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְיָ אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל חָסֶד.

(To a person 2)

טוֹב יְיָ לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו.

(To a person 3)

יוֹדוּךָ יְיָ כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְבָרְכוּכָה.

(To God)

כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ.

(To God)

לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ.

(To a person 4)

מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר.

(To God)

סוֹמֵךְ יְיָ לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים.

(To a person 5)

עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ.

(To God)

פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן.

(To God)

צַדִּיק יְיָ בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו וְחָסִיד בְּכָל מַעֲשָׂיו.

(To a person 6)

קָרוֹב יְיָ לְכָל קֹרְאָיו לְכָל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת.

(To a person 7)

רְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶת שַׁוְעָתָם יִשְׁמַע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם.

(To a person 8)

שׁוֹמֵר יְיָ אֶת כָּל אֹהֲבָיו וְאֵת כָּל הָרְשָׁעִים יַשְׁמִיד.

(To a person 9)

תְּהִלַּת יְיָ יְדַבֶּר פִּי וִיבָרֵךְ כָּל בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

(about yourself 10)

וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם הַלְלוּ יָהּ.

(To the congregation)

 

 

 

Ashrei yoshvei veitecha od yehalelucha selah.

Ashrei ha'am shekacha lo, ashrei ha'am she'Adonai Elohav.

Tehillah leDavid,

(To God)

Aromimcha Elohai hamelech va'avaracha shimcha le'olam va'ed.

(To God)

Bechol yom avarchecha va'ahalelah shimcha le'olam va'ed.

(To a person 1)

Gadol Adonai umehulal me'od veligdulato ein cheker.

(To God)

Dor ledor yeshabach ma'asecha ugevurotecha yagidu.

(To God)

Hadar kevod hodecha vedivrei niflotecha asicha.

(To God)

Ve'ezuz nor'otecha yomeru ugdulatecha asaprena.

(To God)

Zecher rav tuvcha yabiu vetzidkaticha yeranenu.

(To a person 2)

Chanun verachum Adonai erech apayim ugdal chas-ed.

(To a person 3)

Tov Adonai lakol verachamav al kol ma'asav.

(To God)

Yoducha Adonai kol ma'asecha vachasidecha yevarechucha.

(To God)

Kevod malchutcha yomeru ugevuraticha yedabeiru.

(To a person 4)

Lehodia livnei ha'adam gevurotav ukevod hadar malchuto.

(To God)

Malchutcha malchut kol olamim umemshaltcha bechol dor vador.

(To a person 5)

Somech Adonai lechol hanoflim vezokef lechol hakefufim.

(To God)

Einei chol eilecha yesaberu ve'ata noten lahem et ochlam be'ito.

(To God)

Poteach et yadecha umasbia lechol chai ratzon.

(To a person 6)

Tzaddik Adonai bechol derachav vechasid bechol ma'asav.

(To a person 7)

Karov Adonai lechol kor'av lechol asher yikrauhu ve'emet.

(To a person 8)

Retzon yera'av ya'aseh ve'et shavatam yishma veyoshiem.

(To a person 9)

Shomer Adonai et kol ohavav ve'et kol haresha'im yashmid.

(About yourself 10)

Tehillat Adonai yedaber pi vivarech kol basar shem kodsho le'olam va'ed.

(To the congregation)

Va'anachnu nevarech Yah me'atah ve'ad olam halelu Yah.

 

 

 

 

Fortunate are those who sit in Your house; may they continue to praise You, Selah. Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus; fortunate is the people for whom Adonoy is their God. A praise by David!

(To God)

I will exalt You, my God, the King, and bless Your Name forever and ever.

(To God)

Every day I will bless You and extol Your Name forever and ever.

(To a person 1)

Adonoy is great and highly extolled, and God’s greatness is unfathomable.

(To God)

One generation to another will praise Your works, and Your mighty acts they will declare.

(To God)

The splendor of Your glorious majesty, and the words of Your wonders I will speak.

(To God)

Of Your awesome might, they will speak, and Your greatness I will recount.

(To God)

Mention of Your bountifulness they will express, and in Your righteousness joyfully exult.

(To a person 2)

Adonoy is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in kindliness.

(To a person 3)

Adonoy is good to all, God’s mercy encompasses all His works.

(To God)

All Your works will thank You, Adonoy, and Your pious ones will bless You.

(To God)

Of the honor of Your kingship, they will speak, and Your might they will declare.

(To a person 4)

To reveal to men God’s mighty acts, and the glorious splendor of God’s kingship.

(To God)

Your kingship is the kingship for all times, and Your dominion is in every generation.

(To a person 5)

Adonoy supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent.

(To God)

The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food at its proper time.

(To God)

You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being.

(To a person 6)

Adonoy is just in all ways and benevolent in all deeds.

(To a person 7)

Adonoy is near to all who call to God, to all who call upon God in truth.

(To a person 8)

The will of those who fear God, God fulfills; God hears their cry and delivers them.

(To a person 9)

Adonoy watches over all those who love God, and will destroy all the wicked.

(About yourself 10)

Praise of Adonoy, my mouth will declare and all flesh will bless God’s holy Name forever and ever.

(To the congregation)

And we will bless God from now forever. Praise God.

 

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