The Power of Ashrei – From the Torah
of the Maharal and Other Commentators
By Eliakim Willner
Eliakim Willner is author of “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaTorah: An
Appreciation of Torah Study”, a translation with commentary of a work by the
Maharal of Prague, published by Artscroll/Mesorah. This article is adapted from
his forthcoming continuation of the Nesivos Olam series, “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv
HaAvodah: The Philosophy and Practice of Prayer”.
Introduction
We recite the Ashrei
prayer three times every day – twice during Shachris and once during Mincha
– and unfortunately, for many, familiarity breeds contempt. The prayer, which
has immense potency, is often taken for granted, and its full benefit not
realized. This is a great pity. We will try to understand, based on the words
of Chazal, why Ashrei is so powerful, and what we need to do in
order to benefit from its great power.
It All Starts From a
Gemara.
The Gemara (Brachos
4b) teaches us that “Whoever recites the Tehillah L’Dovid psalm three
times every day is guaranteed a place in the world-to-come.” This, of course,
is a reference to the Ashrei prayer, Tehillim 145, which actually
begins with the words Tehillah L’Dovid. (The first two verses of the
prayer are not part of that chapter of Tehillim. Various explanations
are provided to account for their addition. On explanation is that those two
verses, like Tehillim 145 itself, begin with the word “Ashrei”,
making in total three instances of the word “Ashrei” in the prayer – an
allusion to the “three times a day” that, the Gemara teaches, is a
guarantee for a place in the world to come.)
The Gemara explains
that Ashrei has this power because it contains the verse, poseiach es
yodecha… “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing”,
and because its verses form an alphabetical acrostic using the entire Hebrew
alphabet.
The notion that one can
acquire as weighty a thing as the world-to-come with so seemingly mundane a
measure as reciting a particular psalm three times a day is the subject of much
discussion among the commentators.
How it Works- the Maharal
The Maharal in Nesiv
HaAvodah 6:11 explains that the two features of Ashrei mentioned by
the Gemara directly relate to the reward. Moreover, they are not two
disparate and unrelated features. Rather, they work in tandem to create the
relationship between Ashrei and the world-to-come.
Let us begin with the “You open your hand and satisfy
the desire of every living thing”, feature. Parnoso, sustenance is
synonymous with life itself, since sustenance fuels the life of all living
beings. Sustenance and life amount to one and the same thing. Therefore we
praise Hashem with the verse, “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of
every living thing”, and in so doing we establish a point of commonality with
the world-to-come, the inhabitants of which live the ultimate form of life – an
eternal life. Despite the more limited version of life we experience in this world, life is the common
denominator between this world and the world-to-come.
Following the order of the alphabet – the second
feature of Ashrei mentioned by the Gemara – assures that all
twenty-two letters that comprise the Torah are utilized and this propels the Ashrei
praise to the exalted level occupied by the Torah.
How do these two feature work in tandem to create the
bond to the world-to-come? Certainly, the “You open your hand…” verse is not in
itself sufficient to create a bond to the world-to-come because, while life in
this world – which that verse is describing – is physical, life in the
world-to-come is not. The alphabet-ordering feature of Ashrei is also
not sufficient to earn a person a place in the world-to-come because, even
though that feature demonstrates that the praises of Ashrei achieve the
exalted world-to-come level of the Torah, it does not of itself attach the
individual to life, which is a necessary condition in order to merit the
world-to-come.
That is why both features are needed. It is the
combination of Ashrei’s alphabet sequence, along with the “You open your
hand…” verse that brings about the attachment to the world-to-come. The verse
creates the association with life. The alphabet sequence, with its twenty-two
letters, extends that life to the world-to-come. The end result is that through
the life feature communicated by the verse and the praise arranged in the order
of the twenty-two letters of the aleph-bais a person becomes worthy of
the world-to-come.
How it Works – Rabbeinu Bechaya and the Pnei Yehoshua
Rabbeinu Bechaya says that ruminating on the deep meaning
of these verses strengthens one’s faith in and service to Hashem and that
brings a person to merit the world to come (See Rabbeinu Bechaya on Vayikrah
7:37). Similarly the Ben Yehoyada writes that this prevents a person from
transgressing, and therefore reduces the chances of his losing his portion in
the world-to-come because of his sins.
The Pnei Yehoshua on
the Gemara in Brachos elaborates further on this approach to
understanding the Gemara. He writes that the purpose of Ashrei is
to reinforce, through the triple repetition, the belief in the centrality of
the Torah; the idea that the world was created to provide a context for those
who study the Torah – which was built out of the twenty-two letters of the aleph-bais
that form the foundation of Ashrei. The, “You open your hand…”, verse
reminds us that all living creatures are provided their sustenance by Hashem
without any labor on their part. It does not make sense that man, the
centerpiece of the universe, should be in a worse position. In fact, he is not.
If man places his reliance on Hashem and makes Torah study his primary
occupation, relegating his mundane work to secondary status, Hashem will
provide for him adequately with a minimum investment in mundane work on his
part, as He does for all other living creatures. A person who takes this, the
lesson of Ashrei, to heart will indeed merit the world-to-come by dint
of his focus on the primacy of Torah study.
The Maharal does not
explicitly mention a requirement to ruminate on the deep meaning of the words
of Ashrei in order to merit the world-to-come but presumably he would
not disagree with that requirement. Ashrei has powerful potential as the
Maharal explains, with the potent ingredient of life, from the verse, and the
extension of life into the world-to-come, via the twenty-two letters, but it is
not plausible that one can realize that potential while being oblivious to it
when reciting the prayer.
How it Works – The Meshech Chochma
The Meshech Chochma
discusses this subject at the beginning of Parshas Bechukosai. He writes
that Hashem manages the world using one of two approaches – that of natural law
and that of miracles that deviate from the laws of nature. Hashem’s preferred
and “standard” approach is that of nature. Nature, however, is a misnomer; it
is really nothing more than a continual series of mini-miracles that follow
predefined rules. Because we are accustomed to those rules they appear to be
self-running. In reality, however Hashem orchestrates world events down to the
minutest detail within the “constraints” of those rules. Reward and punishment
are meted out in exact conformance to what is deserved.
There is no limit, even
within the bounds of natural law, to the reward possible for someone who follows
the path of Hashem. The unfortunate converse is also true. The laws of nature
that Hashem utilizes to deliver reward and punishment were tuned from the
outset to accord with the strictures of the Torah and the consequences set
forth in the Torah for those who follow – or do not follow – those strictures.
Miracles that deviate from
the laws of nature are wake-up calls, to prevent us from complacently falling
into the trap of assuming that nature runs on auto-pilot without divine
intervention. Open miracles are not intrinsically necessary; their purpose is
to bring into focus the inherently miraculous nature of what we perceive as
natural law. Miracles remind us that natural law is under Hashem’s direct
control; it is His “tool” for managing His world.
Tehillim 136, known as Hallel HaGadol, is
primarily a series of praises to Hashem for His open miracles. The Gemara
in Shabbos 118b says that one who recites this psalm daily is considered
a blasphemer. A blasphemer for reciting praises to Hashem? How can this be? The
Meshech Chochma explains that this is because he gives the impression
that praise is due Hashem for open miracles, but, as for natural law, that runs
on its own, without divine intervention, so no praise to Hashem is called for
(G-d forbid). On the other hand, someone who recites Ashrei every day,
as the Gemara in Brachos states, is guaranteed a place in the
world-to-come because that psalm praises Hashem for His conduct of the universe
using natural law. Ashrei acknowledges Hashem’s central role in the
ongoing implementation of natural law.
The Meshech Chochma
delves further into the significance of Ashrei, in line with the Gemara
in Brachos.
Let us consider: which is
more amazing, feeding a nation with the miraculous Mon during their
forty-year desert sojourn, or feeding millions upon millions of living
creatures, day after day, since the world was created, within the framework of
natural law? Certainly, a thoughtful person would have to conclude that the
latter behavior was more amazing; more reflective of Hashem’s infinite wisdom
and His omnipotence. That conclusion is signaled by the full-alphabet acrostic
of Ashrei. Systematically traversing the alphabet bespeaks the
significance of system; of rules and order. It is in that context that the
verse, “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing”,
appears. That verse, in that context, is a statement that Hashem possesses the
incredible power to sustain all living beings using only natural law. Without
the need to call upon open miracles!
Reciting the psalm with the
combination of that verse, and the alphabet acrostic, is the most potent praise
of Hashem because it recognizes the full extent of Hashem’s direction of the
universe. That is why it provides a guaranteed path to the world-to-come.
How it Works – Rav Shimon Schwab
Rav Shimon Schwab, in Iyun
Tefilla, writes that the provision of man’s sustenance operates
simultaneously on two tracks. On the one hand, the degree to which we are
entitled to sustenance is divinely decided and the considerations that go into
that decision are to a large extent beyond our comprehension. Those people who
are considered worthy are referred to in the verse as, chai, deemed
deserving of being sustained at least to some degree (u’masbia l’chol chai…).
To the extent that they are considered worthy, they are gifted by Hashem with ratzon
(u’masbia l’chol chai ratzon), or
“good will”, which translates to their finding favor in the eyes of those with
whom they would be transacting business and therefore succeeding in their
business endeavors.
On the other hand, a person
must exert at least some degree of effort in order to earn his sustenance. This
is the hishtadlus track, the Torah’s “system” for business success,
which includes not only effort and intelligent business sense, but also a
commitment to adhere to the Torah’s values of integrity and virtue in the
conduct of one’s financial affairs. Cause and effect are much more visible on
this track. Adherence to the Torah’s system leads to business success.
Non-adherence leads to business failure. This track is exemplified by the
systematic and predictable aleph-bais sequence of Ashrei.
The Deeper Meaning of “Ratzon”
As mentioned Rav Schwab
renders ratzon as “good will”. We conclude with a brief discussion of
the meaning of the word “ratzon”, which is usually translated as
“desire”, as in “…and satisfy the desire of every living thing”. This
translation (which we have used here as well) is puzzling. Are every being’s
desires really always satisfied? The Maharal cited earlier alludes to a deeper
understanding of the word.
Ratzon in a more profound sense means to find
favor in the eyes of Hashem. Thus the verse is not saying that Hashem fulfills
our desires, but rather that we are desirous in His eyes. The word ratzon
means “desire” or “will” but it also means to find favor, since, when something
finds favor in Hashem’s eyes, as it were, it is because it accords with His
will.
The usage of ratzon
to designate finding favor in the eyes of Hashem is found in a Kabbalistic context
as well. The pinnacle sefira, or “emanation” is called keser, but
is also known as “ratzon” as explained in Pardes Rimonim 11:6:
“The sefira of keser, which is called ratzon…”, and in
23:20: “ratzon: this is the flow that descends from the exalted keser
and which causes all the sefiros to be desirous and to find favor. This
is why it is called ratzon… the sefiros find favor in the ratzon
elyon (in the desire of Hashem) when they absorb [this quality from the sefira
of keser]”.
In Derech Chaim 3:14
the Maharal writes that we, as “children” of Hashem, as it were, have the
ability to “build” a crown for Hashem, the King of kings, with our prayers. He
cites a Gemara in Chagigah 13b: “[The angel] Sandalfon stands behind the
Chariot and assembles a crown for his Master out of the prayers of Yisroel”.
Now, in Kabbalah, keser, or crown, is the highest and holiest of
Hashem’s sefiros, or “emanations” and the Shaarei Orah (Shaar
2) writes that this is the pinnacle level that our prayers can achieve (and
this is why the Kedushah of Mussaf in Nusach Sefard
begins, “A crown will they give You… the angels… together with your people
Yisroel”).
Now, as mentioned this
pinnacle sefira of keser is also known as “ratzon” . This,
then, is the potency of our prayers – they are forces for “building” keser,
the highest of the sefiros, and thereby, for all the sefira
emanations to find ratzon, favor, in Hashem’s eyes.
Our prayers have the power
to effect the heavenly spheres in ways that we cannot even begin to comprehend,
and those effects rebound on our world as well. Ashrei is particularly
potent in that it has the potential to propel us to the world-to-come – if we
appreciate its depth of meaning, and concentrate properly on what we are saying
when we recite it. May we all merit doing so, and achieving our coveted places
in the world-to-come!
