The Ashrei is a psalm, attributed to King David. It was sung in biblical times in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is part of the Morning and Afternoon service to prepare worshipers for the Call to Prayer (the Barchu). After the introduction, the Psalm follows the Hebrew aleph-bet, each line beginning with the next letter, forming an acrostic. This tells us that it was once memorized using the aleph-bet as a memory device. Only the letter nun (p) is missing, traditionally because it begins the name of the prophet Nathan who criticized King David a great deal. We chant this song responsively, perhaps like our ancestors did thousands of years ago.
:ExA c i Lz xEa bE ,Exn` i LzEk l n cFaM :FzEkl n xc d cFakE ,ei xEab mc ` d i pa l r icFd l
K vod malchut cha yomeiru, ug vruat cha y dabeiru. L hodiyah livnei ha-adam g vurotav, uch vod hadar malchuto.
Happy are they who dwell in Your house; they will ever praise You! Happy is the people whose portion is this, whose God is Adonai. A Song of David:
(`) I will exalt You, my Sovereign God; I will bless Your Name forever. (a) Every day I will bless You; I will extol Your name forever. (b) Great is God and worthy of praise; God s greatness cannot be fathomed. (c) Each generation will acclaim You to the next; they shall tell of Your mighty acts. (d) They shall contemplate Your radiant glory; they shall reflect on Your wondrous works. (e) They shall speak of Your awesome might, and make known Your greatness. (f) They shall tell all of Your great goodness, and sing of Your righteousness. (g) Adonai is gracious and compassionate, endlessly patient, overflowing with love. (h) Adonai is good to all; God s compassion shelters all creatures. (i) All Your works, Adonai, shall praise You; Your faithful shall bless You. (k) They shall speak of the glory of Your sovereignty, and tell of Your mighty strength, (l) Proclaiming Your power to all people, and the glorious splendor of Your majesty. (n) Your reign is everlasting, Your dominion endures through all time. (q) Adonai, You support the falling; You raise up all who are bowed down. (r) The eyes of all turn to You; You sustain them in time of want. (t) You open Your hand, satisfying the needs of all creatures. (v) You are just in all Your ways, gracious in all Your deeds. (w) Adonai is near to all who cry out, to all who call out in truth. (x) God will fufill the hope of all the reverent; God will hear their cry and help them. (y) You preserve those who love, Adonai, but the lawless You bring to grief. (z) My lips shall declare the glory of Adonai; let all flesh bless God s holy name forever and
ever. We will bless God now and always. Halleluyah!