Ashrei | Rabbi Shefa Gold

Ashrei yoshvei vetecha od y’hal’luchah

Happy are those that dwell in Your house; they keep on praising. (Psalm 84:5)

Sometimes our perspective gets very narrow. Our view is determined by “small mind” (mochin de-katnut). From this state, the possibilities seem quite limited, and our sense of who we are and where our consciousness can reach is constricted and finite. From this state, it feels quite natural to complain and be filled with despair about the world.

But then it is possible to step into a wider perspective, to expand into “big mind” (mochin de-gadlut). This is called stepping into the “God-house.” By chanting this sacred phrase we can move into a state of consciousness that is wide and spacious. From here we can feel a sense of limitless possibility. We can feel our awareness reach out to the far edges of the universe, as far as the imagination can touch. From this state, it feels completely right to express praise for everything we perceive. Praise becomes our natural way of being in the world.

May we all radiate with the happiness that comes from knowing that we live in the God-House and may praise pour forth from that knowing.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download the chants, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 236.