Shacharis > Pesukei D’zimra > _Ashrei Part 2\
Chazal teach us that “one who says Ashrei three times daily is guaranteed a place in the world to come.” What’s so special about Ashrei, and how does it provide us with such an easy shortcut to Olam Haba?
The theme of Ashrei is that we praise Hashem using the order of the Aleph-Beis, and this represents a comprehensive and orderly process of revealing Hashem in every area of our world, from “A to Z.” Although nature can seem to be orderly and predictable, we internalize that nothing happens on its own, it is all Hashem.
This is why Chazal teach us that saying Hallel every day is not a good thing, because it implies that Hashem only performs miracles, as if everyday ‘nature’ is not also being miraculously orchestrated by Hashem at every moment. Ashrei, on the other hand, we should say three times every day, as a constant reminder that the ‘normal’ routine of life that we experience, is really all Hashem. Three times throughout the day, we break our routine to remind ourselves that there is no ‘routine’.
Of course, this requires more than just ‘reciting’ Ashrei. The Sefer Ohr Hameir writes: “One who recites Ashrei from his ‘mouth and outwards’ while his mind is preoccupied with worldly matters, may even say Ashrei one hundred times a day and it will not guarantee him a place on the World to Come.”
The goal is not to “recite” Ashrei, or to ‘recite’ any other tefillah, for that matter. Yidden don’t recite things; we live them! Ashrei provides this guarantee only when we allow its message, line by line, to sink into our bones, as we start to see Hashem everywhere – without any exceptions!
One of the words that keeps coming up in Ashrei is Kol, which means “all “or “every.” Now is the time for a fundamental exercise in emunah, and that is to express that even though we do not always understand how Hashem’s actions are for our good, we believe with absolute conviction that they are. Hashem is good to all, and is compassionate over all His creations. Yes, that includes those who seem to be going through horrific suffering, when I cannot imagine through any stretch of my imagination, how that could possibly be for their ultimate good.
When we ‘live’ Ashrei while we say it, it’s not just that this kind of absolute emunah will give us the merit to inherit Olam Haba after 120 years. If you look carefully at the words of Chazal (Brochos 4b), you’ll notice that it says one who says Ashrei three times a day “muvtach lo shehu ben olam haba, it is guaranteed that he is a ‘son’ of the World to Come.” This is not just about what’s going to happen in the future, but rather that right now, he is a resident of Olam Haba, while he (or she) is alive! Such a person will live a life of Heaven on earth, a life of feeling closeness to Hashem, inner peace, and pure joy. A life of living with Hashem at every moment is truly a life of pure paradise.
Moment of Mindfulness: While you say Ashrei, think about Hashem’s role in every single aspect of our world, “A to Z.” When you say the word “Kol,” (all / every), think about an area where it may seem to you that there is an ‘exception to the rule,’ where Hashem must have overlooked because there is just pain and nothing good. Express with that ‘kol’ that although you cannot understand it, you believe with absolute faith that certainly Hashem is found there as well, and that everything He is orchestrating is for our good.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 28.