אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ | Ashrei Yoshvei Veitekha :: Sitting in your home is happiness (Psalms 145), translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=20948

Date: 2018-07-31

Last Updated: 2024-12-12

Categories: Ashrei, Tehilim Book 5 (Psalms 107–150)

Tags: Alphabetic Acrostic, Daily Hallel, devotional interpretation, divine abundance, interpretive translation, Poteaḥ et Yodekha, Psalms 145, satisfying the desire of all life, אשרי Ashrei, שפע shefa

Excerpt: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of Ashrei in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אַ֭שְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י בֵיתֶ֑ךָ ע֝֗וֹד יְֽהַלְל֥וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ (תהלים פד:ה)	Sitting in Your home is happiness. And, offering appreciation of You, Is even more so. Selah![1] Psalms 84:5
אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם שֶׁכָּ֣כָה לּ֑וֹ אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הָ֝עָ֗ם שֶׁיֲהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃ (תהלים קמד:טו)	There is contentment for a people So at home with Yah. There is serenity among the people Who have You, as their God.[2] Psalms 144:15
תְּהִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד (תהלים קמה)	David’s Aleph Bet Praise[3] Psalms 145
אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ אֱלוֹהַ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַאֲבָרֲכָ֥ה שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃	I hold You in the highest esteem, My God, My King. In all I do, I will offer praise to You.
בְּכָל־י֥וֹם אֲבָרֲכֶ֑ךָּ וַאֲהַלְלָ֥ה שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃	Every day, I will offer You my appreciation And I will cheer You, In all that I do.
גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד וְ֝לִגְדֻלָּת֗וֹ אֵ֣ין חֵֽקֶר׃	Magnificent are You, Yah, And much appreciated. But, Your true greatness Is beyond knowing.
דּ֣וֹר לְ֭דוֹר יְשַׁבַּ֣ח מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וּגְב֖וּרֹתֶ֣יךָ יַגִּֽידוּ׃ הֲ֭דַר כְּב֣וֹד הוֹדֶ֑ךָ	One generation Transmits its excitement To the next Over Your amazing actions, Telling them of Your might. Splendid and glorious Is Your fame.
וְדִבְרֵ֖י נִפְלְאוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה׃	In all that I do, I delight to tell of Your marvels.
וֶעֱז֣וּז נוֹרְאֹתֶ֣יךָ יֹאמֵ֑רוּ וגדולתיך [וּגְדוּלָּתְךָ֥]  אֲסַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃	While others may speak Of Your awesome power, I stress Your great kindness.
זֵ֣כֶר רַב־טוּבְךָ֣ יַבִּ֑יעוּ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃	Many will recall Your great goodness, And sing of Your fairness.
חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהוָ֑ה אֶ֥רֶךְ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם וּגְדָל־חָֽסֶד׃	You, Yah, are gentle And compassionate, Most patient And caring.
טוֹב־יְהוָ֥ה לַכֹּ֑ל וְ֝רַחֲמָ֗יו עַל־כָּל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃	You, Yah, are good to all of us. All that You have made, You hold in Your tenderness.
יוֹד֣וּךָ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יךָ יְבָרֲכֽוּכָה׃	We, who are fashioned by You, Acclaim You. In fervent devoutness, We bless You.
כְּב֣וֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ֣ יֹאמֵ֑רוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ֥ יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃	We talk of the honor Of Your realm, And draw our energy From Your power.
לְהוֹדִ֤יעַ ׀ לִבְנֵ֣י הָ֭אָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָ֑יו וּ֝כְב֗וֹד הֲדַ֣ר מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃	Thus, we announce to others How powerful You are, And how distinguished Your Majesty is.
מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗ מַלְכ֥וּת כָּל־עֹֽלָמִ֑ים וּ֝מֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֗ בְּכָל־דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃	Your domain embraces universes. Your authority is recognized Throughout all generations.
סוֹמֵ֣ךְ יְ֭הוָה לְכָל־הַנֹּפְלִ֑ים וְ֝זוֹקֵ֗ף לְכָל־הַכְּפוּפִֽים׃	You, Yah, Keep us from faltering, And help us up, when we stumble.
עֵֽינֵי־כֹ֭ל אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְשַׂבֵּ֑רוּ וְאַתָּ֤ה נֽוֹתֵן־לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אָכְלָ֣ם בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃	We all look up to You with hope. And trust that You will provide us, At the right moment, With what we need.
פּוֹתֵ֥חַ אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ וּמַשְׂבִּ֖יעַ לְכָל־חַ֣י רָצֽוֹן׃	You open Your hand, And each one of us receives, What we desire.
צַדִּ֣יק יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־דְּרָכָ֑יו וְ֝חָסִ֗יד בְּכָל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃	You are a Tzaddik, In all Your ways; A Chassid, In all that You do.
קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הוָה לְכָל־קֹרְאָ֑יו לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִקְרָאֻ֣הוּ בֶאֱמֶֽת׃	You are close by When we call on You; Especially, when we fully mean it.
רְצוֹן־יְרֵאָ֥יו יַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְֽאֶת־שַׁוְעָתָ֥ם יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵֽם׃	You shape the will of those Who respect You; You hear their pleading, And, You help.
שׁוֹמֵ֣ר יְ֭הוָה אֶת־כָּל־אֹהֲבָ֑יו וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הָרְשָׁעִ֣ים יַשְׁמִֽיד׃	You, Yah, protect those Who love You. Those who do evil, You eliminate.
תְּהִלַּ֥ת יְהוָ֗ה יְֽדַבֶּ֫ר־פִּ֥י וִיבָרֵ֣ךְ כָּל־בָּ֭שָׂר שֵׁ֥ם קָדְשׁ֗וֹ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ ׀ נְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ יָ֗הּ מֵֽעַתָּ֥ה וְעַד־עוֹלָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ (תהלים קטו:קיח)	I offer my mouth to God’s praise. Let all who are in bodies of flesh, Bless Your holy Name at all times,[4] end of Psalms 145  And we will bless You, Yah, From now on, and for as long As there is life, on this world.[5] Psalms 115:118

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of Ashrei in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). To the best of my ability, I have set his English translation side-by-side with the Hebrew verses comprising Psalms 145 and additional verses. –Aharon N. Varady

Source(s)

Notes

Notes

1	Psalms 84:5
2	Psalms 144:15
3	Psalms 145
4	end of Psalms 145
5	Psalms 115:118

Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)
  Bio: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Meshullam Schachter-Shalomi, affectionately known as "Reb Zalman" (28 August 1924 – 3 July 2014) was one of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement. Born in Żółkiew, Poland (now Ukraine) and raised in Vienna, he was interned in detention camps under the Vichy Regime but managed to flee the Nazi advance, emigrating to the United States in 1941. He was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi in 1947 within the ḤaBaD Hasidic movement while under the leadership of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, and served ḤaBaD communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He subsequently earned an M.A. in psychology of religion at Boston University, and a doctorate from the Hebrew Union College. He was initially sent out to speak on college campuses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, but in the early 1960s, after experimenting with "the sacramental value of lysergic acid", the main ingredient in LSD, leadership within ḤaBaD circles cut ties with him. He continued teaching the Torah of Ḥassidut until the end of his life to creative, free and open-minded Jewish thinkers with humility and kindness and established warm ecumenical ties as well. In September 2009, he became the first contributor of a siddur to the Open Siddur Project database of Jewish liturgy and related work. Reb Zalman supported the Open Siddur Project telling its founder, "this is what I've been looking forward to!" and sharing among many additional works of liturgy, an interview he had with Havurah magazine in the early to mid-1980s detailing his vision of "Database Davenen." The Open Siddur Project is proud to be realizing one of Reb Zalman's long held dreams.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalman_Schachter-Shalomi
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/zalman-schachter-shalomi-translation
• 
  Name: David ben Yishai (traditional attribution)
  Bio: David ben Yishai was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigning ca. 1010–970 BCE. While almost half of the Psalms are headed "l'David" and tradition identifies several with specific events in David’s life (e.g., Psalms № 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63 and 142), most scholars consider these headings to be late additions and that no psalm can be attributed to David with certainty. 1 Samuel 16:15-18 describes David as a skillful harp (lyre) player and "the sweet psalmist of Israel."
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/david-ben-yishai
• 
  Name: the Masoretic Text
  Bio: The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Karaite and Rabbinic Judaism. It was primarily copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocalization and accentuation known as the Masorah.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoretic_Text
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/mesorah

Featured Image:

Title: ḥamsah from “Alef Bass” by Darshan
Caption: A still frame showing a ḥamsa from the animated video for "Aleph Bass" by Darshan