CLAL Rabbinic Community On Line

Ashre

The first installment of our study of Ashrei focused on the form and content and their interrelationship. This second installment focuses on additional unifying factors and its use as liturgy. It should stimulate our own thinking on its use as liturgy. Please respond with your reflections, queries, and comments.

Psalm 145 is unified by both external and internal features. Its most noticeable external one is its Hebrew acrostic. There have been different positions on what role this structural device plays in the meaning of the psalm. Those who deny it any substantive significance aver that vertical abecedary poems are by their nature artificial. As evidence in this case, they point to the forced nature of the inversion of the word pairs in lines 8 and 21. In both they err. With regard to line 21, the error lies in failing to perceive the envelope structure of the whole psalm wherein the final line harks back to the first along with the superscription. With regard to line 8, those who fault "hanun ve-rahum" ("gracious and merciful") for being a mechanical inversion of "rahum ve-hanun" ("merciful and gracious") of Exod. 34:6 in order to conform to the requirements of the acrostic do not realize that the former is the standard order of late biblical Hebrew, recurring in both prose and poetry. The exceptions either evoke or cite Exod. 34:6. Rather than constituting evidence for acrostic artificiality, the order of line 8 simply reflects the idiom of late biblical Hebrew that characterizes much of Psalm 145

In actuality, once the function of the acrostic becomes clarified it can be seen as integral to the Psalm's message. Although some see the full alphabet as a metaphor for totality, or as a reflection of the full range of human expression, or as a memory aid, or as an expresion of elation, relating to the "enumerative character of Semitic poetry," the explanation most apropos to its use in Psalm 145 is the metonymic understanding advanced by Adelle Berlin in her article, "The Rhetoric of Psalm 145." She says, "the entire alphabet, the source of all words, is marshalled in praise of God. One cannot actually use all of the words in a language, but by using the alphabet one uses all potential words. So the form is made to serve the message." She thereby shows that the ordered poetics have not only not fettered expression but have been enlisted in the task of assimilating form to content.

The psalmist sense of what is poetically apt is so acute that the anticipated nun verse between lines 13 and 14 has been excluded. Such lipograms, which exclude a letter or two from an acrostic, are not uncommon in the Bible or other ancient literature. In fact, other acrostic psalms ascribed to David such as Psalms 25, 34, and 37 are either missing a letter or have two letters reversed, whereas those lacking ascriptions such as 111, 112, and 119 are all perfect acrostics.

Not able to leave matters alone, the Septuagint, Vulgate, Peshitta, and Qumran versions inserted a nun verse. The Qumran version, which many consider authentic, reads "Faithful is God is His words and pious in all His deeds." Its authenticity, however, is questionable. First, its second colon is identical to the second colon of line 17 in a psalm that otherwise lacks any colon duplication. Second, it announces itself as a nonscriptural insertion by employing e-lohim as opposed to the seven-fold use of the tetragrammaton in the paleo-Hebrew script found throughout the Qumran version. Finally, its first colon is suspiciously like the peroration of the post-haftarah blessing that states: "the God who is faithful in all His words," and thus may very well have been a liturgical commonplace inserted to complete the acrostic.

Content-wise, there is no indication of anything missing. On the contrary, it has been speculated that the absence of the nun line is part of the message; namely, as all human praise of God is theologically inadequate, so the psalm is alphabetically imperfect. In any case, there are structural benefits that accrue by virtue of the absence of a nun line. By preventing stanza III from eliding into stanza IV, its absence demarcates the thematic distinctiveness of both. It also makes line 11 about God's majesty - "the majesty of Your kingship they intone" -- the hinge verse. The result is that the central idea finds its expression at the center of the psalm.

That the absence of a nun line is not an oversight is further evidenced by the psalmist elsewhere balancing the need for unifying factors against the precision of expression. Thus, of twenty-one lines only nineteen begin the second colon with the conjunctive waw. Its absence in lines 8 and 18 simply conforms to the demands of content as does the absence of a nun line. Consistency is not allowed to straitjacket poetic felicity. As the Midrash noted, some poets fill out the acrostics others do not.

One of the most obvious internal unifying features is the presence of the Hebrew kol - translated either as "all" or, distributively, as "every" - which threads its way through the psalm seventeen times. Its virtual ubiquity highlights the unending universal chorus of praise to a God whose sovereignty and solicitude are not only eternal but everywhere breaking through both temporal and spatial frontiers. So, for example, God, who is praised every day (line 2) and by all flesh, is good to all. As Berlin notes, "all should always praise him," since, "there is created a relationship between God's universal beneficence and the universal praise of him."

Poetically speaking, the perception of unity is compounded through the acrostic appealing to the eye, the alliterations to the ear, and the Hebrew kol to both. Thus, the external and internal linkages converge to produce a unified sensory experience.

Although the acrostic, the pervasive presence of kol and alliterative sound patterns conspire to engender a sense of the whole, the constant variations of both the subject and object and the apparent erratic changes in the verb detract from that sense. Eleazar of Worms, in his commentary to the siddur, noted that there are twenty-three cases of God being referred to in the second person, twelve in the third, and ten without any personal pronoun, but offers no explanation for the variety. Noting the general change from first person verbs in the beginning to the fluctuation between first and third in the middle and the exclusive use of third person verbs in the end, Berlin claims that the variations are "not a random pattern, but one that emphasizes the major purpose of the psalm: through the psalmist's praise everyone will come to praise God."

Since there are no subsequent first person verbs, this parallel strophe plays the pivotal role of transition from first person to third person. This transitional role would have been more obvious had the first person verb preceded the third person verb. Since there is no syntactical problem in reversing the order of these verbs, the present order ostensibly makes the point that even though "they" are expected to join the praise of the psalmist, the psalmist retains his leading position as in line 21.

With regard to the whole psalm, Meir Weiss in his Hebrew article, A Psalm of David," notes that whereas most of the lines describe human praise of God, what he calls "from below to above," lines 3 and 13 describe only God whereas lines 8-9 and 14-20 (except for 15a) describe the relationship between God and humanity, what he calls "from above to below." He concludes:

"There is therefore a special relationship between stanza I and III, and between II and IV... stanza I and III are parallel to each other chiastically. Common to both, moreover, is the presence of a verse that is not involved in a movement that rises from man to his God and not a movement that descends from God to man - rather one that speaks about God alone."

A similar observation lies behind the comment of the Harper's Bible Commentary that sees "the call to praise in vv. 1-2, 4-7, 10-12; motivation in vv. 3, 8-9, 13-20; and conclusion in v. 21."

Common to both observations is the recognition that the following four sets of verses - 3, 8-9, 13, and 14-20 are of a different order from the rest. Harper's Bible Commentary refers to them as "motivation," whereas Weiss sees them as talking about God or God's relationship to humanity.

In any event, it is significant that one set appears in each of the four stanzas. The two that are about God alone (3 and 13) are in stanzas I and III, whereas the two that talk about God's relationship to humanity (7-8, 14-20) are in stanzas II and IV. The two that are about God alone focus on divine greatness. The two that talk about God's relationship to humanity focus on divine goodness.

Berlin alludes to this division when she says, "taken together, the two halves of the psalm constitute a poetic lesson in how to speak about God and what to say." She then describes the psalm as *a good example of the very kind of thing that it is advocating. It succeeds in proclaiming praise to God." In neither case, however, does she answer the question how the psalm specifies what to say.

The answer to the question of what to say in the first three stanzas is contained in those lines of a different order. They constitute inserts of prayer. They function as the performance or fulfillment of the antecedent verbs. In stanza I, line 2 says, "I will praise Your name," whereas line 3 performs the praise saying, "Great is the Lord and exceedingly praised, and to His greatness there is no limit." In fact, this performative may be responding to elements in both line 2 and its parallel in line 1. Thus, saying, "Great is the Lord," performs, "I extol You, my God, the king," whereas "exceedingly praised" and "there is no limit" performs the double "I will bless/praise Your name forever and ever."

This approach is expanded in stanza II where there are two lines of performance, one for each of the previous cola following an a b b a structure. Line 9, beginning with "good" is the expression of the "goodness" of 7a, as line 8 is the expression of the beneficence of 7b. Thus the use of yerannu, translated as "sing aloud," which in its nominative form is often parallel in use and in meaning to tefillah ("prayer"), especially in the Psalter.

In stanza III, line 13: "Your kingship is a kingship for all ages, and Your dominion is for generation and generation," is the performance of line 11: "The majesty of Your kingship they intone and of Your might they speak." Line 12 -- "to make known to humanity His mighty acts and the majestic glory of His kingship" -- is parenthetic, as is made clear by the unique subordinate infinitive construction, the purpose of which is to supply the addressee of line 11. Besides noting the addressee, it adds nothing. It simply reformulates the previous line as seen in the chiastic structure diagrammed above at note 44.

These so-called performance lines are characterized not only by similar function and grammatical structure but also by the fact that they all have biblical parallels. Line 3a is paralleled by Ps. 48:2a and 96:4a. The various formulations of line 8 were noted above with the closest being Ps. 103:7. Line 13 recurs in an Aramaic version in Dan 3:33 and paraphrastically in 4:31. Also much of stanza IV is paralleled elsewhere in Psalms: line 14 is significantly paralleled by Ps 146:8b and lines 15-16 are similar in terminology and content to Ps 104:27-28 while 17 and 19 are redolent of Ps. 34:18. Although this may attest to the anthological nature of Psalm 145, the fact that the overlap is precisely of these sections lends credence to the proposition that these recyclings through reformulations of earlier material are not just intertextual allusions, but liturgical topoi.

A special case is the parallel in Daniel, which may already be a topos as evidenced by its parallel in Ugaritic literature. Its place in Nebuchadnezzar's mouth is better explained as a liturgical topos than as a citation from Psalm 145. A liturgical setting would account for its presence in both the Psalter and Daniel.

The performance sections of each stanza also function structurally as do some refrains in the Psalter by either opening or concluding stanzas. Such commonality in structural role may reflect a similarity of function. The imperative -- albeit formulated in the jussive form -- call of others to praise can also be adduced as evidence of having been designed for liturgical use. The notion that recognition of divine sovereignty generates the duty to induce others to do so is especially pronounced in liturgical texts in general and in the Psalter in particular.

It has been widely assumed that the theme of universal divine sovereignty took on an added urgency in the Persian period, and that worship became less cult or Temple-centered. A composition of this period emphasizing such a theme that was also timeless, occasionless, and without connection to the cult or Zion would be ideal for daily communal recitation. Such use would be facilitated by an easily recallable acrostic structure that incorporated earlier psalmist elements. What better candidate than a psalm spelling out the process of universal acknowledgment of divine sovereignty by beginning with the words "Every day I bless You," -- words that could easily have constituted "liturgical Everyman's" daily offering. Such a psalm could easily have become so significant that only an attribution to David would do.

This evidence for an incipient liturgicality for Psalm 145 goes a long way toward accounting for its prominence in the communal liturgy of Qumran. This liturgical prominence is attested to by its three major variations: its superscription (prayer to/of David"), its subscription appended to line 21 (zot le-zikaron) and the refrain of each line ("Blessed is God and blessed is His name forever").

The change of the superscription from "praise" to "prayer" underscores the liturgical role, as does the added subscription. Unfortunately, the translation of the subscription by the editor as "This is for a memorial," clouds this function. A slight improvement is made by Ben Zion Wacholder in his article, "David's Eschatological Psalter." He renders it as "this is for a memory," which he takes to imply "for memorization." He, however, does not explain why this psalm or the refrain alone is to be committed to memory. Wacholder was right in underscoring the linkage between the two special aspects of the Qumran version, namely, the subscription and the refrain.Bayer goes one step further and suggests that it means: "This is pro memoria for the sung response." Building on this, I would suggest that the point to emphasize is recitation, not memorization. Since the (choral?) refrain indicates that it was used for communal recitation, the subscription should be translated as "This is for recitation," in conformity with the sometime use of zekher in late Hebrew and postbiblical Hebrew as noted above in the translation of zekher in line seven as "recitation." Such a usage for zikaron is subsequently attested to for introducing the recitation of the Shema`. The subscription is thus less an editorial comment and more a liturgical directive for a recitation performed antiphonally.

The recurring refrain Baruch adonai ubaruch shmo le`olam ve`ed constitutes the antiphonal recitation. It continues the performance mode of the psalm itself. It also implements the colon ("I shall declare Your name, `blessed' forever," v. 1b), as can be seen graphically by the following structure:

avarkha shimkha le`olam va`ed

barukh adonai ubaruch shmo le`olam va`ed

That is to say, I shall bless you name forever by reciting the formulary "Blessed is God and blessed is His name forever." In other words, avarkha here functions not as a denominative but as a delocutive that declares God and His name baruch. Such a function frequently obtains in liturgical texts.

Another liturgical indication may be the fact that the Qumran nun line uses 'elohim for the Tetragrammaton, a practice that conforms with early Samaritan practice for liturgical texts. Add this to such formal features as directives or titles instructing woshippers along with antiphonal refrains and you have the earmarks of communal liturgical use.

A communal liturgical setting for Psalm 145 helps explain its impact on subsequent liturgical developments such as the hodayot hymns, and the nishmat of the Sabbath liturgy. The daily recitation, recommended by the Talmud, may reflect an ancient practice. The fact that the rabbis had difficulty in accounting for the selection of Psalm 145 for daily recitation suggests that its liturgical usage precedes its explanation.

There is even some indication that the three movements of Psalm 145 left traces on the opening formulary of the statutory benediction. The prelude begins with the self's relation to God; the interlude moves on to that of the faithful; and the postlude encompasses all of humanity. These three stages not only contain the word "bless," but also parallel those of the benediction -- as can be seen in the following chart: -

"Blessed are You" -- prelude = self - God

"O Lord our God" -- interlude = community - God

"King of the universe" -- postlude = humanity - God

Noteworthy is the fact that the Talmud traces the kingship requirement of the benediction to Ps. 145:1. In fact, the four requirements of the benedictary formulary "blessing," "the divine name," "world/eternity," and "kingship," appear together only in this verse.

The six-word, tripartite structure of the benediction corresponds to the six-word, tripartite structure of the Shema` verse in the following manner:

shema yisrael adonai elohenu adonai echad

baruch attah adonai elohnu adonai echad

Thus, it is easy to view the benedictary formulary, the Shema' verse, and Psalm 145 as reflecting the same triple shift from self through community to humanity, all peaking in the realization and extension of divine sovereignty over everyone.

By placing Psalm 145 at the head of the series of psalms that introduce the recitation of the Shema` and its blessings in the morning liturgy, Psalm 145 serves to adumbrate the Shema` and its theme of the realization of divine sovereignty. This adumbration was alluded to by the designation of Psalm 145 as "the Shema` of the Psalter." This designation marks the degree to which the structure and content of the psalm converge to promote the idea of the extension of divine sovereignty. In view of this subsequent role for Psalm 145, it should not be unexpected to find the beginning of the liturgical trajectory in the psalm itself.

Psalm 145 is introduced in the morning service by a medley of verses entitled by its opening Hebrew words yehie kavod. Most of the verses, or fragments thereof, are from the Psalter with the rest from Exodus, Chronicles and Proverbs. Most of this section forms a chain whereby terms of one verse are repeated in the next verse forming a sort of anadiplosis. The yehie kavod is unified by the almost ubiquitous presence of the Tetragrammaton. By counting the shortened form of the divine name as well as an acronym of it, the term appears twenty-one times corresponding, it is said, to the number of verses of Psalm 145. Psalm 145's theme of divine sovereignty is also adumbrated by weaving the name of God through the various mentions of divine sovereignty. By mentioning both in the concluding verse, it serves as a perfect segue in to the opening verse of Psalm 145. In this manner, the worshipper moves from "Save us, Lord; answer us, O King, when we call" (Ps. 20:10) to "I extol You, my God, the king, and bless Your name forever and ever (Ps. 145:1)."

In the medieval period, the aforecited prologue and epilogue became staples of the liturgical rendition of Psalm 145. The prologue consists of Ps. 84:6 and 144:15, whereas the epilogue consists of Ps. 115:18. By prefixing this prologue to Psalm 145, the psalm is introduced with a three-fold repetition of the word *ashre.* The addition of the prologue may have been in conjunction with the aforementioned introduction of the threefold recitation of Psalm 145. It may even correspond to the threefold reference to "blessing," a word that marks the three stages of the psalm and is synonymous with ashre. Some even deem the three to correspond to the three daily services. Whatever the case, such explanations do not account for these specific ashre-beginning verses.

The prefixing of these ashre verses can be explained by their content. The first ashre verse serves as a preparatory moment for prayer. It engenders good feelings for the opportunity of being in God's house, once the Temple now the synagogue. In this sense, "Ashre the dwellers of Your house" strikes an upbeat note for synagogue prayer comparable to that of the medieval introductory morning prayer Mah Tovu wherein the worshiper upon crossing the threshold of the synagogue proclaims, "How goodly are your tents O Jacob, Your dwelling places O Israel" (Num. 24:5). Note how parallel they are:

Mah tovu ahalekha yisrael

Ashre yoshvei betekha

Indeed, the Matteh Moshe recommends reciting Mah Tovu upon entering and Ashre upon sitting. Both underscore the enviable position of those who frequent the house of God. Unlike other ancient entrance liturgies, biblical or otherwise, both are inclusive, neither stipulating ritual or moral requirements for entrance.

The meaning of the second ashre-verse is metamorphosed by its new context. As the final line of Psalm 144, it had preceded Psalm 145. There, however, the "it" in "Happy are the people who have it so," reverts to the divinely extended security and prosperity portrayed in Psalm 144. In its new liturgical setting, "it" refers to the good fortune of the people for dwelling in the house of the Lord. What better reward for a people happy that the Lord is their god than to intone a hymn proclaiming His universal sovereignty.

The sonority of the whole prologue is characterized by a soothing rhythm scheme of the first three Hebrew words, ashrei yoshvei betekha, an alliteration of shin that crops up twice in the aforecited expression, and in the alternating words of the second verse for a total of six times.

The epilogue, "And as for us, we bless the Lord now and forever. Hallelujah!" (Ps. 115:18) also serves a dual function. On the one hand, the opening "we" ["us" in English] reverts to the "I" of the prelude and the "all flesh" of the postlude. It also underscores the linkage with the interlude by specifying the identity of the "faithful." Read emphatically, "We" avers that whether or not all flesh join in blessing His holy name, "We will go on blessing God from now and forever." On the other hand, the closing "Hallelujah" forms and anadiplosis by linking up with the upcoming series of Psalms (146-150) all of which begin and end with Hallelujah. Moreover, since the final verses of Psalm 145 and Psalm 150 correspond in the following manner --

veyevarekh kol basar shem qadsho le`olam va`ed

kol ha-neshamah tehallel yah hallelujah --

Psalms 146-150 can function as an answer to the exhortation of the postlude that "All flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever," by climaxing with the crescendo, "Let every breathing thing praise God" (Ps. 150:6).