Tefillah Tips - Ashrei II
"Ashrei Yoshvei Veytecha od Yehallilucha Selah - Happy are those that sit in Your house - they shall praise you forever."
This verse is interestingly not from the same chapter of Psalms as the acrostic Tehilla LeDovid. It is actually found in Psalms 84:5; and the body of the prayer is Psalms 145. The book Hearot Letefilla points out that the reason for this introductory verse is taught in the Talmud (Berachot 32B) which states: The early pious and righteous Jews used to meditate and prepare themselves for an hour before beginning prayers to Hashem. The Talmud brings this Pasuk as a proof for this practice -" Ashrei...Selah." Since the saying of this Psalm is so significant our sages placed this particular sentence as an introduction in order to jolt us towards greater concentration and proper intent.
The verse is also expounded upon in Tractate Sanhedrin 91A. The Talmud explains this sentence to mean, "Happy are those who sit in Your house means in This world. They shall praise you forever means in the World To Come." Happy in this prayer implies spiritual happiness. The Hebrew word for happy is Ashrei which is always in plural. One who is happy, is happy about so many things. When one accomplishes spiritual happiness through learning and living Torah and Mitzvot in this world, he/she will merit continuing in this fashion in the World To Come.
The Maharsha points out a striking insight. He states that we see from this verse that our life in the World To Come is simply an extension of our lives here on the Earth. "Od Yehallilucha Selah - They will continue to praise you"- the same way they were doing it before. I have heard in the name of Rav Chaim Vital zt"l that the walls of ones house will testify for a person in the next world. A short parable to illustrate this point: A wise man once noticed a yellow corvette with the license plate "Look At Me." He remarked, "She doesn't realize it but she is going to have to drive that vehicle in heaven as well." The insight of the Maharsha is transforming.
May each and every one of us achieve "Ashrei Yoshvei Veytecha" in order that we should all merit "Od Yehallilucha Selah."