The Power of Ashrei
Hadar k’vod hodecha, v’divrei nifl’osecha asichah
The splendorous glory of Your power, and Your wondrous deeds I shall discuss.
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Hadar and kavod refer to that small part of Hashem’s actions that are revealed to us through nature. Hod refers to that which is hidden from us. It is important for us to find Hashem behind the veil and share our find with others. G’vuros and nifla’os refer to miracles that are beyond nature and readily reveal Hashem’s presence. When we speak about Hashem’s revealed actions through nature and those that transcend nature in casual conversation (asichah), and in telling over to others (yagidu) with intent, we cause Hashem to increase the revelation of His kavod. This is in fact one of the purposes of Tefilah as defined by Rav Chaim of Volozhin in his work Nefesh HaChaim. Through our tefilos and praise, we are charged and privileged with the task of bringing down the flow of brachah, so the kavod of Hashem is more visible to the world.
In Ashrei 5 last week, we discussed the tremendous opportunity we have to bring Hashem into our daily lives and into the daily lives of others, by attributing all that happens to us to Hashem. Doing this on a constant basis will certainly enhance and strengthen our emunah (which, Chazal teach us, requires constant strengthening) and the emunah of those around us. The idea of asichah goes even beyond this. Wherever we are and with whomever we are speaking (except those times when it would not be appropriate), we can bring Hashem into the conversation. In fact, many of us are accustomed to saying b’ezras Hashem and im yirtzeh Hashem without even thinking about it. We should consider giving more thought before saying those words and perhaps elaborating on them when speaking with those around us. As an aside, there is a difference between these two expressions. B’ezras Hashem is used when discussing a mitzvah or other service of Hashem. Here we are not saying IF Hashem desires, because He certainly desires us to do His will. Im yirtzeh Hashem is used when discussing mundane matters. Here we say IF Hashem desires.
Allow us to leave you with a synopsis of the powerful words of the Chazon Ish relating to sichah, quoted by the sefer Nafshi Cholas Ahavasecha, from Sefer Maaseh Ish (Section 2, page 156):
Emunah is not something that requires learning and clarifying once. We must strengthen our emunah consistently every day. How do we achieve this? By becoming accustomed to turning to Hashem in spontaneous tefilah whenever we have a need. For example, if we need to replace our refrigerator [The Chazon Ish used shoes as an example], we can say, “Ribbono shel Olam, I need a refrigerator. Please provide the funds needed and help me find the right refrigerator for me.” After we purchase the refrigerator, we should thank Hashem expressively. In this manner, we can strengthen our emunah constantly, since we are regularly turning to Hashem (recognizing that He is the One Who provides everything). The Chazon Ish then tells us that this was the way of our holy Chazal. Their emunah was tangible. The author of the sefer Nafshi Cholas Ahavasecha then tells us that this avodah, described by the Chazon Ish, is called “avodah of sichah.”
May we merit to strengthen our emunah and draw closer to Hashem each and every day.
To access print versions of previous Tefilah segments,please visit OU Torah’s Search portal, select the Topic of “Tefillah,” and then select “Weekly Tefilah Focus” from the Series list.
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