Tehilim Perek 145

Hello everybody, in today’s NachDaily we’ll be discussing Tehilim chapter 145. This is a very famous perek known as the Ashrei prayer.

The Radak explains that from this perek until the end of Tehilim is all considered one unit of Tehilim. These perakim all are considered one prayer. Except for this one, Dovid began and ended them all with the word Halleluyah to magnify Hashem’s praise.

The Gemarah in Brachos 4B says that anyone who says this prayer 3 times daily is promised a share in the World to Come. The Gemarah gives two reasons why this perek is considered so special. One, it contains all the letters of the Aleph-Beis in order, with the exception of “nun.” This perek is as fundamental as the Aleph-Beis. Two, it contains verse 16, which says that God sustains all living things on earth.

The Ramad Walli says that people who say this chapter with proper kavana, concentration, are promised not to lack any financial needs in their life. What a blessing!

This is the only perek in sefer Tehilim which starts with the word Tehilah, praise, and the entire chapter gives praise and thanks to God. Dovid commits himself to thanking God every day of his life. God is great. Generation after generation will acknowledge You. I will tell everyone how great You are, and will think about how good You are to me. Hashem is slow to anger and full of loving-kindness. His Kingship is eternal.

Dovid explains that not only is there Divine providence on the entire world at large, but on each and every person’s life with all of its details. God picks up all of the fallen, giving each individual what is needed.

Dovid winds down the perek by relating that God is good, honest, and generous. He is close to all those who fear Him and desire to serve Him with honesty and sincerity. Dovid ends by stating that he will continue to extol God’s goodness, and eventually all mankind will praise Him forever.

Verse 9 says:

טוֹב־יְהוָ֥ה לַכֹּ֑ל וְ֝רַחֲמָ֗יו עַל־כָּל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃

God is good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works.

I feel that this can’t be stressed enough. Many people think that God is out to “get them,” and worry that for every good thing that happens, something bad will follow. This comes from a deep sense of feeling beaten up by the world.

But we need to know and take to heart that Ain Hakadosh Baruchu ba lebatrona al habriyos, God didn’t come to taunt the creation.” He is completely good and only has our best interests in mind.

Rebbe Nachman explains in Sichos Haran that “Tov Hashem lakol, God is good for everything.” God is good for parnasa, for relationships, for emotional distress, for everything in life!

May we merit deep trust in His goodness, using our Emunah to, in a sense, bring God back into the picture to help accomplish our goals in life. Because God is good!