Ashrei

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Overview

Saying Ashrei as part of tefillah is mentioned already in the Bavli. In Bavli Berakhot it says that one should say Tehilla LeDavid three times a day. From the Bavli it's not clear that it has to be said in Pesukei DeZimra although it's found in all siddurim as part of Pesukei DeZimra. In addition, there is another Bavli in Shabbat which says that in Pesukei DeZimra one should finish the Hallel, which is taken to mean Tehillim.

In the Geonim and Rishonim time everyone said Tehillim 145-150. But it's possible that in the beginning they only Tehillim 145 and 150 and later the chapters in the middle were added.

The verses that were said around Tehillah LeDavid were not as fixed. Although saying Ashrei before Tehillah LeDavid is mentioned already in the Bavli, some people added other Ashrei verses. "ואנחנו נברך י-ה" is not found explicitly in the Bavli but was said at least from the time of the Geonim.

Introduction

In Shacharit we say the last few chapters of Tehillim, chapters 145-150 more commonly known as Ashrei and הללוי-ה. In addition to the those six chapters of Tehillim we add a couple of verses around chapter 145. Before Tehillah LeDavid we add two verses: Tehillim 84:5 - "אשרי יושבי ביתך" and Tehillim 144:15 (the verse right before Tehillah LeDavid) - "אשרי העם שככה לו". After Tehillah LeDavid we add a verse from Tehillim 115:18 "ואנחנו נברך י-ה". Why do we add these verses and why do we say these mizmorim?

Tannaim and Amoraim

In Bavli Berakhot 4b it says:

אמר רבי אלעזר אמר רבי אבינא: כל האומר (תהלים קמ"ה) תהלה לדוד בכל יום שלש פעמים – מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא.

The gemara teaches us that we have to say Tehillah LeDavid three time a day but we don't know when. Later on, R. Yochanan calls the mizmor "Ashrei" as opposed to "Tehillah LeDavid":

אמר רבי יוחנן: מפני מה לא נאמר נו"ן באשרי?

It seems that already in the time of R. Yochanan they would add the verses of Ashrei before Tehillah LeDavid.

In addition, in Shabbat 118b it says:

אמר רבי יוסי: יהא חלקי מגומרי הלל בכל יום. איני? והאמר מר: הקורא הלל בכל יום - הרי זה מחרף ומגדף! - כי קאמרינן - בפסוקי דזמרא.

From the Gemara it is not so clear what to finish the hallel is.

Geonim

In Geonic time already, everyone said Ashrei and mizmorei הללוי-ה¹. There are some genizah fragments which have only chapter 150² so it's possible that in the beginning they only said chapter 145 (Ashrei) and 150 (the end of Tehillim). After that they added the mizmorei הללוי-ה in between.

In addition, after Tehillah LeDavid they added the verse "ואנחנו נברך י-ה". R. Amram Gaon says that the reason for adding it is "לשלשולי הללוי-ה בתר הללוי-ה".

Rishonim

During the Rishonim time everyone said Ashrei, Tehillah LeDavid and מזמורי הללוי-ה. The מחזור ויטרי adds a couple more verses before and after Tehillah LeDavid. In addition, to the two verses that start with Ashrei that we say he adds eleven other verses which start with Ashrei. After Tehilla LeDavid he also says "לא המתים יהללו י-ה" which is the verse right before "ואנחנו נברך י-ה" in Tehillim 115.