פותח את ידך, ומשביע לכל חי רצון – You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

This is the primary pasuk in the primary part of P’sukei D’Zimrah.  In fact, the Gemara lists this pasuk as one of two reasons that one who says (and derives emunah from¹ Ashrei three times a day is assured to be a ben Olam HaBa.  This pasuk has equal importance in halachah as well.  If one does not have kavanah almost anywhere else in tefilah, one does not repeat that tefilah.  However, if one did not have kavanah while reciting this pasuk, one must repeat it.  Even if one is already well past this pasuk and then realizes that he was daydreaming, he must return to the pasuk and repeat the words, this time with kavanah.  There are various opinions as to whether it is only this pasuk that he must repeat, or whether he must then continue and repeat everything from this pasuk up to the end of Ashrei, or perhaps everything from this pasuk until where one is up to presently in the tefilah.  Please consult your rav for actual p’sak halachah.

What is the meaning of this pasuk and why is it so important?  While there are those who say that it is a request for sustenance, most say that it is praise and not a request.  After all, this is the part of davening where we are praising Hashem and not making requests.  Working with this understanding that it is a statement of praise, what is the praise?  If we look at a translated siddur, we will see the following (taken from the ArtScroll Siddur): “You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”  REALLY?  Do we not desire more than we currently have?  Do we not, in fact, ask Hashem to provide us with what we feel that we need but that we do not currently have?

There are a few approaches to the specific meaning of the word “ratzon” in this pasuk.  Before dealing with this in Ashrei 17, b’ezras Hashem, let us get to the heart of why this pasuk is so important and what the message of this pasuk is.  We have desires and needs that we feel have not been met yet.  In fact, Chazal tell us that a man dies without having realized half of his desires.  However, Hashem, Who created us for a specific and unique purpose, is the only One who truly knows what is best for us to have and best for us not to have.  Even the individual who struggles mightily just to place bread on the table for his family, right now at this moment he is receiving exactly what Hashem knows is best for his n’shamah.  Anything more would in fact be detrimental.  If, after we daven and put in normal effort (hishtadlus), we still do not receive what we asked for, that means that it is best for us not to have that request fulfilled at this moment.  Many times, we will not understand why.  If, despite that, we can accept Hashem’s decision – HIS desire (ratzon) – with simchah, knowing that He knows best, we will be better off in this world (as stress is detrimental to our health) and the next.  This is a core foundation of our bitachon.  Thus, the message of this pasuk is that Hashem provides ALL that we TRULY NEED at this moment.  That leaves us with the question that we will deal with in Ashrei 17, b’ezras Hashem: The pasuk does not say “needs”; it says “desire” – so how do the Rishonim and Acharonim fit this message into the words of David HaMelech?  Look for Ashrei 17 next week, b’ezras Hashem.

 ^{1 רבינו בחיי על התורה ויקרא ז:לז}