*S stands for Song, a category I apply to part of the repertoire of recreational folk dancers. Songs are just that – songs, or sometimes merely melodies or, in this case, lyrics that are well-known, but aren’t necessarily associated with any particular dance. “Ashrei ha ish” is the first two words of the first chapter of the Book of Psalms. The words translate as “Happy is the man”. Many composers have set the words to many kinds of music.
*2 is short for 2nd Generation folk dance (2ndG). For more on 2ndG, click here.
Ashrei Ha ish lyrics and music
The text is taken from Psalms chapter 1, verses 1-3
| Ashrei haish asher lo halach ba’atzat reshaim (x2) Uvederech chata’im lo amad uvemoshav leitzim lo yashav Ki im b’torat Ha’Shem chefetzo Uvetorato yehegeh yomam valaila (x2) Vehayah ke’etz shatul al palgei mayim (asher piryo yiten be’ito) ve’alehu lo yibol vechol asher ya’aseh yatzli’ach | HAPPY IS THE MAN  Happy is the manwho doesn’t live according to the advice of the wicked (x2) And does not stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. But who finds delight in God’s Torah (law) And reflects on His torah day and night (x2) And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf doth not wither; and in whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper. |
| אשרי האיש אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך בעצת רשעים ובדרך חטאים לא עמד ובמושב ליצים לא ישב כי אם בתורת השם חפצו ובתורתו יהגה יומם ולילה והיה כעץ שתול על פלגי מים (אשר פריו ייתן בעיתו) ועלהו לא יבול וכל אשר יעשה יצליח |
Source: https://www.hebrewsongs.com/?song=ashreihaish Words transliterated by Henry Lederfeind of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Words translated by Malka Tischler of Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Another translation: “Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent; rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight, and he studies that teaching day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades, and whatever it produces thrives.
Not so the wicked; rather, they are like chaff that wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment, nor will sinners, in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord cherishes the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.”
There are many musical settings for the text, ranging from classical music to pop
https://www.milkenarchive.org/music/volumes/view/psalms-and-canticles/work/ashrei-haish/
Ashrei Ha ish -the Dance
“Dani Dassa is a graduate of Israel’s Wingate Academy, in addition to studying and dancing [in the USA] at Juilliard. At Hunter College he worked with folk dance teacher Fred Berk, a pioneer in developing the concept of Israeli dance workshops in the United States . Mr. Dassa founded “Cafe Danssa,” which was an Israeli folk dance meeting and dancing locale in West Los Angeles, California . He is a past director of the dance department at the University of Judaism and at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in California.” Bio and quotations from an interview can be found at https://daughterofthearts.wordpress.com/2005/09/19/dani-dassa/#more-182. Many thanks to Karen Hering for showing me this site.
DOTA: Where did the inspiration come from for your dance “Ashrei Ha ish” (1982)?
DD: “Ashrei Ha ish” is another dance that I did at Brandeis-Bardin, to connect the college kids to a Biblical theme – Moses facing the burning bush, and connecting the kids through more emotion and to the Torah. I put in a hand motion as if I am covering my eyes from that great light. That burning bush was more than just a burning bush. So to be humble, fear of the unknown, I cover my face as I go inside of the circle. And then I took a verse from Psalms of King David. The whole song of Ashrei Ha Ish, is that man goes on the right path, of the Torah, and mingles with good people and not evil. Blessed is the person, who mingles with the good people, and goes the right way. The verse, when I cover with my hand, is “ U’v’torato,” and his Torah, he should have it day and night in his mind…..This time I wanted to share with them: how to be humble under something bigger than them; to be humble, even to other people and not take anything for granted. This is how I connected the Torah through dance, and an understanding about those great events that the stories tell about Moses facing the burning bush. Some people would do it through art, painting a burning bush with fire, or whatever. This was a dance that succeeded and they did it all over Israel even though I didn’t teach it in Israel , other people did. It spread in Europe , China , all over the world. If you say the name Ashrei Ha ish, they’re familiar with this dance.
Dance notes from https://folkdancemusings.blogspot.com/2014/10/ashrei-haish-israel.html
Folkdance Footnotes 