Background
Pesukei Dezimrah (literally, “Verses of Song”) is a selection of chapters from the Book of Psalms and additional verses whose theme is the praise of G-d. These passages are recited in a singsong tone.
Pesukei Dezimrah is a fitting introduction to the main portion of the morning prayers—the Shema and its blessings and the Shemoneh Esrei prayer—in which we will approach G-d with requests on behalf of ourselves, our people, and the entire world. Before doing so, we recite a number of prayers in which we praise G-d, speaking of His honor, His greatness, His might and His glory. Only after we have devoted adequate time to praising G-d can we permit ourselves to turn to Him with our own personal requests.
There is another dimension of meaning to the name of this section of the prayers. The Hebrew word zimrah is also related to the word l’zamer—to prune or cut. When we recite Pesukei Dezimrah, we strip away all the barriers that cover our heart and block us from connecting with G-d. Thus, we succeed in opening a window to the sacred influence of our Father in Heaven.
- Pesukei Dezimrah should be recited slowly and deliberately, not in haste. Every word is as precious as a diamond, and every letter is like a pearl. We must approach our prayers as if we are counting precious gems.
Leshem Yichud
The blessing of Baruch Sheamar is preceded by a brief Kabbalistic prayer beginning with the words Leshem Yichud, which serves as a preparation for the fulfillment of mitzvot (commandments).
- One should have in mind that this prayer will apply to all the mitzvot one will perform throughout the day.
“Baruch Sheamar—Blessed is He Who Spoke”
Pesukei Dezimrah begins with a paragraph entitled Baruch Sheamar. It is prohibited to engage in conversation after the recitation of this paragraph until after the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei.
Jewish tradition teaches us that this prayer was composed by the Men of the Great Assembly, a group of 120 great Sages who lived at the time of the Second Temple and included men of extraordinary righteousness, as well as a number of prophets. They were responsible for the establishment of many customs and Jewish laws.
In this prayer, we praise G-d for having created the world, for fulfilling His promises to His creations, for having mercy on His creations, and for rewarding them for their good deeds. We voice our absolute conviction that G-d “lives forever and exists eternally.” He did not simply create the world and then abandon it to run on its own, as other nations mistakenly believe. Rather, He is “alive”—always present and involved in every detail of our lives. He oversees the existence of every one of His creations with detailed Divine Providence.
Baruch Sheamar is essentially a lengthy blessing (as is evident from its conclusion, “Blessed are You . . . the King who is lauded with praises”) that introduces the Pesukei Dezimrah section of the prayers. Pesukei Dezimrah concludes with another blessing: “Blessed are You . . . the sole King, Who lives forever.” This section of the services is surrounded by blessings because it serves as a preface to the personal requests that we will be making as we continue.
- Baruch Sheamar should be recited while standing.
- Before beginning Baruch Sheamar, one should take hold of the front two tzitzit fringes of the tallit. The fringes should be held in the left hand throughout the recitation of this blessing. They should be threaded between the pinky and the ring finger, between the middle finger and index finger, and again between the index finger and the thumb, with the majority of their length dangling past the hand.
- After the conclusion of the blessing, one should pass the tzitzit fringes in front of one’s eyes, kiss them, and return them to their place.
“Mizmor LeTodah—A Song of Thanksgiving”
Baruch Sheamar is followed by the passage entitled Mizmor LeTodah—“A Song of Thanksgiving.” As its name indicates, this passage serves as an expression of our gratitude to G-d. It should be recited while standing and in a spirit of joy.
During the era of the Temple, a special sacrifice known as a thanksgiving offering was brought by people who had experienced certain types of salvation, warranting a special display of gratitude to G-d. Tradition teaches us that this passage was recited during the thanksgiving offering service in the Temple.
We recite this passage as a daily expression of our thanks to G-d because we actually benefit from His miracles at every moment, without even realizing it. The sun shines, plants grow, and our bodies continue to function; all of these things are truly miraculous but are disguised as “natural” occurrences and processes. But even though they take place regularly, they are no less miraculous than any of the supernatural events that G-d has brought about throughout our history. Therefore, it is only fitting for us to recite a “song of thanksgiving.”
- After the conclusion of this passage, it is permissible to sit.
“Yehi Kavod—May the glory of G-d last forever”
The next passage consists of an assortment of verses culled from various chapters in the Book of Psalms. These verses serve as an introduction to the next portion of Pesukei Dezimrah, which consist of the final six chapters of the Book of Psalms.
The passage contains twenty-one mentions of the Name of G-d, corresponding to the twenty-one verses in Ashrei, the passage that follows it.
“Tehillah L’David—A Praise for David
At this point, we recite Chapter 145 of Psalms, with the addition of several verses both before and after it. Although Chapter 145 of Psalms begins with the words “Tehillah L’David—A praise for David,” it is commonly known as Ashrei, the first word of each of the two verses added at its beginning. The Sages teach that a person who recites this chapter of Psalms three times a day is guaranteed a place in the World to Come.
Due to the profound significance of this passage, it is customary to recite it twice during the morning prayers and once in the afternoon.
The verses of this chapter in Psalms form an acrostic of all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with the exception of the letter nun, which is omitted because it begins the Hebrew word nefilah—“downfall.” Although King David, the author of Psalms, did not see fit to include a verse beginning with the letter nun, he did include it in the middle of the following verse: “G-d supports all of the fallen [noflim].”
- One of the verses in this passage is a verse of supreme importance: “You open Your hands and satiate every living thing’s desire.” While reciting this verse, one should contemplate the fact that G-d takes care of all of His creations, providing them with sustenance and supplying all of their needs. It is critical to focus on this idea while reciting this verse; if one forgets to have this in mind, he is required to repeat the verse.
- Furthermore, while reciting this verse, one should touch the tefillin on his arm during the first half of the verse and the tefillin on his head during the second half. One should then kiss the fingers that he used to touch the tefillin.
- If a person enters a synagogue and finds the congregation reciting Ashrei, he should recite it along with them even if he himself is not involved in the prayers.
Chapters 146 through 150 of Psalms
Our recitation of Ashrei is followed by the final five chapters of the Book of Psalms, all of which begin with the word Halleluy-ah—“Praise G-d.” These prayers were authored by King David while he was subject to Divine inspiration. In these prayers, he expresses his burning love for his Creator, and they serve as a preface of sorts to the main portion of our morning prayers—the Shema and its blessings, and the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.
The following is a brief overview of these prayers, which were composed by King David on behalf of the entire Jewish nation.
In the first passage, “Halleluy-ah. Praise G-d, my soul,” we extol the Creator for His assistance to human beings and declare that we cannot rely on human strength or power.
Many of us use the expression “with G-d’s help” when discussing our future plans or other future events. This phrase serves as a declaration of our recognition of G-d’s greatness. We cannot trust human beings to assist us with our needs; by its very nature, any form of human assistance is temporary and not guaranteed, and very rarely stems from true generosity and altruism. G-d’s assistance, in contrast, is eternal and guaranteed. G-d helps the rich and the poor equally and aids the downtrodden such as orphans and widows.
The second passage, “Halleluy-ah for it is good to sing to our Lord,” describes G-d’s general Providence and supervision over His creations. We extol G-d for His constant overseeing of His nation’s affairs, and for His ceaseless involvement in the laws of nature and the functioning of the world.
Every Hebrew word has a numerical value based on the values assigned to each of its letters. The Hebrew words hateva (“the nature”) has a numerical value identical to that of the word Elokim (one of the names of G-d). This teaches us that the laws of nature are nothing but patterns of Divine behavior. G-d constantly dictates the events that take place in the world, and it is only as a result of His immense kindness that the world continues to exist and function.
The third passage, “Halleluy-ah, praise G-d from the Heavens,” goes on to describe the praises of G-d “uttered” by all of His creations. This passage describes how the entire universe is enthused by the praise of G-d. The celestial angels, the heavenly bodies, and the earth all join in singing His praises. The sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, fire, air, rain, and snow all combine in an exalted chorus of praise. The Psalmist goes on to describe how human beings also join in the praises of G-d. Young and old, men and women, kings, officers, and judges all merge into one mighty chorus of praise.
The fourth passage, “Halleluy-ah; sing a new song to G-d,” describes King David’s vision of the union of all of humanity that will follow the ultimate Redemption. At that time, the entire world will be, in a sense, one great Temple from which a “new song” of praise of G-d will emerge. G-d’s enemies will have been duly punished for their evil deeds, and human culture will have been purified and refined. There will be nothing left to block the sanctity that will grow to pervade the world.
In the fifth and final passage, “Halleluy-ah; praise G-d in His Sanctuary,” all the various voices of song and musical instruments unite in a harmonious chorus of prayer. This passage contains thirteen distinct expressions of praise of G-d, corresponding to the thirteen times that the word “Halleluyah” appears in the passage. It enumerates various musical instruments (some of which we are not familiar with today) that come together in an outpouring of emotion to describe how the entire world longs for a connection with its Creator. The entire universe unites into a single, unified entity beneath the sovereignty of G-d, as this chapter of Psalms concludes, “Every soul shall praise G-d; Halleluy-ah.”
These chapters of Psalms are followed by another brief prayer consisting of several verses also drawn from Psalms. This prayer begins with the words, “Blessed is G-d forever, Amen and Amen.” With this double declaration of Amen, we reaffirm everything that we have just recited.
- One should rise at the beginning of this prayer and remain standing until after Barchu.
“Vayevareich David—David Blessed”
This prayer is a compilation of verses from the Biblical books of Chronicles and Nehemiah. In these selections, King David and Nehemiah respectively give thanks to G-d, describe His greatness and His might, and explain to the Jewish people about the necessity and obligation of giving thanks to Him.
Following these verses of praise, we begin to describe the historical chain of events that began when G-d chose Abraham to serve Him, altering his name from its original version (Avram). We relate that G-d entered into a covenant with Abraham and promised the Land of Canaan to his descendants, that G-d observed the suffering of the Jewish people in Egypt and performed wonders to bring about their salvation—bringing the Ten Plagues on the Egyptians, delivering the Jewish people from Egypt with a “strong hand,” and splitting the Red Sea.
This prayer takes us directly into the Song of the Sea, the climax of Pesukei Dezimrah.
- It is customary to donate a coin (or several coins) to charity while reciting the words, “And You rule over everything,” in this prayer.
“Az Yashir”—The Song of the Sea
The miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea was a historical event of the utmost significance. The Jewish people had left Egypt after centuries of suffering and enslavement. Pharaoh, the ambivalent Egyptian king, decided to pursue them and force them to return to Egypt. The Jews were cornered, with the Egyptian army closing in on them from behind, the terrain impassable on either side, and the Red Sea lying directly ahead of them.
Then G-d commanded Moses, “Speak to the Children of Israel, and let them travel!” The nation plunged into the depths of the sea, and the most renowned miracle in history took place. The sea split into two sections, its waters standing still on either side to create a passage in the middle so that the Jewish people could cross it on dry land.
After the awesome miracle took place, the entire Jewish people, together with Moses, composed a prayer of thanks and praise to G-d for rescuing them from their Egyptian pursuers. This prayer is known as the Song of the Sea, and we recite it in our daily prayers. It should be recited with great joy, as if we ourselves were standing at the edge of the sea and singing together with Moses.
The Song of the Sea appears in the Book of Exodus. In our prayers, it is followed by a few verses in Aramaic that describe the future era of the Messiah, when the greatest revelation of G-d will take place. Thus, we conclude, “On that day”—at the time of our Redemption—“G-d will be One and His Name will be One,” i.e., the entire world will have faith in the absolute Oneness of the Creator.
“Yishtabach—May Your Name be praised”
The Pesukei Dezimrah section of the morning prayers is concluded by the blessing of Yishtabach. This blessing does not begin with the standard formula of “Blessed are You” because it is considered the conclusion of Baruch Sheamar, the blessing that begins this part of the morning service.
The blessing of Yishtabach contains fifteen different Hebrew terms for praise. The number fifteen is a number of particular significance in Jewish tradition. In the Book of Psalms, for instance, there are fifteen consecutive chapters beginning with the words “A Song of Ascents.” These chapters were recited in the Temple by the Levites on the fifteen stairs leading from the women’s gallery to the Israelites’ gallery. Furthermore, the number fifteen is the combined numerical value of the Hebrew letters yud and heh, which spell one of the holy Names of G-d.
At the conclusion of his blessing, we refer to G-d as “He Who lives forever.” These words are a fitting conclusion for the entire Pesukei Dezimrah section. In this portion of the prayers, we have spoken about G-d’s greatness and might, His wisdom and His kindness. We have described Him as the Creator of the universe and all that it contains. But our main point is that it is G-d who sustains everything in the universe, for He is the Source of all life and it is He Who possesses the infinite power needed to sustain and support the existence of the vast, complex universe that He created.
