Siman 14: Laws of Pesukei D'Zimrah

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The Gemara (Berachos 32a) teaches: "A person should always articulate the praise of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and after that he should pray." We are to approach Hashem in the same way that a petitioner would approach an earthly king, by first offering words of praise and then making our requests. Accordingly, the Sages instituted the recitation of various psalms of praise to Hashem before the Shemoneh Esrei, in which a person petitions Hashem for his needs. These psalms are referred to as Pesukei D'Zimrah, Verses of Praise.

§1 Interruptions During Pesukei D'Zimrah

The passages and verses of praise recited as part of the morning prayers, beginning from the passage of "Hodu," until after The Song at the See, are referred to as Pesukei D'Zimrah. The blessing of Baruch She'amar is the opening blessing recited prior to Pesukei D'Zimrah, and Yishtabach is the closing blessing recited after Pesukei D'Zimrah.

From the time that one begins Baruch She'amar until after the completion of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer it is forbidden to interrupt the prayers with mundane speech even if spoken in Hebrew. (Likewise, in all places where it is forbidden to interrupt with speech, even speaking in Hebrew is forbidden.)

However, with regard to interruption for the purpose of fulfilling a mitzvah, there is a difference between those interruptions that are permitted while reciting Pesukei D'Zimrah and its accompanying blessings (Baruch She'amar and Yishtabach), and those interruptions that are permitted while reciting the Shema and its accompanying blessings. The following interruptions are permitted while reciting Pesukei D'Zimrah:

During the recitation of Pesukei D'Zimrah, even in the middle of the Baruch She'amar or Yishtabach blessings, if one hears any blessing he is permitted to respond with Amen. Likewise, if he hears that the congregation is reciting Shema, he can recite the verse of Shema Yisrael together with them. And certainly with regard to the more important responses of Kaddish, Kedushah, and Borchu, it is permitted for him to interrupt the Pesukei D'Zimrah prayers and respond with the congregation.

Nevertheless, if it is possible for him to arrange his prayers in such a way that he will interrupt his recitation for these permitted responses at a point where there is a break in the Pesukei D'Zimrah, for example, between one psalm and the next, or at least between one verse and the next, he should do so.

The customary congregational response of Baruch Hu U'Varuch Shemo, Blessed is He and Blessed is His Name, recited upon hearing the Name of Hashem in a blessing, one should not recite it during Pesukei D'Zimrah, even at a point where there is a break (since this response is not mentioned in the Gemara).

Likewise, the text of Yisbarach veyishtabach, Blessed, praised, etc., which is recited by some congregations when the chazzan sings the melody accompanying Borchu, one should not recite when one is in the middle of Pesukei D'Zimrah, since its recitation is not an obligation but only a custom.

Likewise, if, during Pesukei D'Zimrah, one relieved himself and washed his hands, it seems to me that he should not recite the Asher Yatzar blessing at that point, since he can just as well recite it afterward. (See below, se'if 8. And as for the halachos of interrupting Krias Shema and its accompanying blessings, they will be explained, God willing, in Siman 16.)

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§2 Concentration

One should take hold of the two tzitzis tassels that are tied upon the front corners of his tallis or tallis katan, and recite Baruch She'amar while standing. When he completes Baruch She'amar with the words mehullal batishbachos, he should kiss the tzitzis and then let go of them.

One should recite all of the Pesukel D'Zimrah in a calm and pleasant manner and not hurriedly, and he should be scrupulous in the proper pronunciation of all of the words, reciting them in a deliberate manner, as if he were counting money.

When reciting the Pesukei D'Zimrah, one should concentrate on the meaning of the words. This applies all the more so to the verse of pose'ach es yadecha, You open Your hand etc., in Ashrei, which one must recite with great concentration: That is, one must concentrate on the meaning of the words, and, in addition, offer a silent prayer for his own sustenance and for the sustenance for the entire Jewish nation. If one did not concentrate on the meaning of the words of this verse at all, then even after he has completed his recitation he must go back and recite it with concentration.

As part of the Hodu section of Pesukei D'Zimrah, we recite the verse (I Divrei HaYamim 16:26): For all the gods of the peoples are nothings - but Hashem made heaven. In the recitation of this verse, between the words elilim an Vado-noy shamayim asah, one must pause slightly, so that the word Vov-Hey (and Hashem), not appear to be a part of the previous phrase (thus giving the impression that he is saying, God forbid, For all the gods of the peoples are nothings and Hashem).

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§3 Maintaining Clean Hands

One must take care not to touch, while reciting Pesukei D'Zimrah, and certainly from after Pesukei D'Zimrah until the end of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, places on his body that are usually covered, or his head where it is usually covered. Likewise, it is forbidden to touch mucus of the nose or earwax, except through a handkerchief.

If one did touch any of these places with his hand, he should wash his hand with water. If he is in the middle of the Shernoneh Esrei prayer and he cannot move from his place to seek water, he can suffice with cleaninig his hand with pebbles, or he can rub his hand on the wall or the like.

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§4 Mizmor LeSodah

The psalm of Mizmor LeSodah, A psalm of thanksgiving (Tehillim Ch 100) is to be recited while standing, and with joy, since it is recited in the place of the actual thanksgiving-offering in the Temple.

Likewise, from the passage of Vayevarech David, and David blessed (I Divrei HaYamim 29:10-13), until the conclusion of the next passage, the verse alah hu Ado-noy HaElokim, It is You, Hshem, the God (Nechemiah 9:7), one should recite while standing. Likewise, the Song at the Sea (Az Yashir) one should recite white standing, and with concentration and joy. Likewise, when reciting the blessing of Yishtabach one should stand.

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§5 Mizmor LeSodah

On Shabbos and festival days Mizrnor LeSodah is not recited, since the thanksgiving-offering, in whose place this psalm is recited, was brought as a voluntary offering. And offerings brought in fulfillment of vows and voluntary offerings were not brought in the Temple on Shabbos and festival days. Mizmor LeSodah is also not recited on the intermediate days of the Pesach festival, because the thanksgiving-offering was not brought in the Temple then since, as an accompaniment to the thanksgiving-offering, one is required to bring ten leavened loaves. The thanksgiving offering is also not brought, and hence the psalm is not recited, on the day before Pesach, for perhaps they (the Kohanim) would not be able to eat the ten leavened loaves by the time leavened products become prohibited, and they would then have to burn these sacrificial loaves. Similarly, it is not brought, and hence the psalm is not recited, on the day before Yom Kippur, because doing so would limit the amount of time that the loaves of the offering could be eaten, and thus bring sacrifices to a state of disqualification.

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§6 Omitting Parts of Pesukei DZimrah for Congregational Prayer

If one arrived late to the synagogue and did not arrive until after the congregation began to pray, and now, if he will recite all the prayers according to their standard arrangement he will not reach the Shemoneh Esrei prayer in time to pray together with the congregation — and the most essential part of praying with the congregation is to pray the Shemoneh Esrei together with them — therefore, in this situation, one can skip parts of the prayers, as will be explained below, in se'if 7. However, the blessing of al netilas yadayim, and the blessings over the study of Torah, and the blessing of Elokai neshamah, one must always recite before the morning prayer (as explained in Siman 7). Therefore, if one did not recite the blessings in his home, he must recite them when he arrives in the synagogue, even if by doing so he will be delayed to the point that he will not be able to pray with the congregation. Also the recitation of Shema in the morning with its accompanying blessings must be recited before the Shemoneh Esrei. That is, he must begin with the blessing of Yotzer Ohr, Who forms light, and then pray following the regular arrangement of the prayers until after the Shemoneh Esrei without any interruption, (so as to recite the blessing of redemption immediately prior to the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, that is, to conclude the blessing of Ga'al Yisrael, Who redeemed Israel, immediately prior to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei). However, the rest of the morning blessings and the entire order of Korbanos and Pesukei D'Zimrah (without the blessings of Baruch She'amar and Yishtabach), may be recited after the Shemoneh Esrei prayer as well.

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§7 Omitting Parts of Pesukei DZimrah for Congregational Prayer

Therefore, after one has recited the three blessings listed above, and put on his tallis and tefillin, if he sees that he does not have enough time to be able to reach the point where he can pray Shemoneh Esrei together with the congregation, unless he skips and starts with the blessing of Yotzer Ohr, then he should skip Pesukei D'Zimrah entirely and start from there. If he has enough time to recite as well - Baruch She'amar and Tehillah LeDavid until the end - that is, until the concluding verse of the psalm that ends the words Shem kodsho le'olam va'ed and also to recite Yishtabach afterward, then he should recite those sections and then begin Yotzer Ohr. If he has a bit more time, he should also recite the psalm of Halleluyah halelu Keil bekadsho, Halleluyah! Praise God in His Sanctuary (Tehillim Ch. 150), until the end of that psalm, which concludes with kol haneshamah tehallel Yah Halleluyah, Let all souls praise God, Halleluyah!

If he has even more time, he should also recite the psalm of Halleluyah halelu es Ado-noy min hashamayim, Halleluyah! Praise Hashem from the heavens (ibid. Ch. 148).

If he has even more time, he should also recite the rest of the psalms beginning with Halelluyah.

If he has more time, he should also recite the section beginning Vayevarech David, until the conclusion of that section with leshem tifartecha, Your splendrous Name.

If he has yet more time, he should also recite from the beginning of Hodu until the verse beginning Vehu rachum, He, the Merciful One, and then skip until the recitation of the Vehu rachum verse in the psalm of Yehi Chevod, which immediately precedes Ashrei, and begin reciting from there. With regard to the psalms that are added to the Pesukei D'Zimrah on Shabbos and festival days, if he does not have time to recite them, then all of the psalms and verses that are recited daily take precedence and are recited first.

On Shabbos, if he has enough time to recite some of the additional psalms as well, it seems to me that on Shabbos and on Yom Kippur the psalms Mizmor shir leyom haShabbos, A psalm, a song for the Shabbos day (Tehillim Ch. 92), and the Great Song of Praise (ibid. Ch. 136), (that is, the psalm beginning Hodu Ladonoy ki tov, Give thanks to Hashem for He is good) take precedence and should he recited first. On other festival days, only the Great Song of Praise takes pretedence.

After reciting those, if he has more time he should recite the psalm of Lamenatzei'ach, For the Conductor (ibid. Ch. 19), LeDavid beshanoso, Of David: When he disguised (ibid. Ch. 34) and Tefillah LeMoshe, A prayer by Moshe (ibid. Ch. 90).

All of the psalms and verses listed above should be recited before Yishtabach; and after the conclusion of the prayers he should complete his prayers and recite all that he had skipped. Only Baruch She'amar and Yishtabach are not recited after the prayers. However, if one who came late sees that even if he would begin with the blessing of Yotzer Ohr without saying Pesukei DZimrah at all he would not be able to pray Shemoneh Esrei with the congregation unless he prays quickly, in that case, it is better that he pray the entire order of the prayers by himself following the standard order of the prayers, deliberately, and with concentration. (See also below. 20:11-12.)

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§8 Starting Without Tallis and Tefillin

If a person comes to the synagogue and the congregation is beginning to pray Pesukei D'Zimrah, and he does not have tallis and tefillin but he expects that they will be brought to him, he can also pray Pesukei D'Zimrah with the congregation. And when the tallis and tefillin are brought to him he should put them on after Yishtabach, before the blessing of Yotzer Ohr, and he should recite the blessings upon them at that point. If he fears that while he is putting them on the congregation will pass him by in the prayers and he will be prevented from praying Shemoneh Esrei with the congregation he should skip from the Vehu rachum verse in the Hodu section until the Vehu rachum verse that precedes Ashrei, or he should skip from Vayosha until Yishtabach, and he should only say the primary psalms of Pesukei D'Zimrah in the order of precedence that is listed above (se'if 7), so that he should have time to put on the tallis and tefillin after he has recited Yishabach and before the chazzan recites the Kaddish following Yishtabach. (See above, 10:22.)