Tefillah 019
of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel
HALAKHAH STUDY GROUP
THE HALAKHAH OF TEFILLAH
Mishnah: We must stand to pray in a serious frame of mind. The early pietists would spend one hour [in contemplation] and only then pray, so that their hearts would be attuned to their heavenly Father… Gemara: From where [in the bible] do we derive this? – Rabbi Yehoshu'a ben-Levi says [that we derive this from] the verse "Happy are they that dwell in Your house" [Psalm 84:5].
EXPLANATIONS (continued):
27:
The next two psalms in Pesuké deZimra are in sequence: Psalms 135 and 136. Psalm 135 [Sim Shalom page 91; Va'ani Tefillati page 43] is essentially a paean of praise to the Lord of Nature and the saving God of history. After recognising God as the author of wind, rain and electrical storm, the Psalmist refers to God's saving powers: He defeated the Egyptians (in order to liberate the Israelites) and He defeated the Amorite kings (in order to facilitate Israel's inheritance of the Promised Land). All this being the case, the poet infers, means that the gods of the pagan nations are 'nothing', manufactured by man. In conclusion and in consequence, he calls upon all parts of the House of Israel to praise God.
28:
Psalm 136 [Sim Shalom page 92; Va'ani Tefillati page 44] is known in rabbinic parlance as Hallel ha-Gadol, the 'Great Hallel' (as different from the sequence of psalms (113 – 118) which we recite on festive occasions and which we call just Hallel). It consists of a sequence of 26 verses each of which has the same refrain: "His steadfast love is eternal." In many synagogues is has become customary to stand during the recital of Hallel ha-Gadol. I have not been able to find a reason for this in our sources. My guess is that the standing is just a natural reaction to the exhortation of the Psalmist at the very end of Psalm 135:
O house of Israel, bless the Lord; O house of Aaron, bless the Lord; O house of Levi, bless the Lord; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Blessed is the Lord from Zion, He who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah.
We shall mention another possible reason for people standing later on.
29:
There is considerable discussion in the Gemara [Pesaĥim 118a concerning the parameters and content of Hallel ha-Gadol:
Where does Hallel ha-Gadol begin? Rabbi Yehudah says from Psalm 136:1 up to Psalm 137:1 [i.e. the whole of Psalm 136]. Rabbi Yoĥanan says from Psalm 120:1 up to Psalm 137:1 [i.e. 17 psalms]. Rav Aĥa bar-Ya'akov says from Psalm 135:4 up to Psalm 137:1.
The Gemara continues:
Why is is called the Great Hallel? – Rabbi Yoĥanan says, because God sits on high and determines the food supply of every creature. Rabbi Yehoshu'a ben-Levi says, what do these 26 verses [that begin with the word Hodu] represent? – they represent the 26 generations that God created in His world before He gave them the Torah yet He fed them in his kindness. Rav ĥisda says, what does the verse mean 'Acknowledge that God is good'? – Acknowledge that He demands His due from each person in goodness: the rich man with an ox, the poor man with his lamb, the orphan with his egg, the widow with her chicken.
The opinion of Rabbi Yoĥanan derives from verse 25: "He gives food to all flesh, His steadfast love is eternal." (The opinion of Rav ĥisda reflects the various categories of voluntary sacrifice that are ordained in the first chapters of the book of Leviticus.)
Rabbi Yoĥanan seems to think that God is at His 'greatest' as the benificent judge who feeds all creatures. It could be that it is because of this sense of 'being judged' that people became accustomed to stand during the recital of Psalm 136. But, nevertheless, it is a paean of praise; so maybe that is why Rambam in his commentary on Mishnah Ta'anit 3:9 says:
The main point with us is that we only recite Hallel ha-Gadol when satisfied and well fed.
Psalm 136 is part of Pesuké deZimra only on Shabbat and YomTov – days when we are 'satisfied and well fed'.
30:
And lastly, a curiosity. Psalm 136 is one of several psalms that the great English poet John Milton [1608-1674] rendered into English verse. The first verse reads as follows:
Let us with a gladsome mind
Praise the Lord, for he is kind,
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithfull, ever sure.
To be continued.
DISCUSSION:
In Tefillah 017 I mentioned a Biblical discrepancy: That this must be the intended reference is indicated by the fact that the introductory verse actually quotes the phrase from the biblical narrative "he concealed his sanity". However, there is one inconsistency: the original story names Akhish as David's Philistine host, whereas the psalm gives his name as Avimelekh.
Art Kamlet asks:
Is Avimelekh a title or a proper name?
I respond:
It is very difficult to tell. While it is true that very many Philistine kings seem to bear the name Avimelekh there is no indication that this is a title and not a proper name. On the other hand that is also true of 'Pharaoh', which we know is a title.
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