Verses Of Praise

Pesukei D'zimrah

פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה

Visible layers

Praise God with musical instruments

Hebrew

הַלְלוּיָהּ,1 הַלְלוּ אֵל בְּקָדְשׁוֹ,
הַלְלוּהוּ בִּרְקִיעַ
עֻזּוֹ: הַלְלוּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָיו, הַלְלוּהוּ
כְּרֹב גֻּדְלוֹ: הַלְלוּהוּ בְּתֵקַע
שׁוֹפָר,2 הַלְלוּהוּ בְּנֵבֶל וְכִנּוֹר:
הַלְלוּהוּ בְתֹף וּמָחוֹל,3 הַלְלוּהוּ
בְּמִנִּים וְעֻגָב: הַלְלוּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי
שָׁמַע, הַלְלוּהוּ בְּצִלְצְלֵי תְרוּעָה:
כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ הַלְלוּיָהּ:
כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ הַלְלוּיָהּ:

Sephardi

Halleluyah, hallelu El b'kodsho,
halleluhu birkia
uzo: halleluhu vigvurotav, halleluhu
k'rov gudlo: halleluhu b'teka
shofar, halleluhu b'nevel vechinor:
halleluhu v'tof u'machol, halleluhu
b'minim v'ugav: halleluhu v'tziltzelei
shama, halleluhu b'tziltzelei teru'ah:
kol haneshamah tehallel Yah halleluyah:
kol haneshamah tehallel Yah halleluyah:

English

Praise the Lord.1 Angels in His holy surroundings, praise God! Praise Him in outer space, where He shows His strength. Praise Him by speaking about His mighty acts. Praise Him in the way that His plentiful greatness should be praised—through music and song. Praise Him with the sounding of the shofar.2 Praise Him with musical instruments like the lyre and the harp. Praise Him by playing the drum and dancing.3 Praise Him with stringed instruments and the flute. Praise Him with the loud sound of cymbals. Praise Him with the clanging sound of cymbals. Every creation that has a soul should praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Every creation that has a soul should praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Stand and remain standing until after בָּרְכוּ, on page 362.

God and His name are blessed forever

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
בָּרוּךְ יְיָ מִצִּיּוֹן שֹׁכֵן
יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, הַלְלוּיָהּ: בָּרוּךְ יְיָ
אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עֹשֵׂה
נִפְלָאוֹת לְבַדּוֹ:4 וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם
כְּבוֹדוֹ לְעוֹלָם, וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹדוֹ
אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ,5 אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:

Sephardi

Baruch Adonai le'olam, amen ve-amen:
Baruch Adonai mitziyon shochen
Yerushalayim, halleluyah: Baruch Adonai
Elohim Elohei Yisrael, oseh
nifla'ot levado: uvaruch shem
kevodo le'olam, veyimalei chevodo
et kol ha'aretz, amen ve-amen:

English

The Lord is blessed forever. Amen and Amen. Blessed is the Lord, Whose Divine Presence spreads out to the world from Zion, Whose Divine Presence dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. Blessed is the Lord, the only God, the God of the Children of Israel. He alone has the power to do wonders.4 His glorious name is blessed forever. May God's glory fill the entire world.5 Amen and Amen.

Everything in this world comes from God

Hebrew

וַיְבָרֶךְ דָּוִיד אֶת יְיָ לְעֵינֵי כָל
הַקָּהָל, וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד,
בָּרוּךְ6 אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
אָבִינוּ, מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם: לְךָ יְיָ
הַגְּדֻלָּה, וְהַגְּבוּרָה, וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת,
וְהַנֵּצַח, וְהַהוֹד, כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם
וּבָאָרֶץ, לְךָ יְיָ הַמַּמְלָכָה
וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא לְכֹל לְרֹאשׁ: וְהָעֹשֶׁר
וְהַכָּבוֹד מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, וְאַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל
בַּכֹּל, וּבְיָדְךָ כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה, וּבְיָדְךָ,
לְגַדֵּל וּלְחַזֵּק לַכֹּל: וְעַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ,
מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, וּמְהַלְלִים
לְשֵׁם תִּפְאַרְתֶּךָ: וִיבָרְכוּ שֵׁם
כְּבוֹדֶךָ, וּמְרוֹמָם עַל כָּל בְּרָכָה
וּתְהִלָּה: אַתָּה הוּא יְיָ לְבַדֶּךָ,
אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם,7 שְׁמֵי
הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכָל צְבָאָם, הָאָרֶץ וְכָל
אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ, הַיַּמִּים וְכָל אֲשֶׁר
בָּהֶם, וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כֻּלָּם,
וּצְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם לְךָ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים:8

Sephardi

Vayevarech David et Adonai l'einei kol
hakahal, vayomer David,
baruch Atah Adonai Elohei Yisrael
avinu, me'olam ve'ad olam: lecha Adonai
hagedullah, vehagevurah, vehatiferet,
vehanetzach, vehahod, ki chol bashamayim
uva'aretz, lecha Adonai hamamlachah
vehamitnasei lechol lerosh: veha'osher
vehakavod milfanekha, ve'atah moshel
bakol, uveyadecha ko'ach ugvurah, uveyadecha,
legadel ulechazek lakol: ve'atah Eloheinu,
modim anachnu lach, umehalelim
l'shem tifartecha: vivarchu shem
kevodecha, umeromam al kol berachah
utehilah: Atah hu Adonai levadecha,
Atah asita et hashamayim, shemei
hashamayim, vechol tzeva'am, ha'aretz vechol
asher alehah, hayamim vechol asher
bahem, ve'atah mechayeh et kulam,
utzva hashamayim lecha mishtachavim:

English

King David blessed and thanked the Lord for giving him the opportunity to prepare for the building of the Holy Temple. He thanked God in front of all the people. King David said: Blessed6 are You, Lord, the God of the Children of Israel, our father, forever; from this world to the World to Come. The following special things belong to You, Lord: greatness, the strength to win wars, the glory that I received when I won wars, the ability to achieve victory in those wars, and the majesty of being a king. All of these came from You, because everything in heaven and on earth is Yours. The ability to rule as a king belongs to You, Lord, and You have given kings the power to rule over their kingdoms. You are raised above all other rulers. Wealth and honor come from You, and You rule over everything. Strength and power are in Your hand. And it is in Your hand to give greatness and strength to everyone. And now our God, we thank You for Your goodness, and we praise Your beautiful name. Let the Jewish Nation bless Your glorious name, although it is really higher than any blessing or praise can express. You alone are God. You alone made the heavens,7 the highest heavens and all the creations in them. You made the earth and everything on it, as well as the oceans and everything in them. You give life to all of them. The creations in heaven bow down to You.8

Commentary

1 This Psalm describes the way in which God "lowers Himself" into this world. Initially, God is in "His holy surroundings," separate from the world, in His infinite holy state. He then prepares the world for His Godliness by creating "space" to filter and conceal His infinite energy. Finally, God limits His energy "with His strength," so that it may descend into the world and provide life for every creation according to its needs.

2 The sound of the shofar is not a sweet and gentle sound, but rather one that brings awe upon the listener. There are angels whose job it is to "praise God" with awe, and their praise is referred to as the blast of a shofar.

3 The sound of the drum is abrupt and loud. It symbolizes a sudden life event that "shocks" us and strengthens our resolve to fight the negative forces that surround us.

4 God performs many miracles that we don't even know about; to us they seem part of the natural order of the world. God "alone" knows of their miraculous nature.

5 Although the world is already filled with God's glory, this glory is hidden. We therefore ask that the time should come for His full glory to finally be revealed.

6 The Hebrew word for "blessing," בְּרָכָה, can also be translated as "drawing down." We acknowledge to God that His essence is "higher than any drawing down"—it is too holy for us to reveal in this world. We can only recognize its existence and be humble before it.

7 God is the only true existence. Although He created the heavens and the earth, He remains "alone," because nothing can compare to Him and His infinite powers.

8 This verse speaks not only of the spiritual creations in heavens—the angels—but also the physical celestial bodies. The sun, for example, expresses its humility to God each day by setting in the west, which is the direction of God's Divine Presence.