The complete version of Hallel is said on the first two nights and days of Pesach, the two days of Shavuot, the nine days of Sukkot (including Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah), and the eight days of Chanukah. On Rosh Chodesh and the last six days of Pesach, an abridged version of Hallel (known as "Half Hallel") is said instead; the omitted sections are indicated below.
On Sukkot, hold the lulav in the right hand while saying Hallel. At the various points indicated below, shake the lulav and etrog together. See illustration, page 956. On Hoshana Rabbah, the two rings on the upper section of the lulav are removed before saying Hallel.
Hallel should be said while standing, without any interruption.
In the presence of a minyan, the chazzan says the following blessing aloud. When saying the complete version of Hallel, the congregation responds אָמֵן and repeats the blessing. When saying Half Hallel, the chazzan keeps in mind that he is saying the blessing on behalf of the congregation, and the congregation responds אָמֵן, keeping in mind that the chazzan is saying the blessing on their behalf. If you are saying Hallel, whether complete or half, without a minyan, say the blessing.
Blessing on Hallel
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ
בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לִקְרוֹא
אֶת הַהַלֵּל:
Sephardi
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech
ha-olam, asher kidshanu
b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu likro
et haHallel:
English
<b>Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us</b> to listen to the Sages, who instructed us <b>to say the Hallel.</b>
Praise God, Who takes care of His creations
Hebrew
הַלְלוּיָהּ, הַלְלוּ עַבְדֵי יְיָ, הַלְלוּ
אֶת שֵׁם יְיָ: יְהִי שֵׁם
יְיָ מְבֹרָךְ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם:
מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד מְבוֹאוֹ, מְהֻלָּל
שֵׁם יְיָ: רָם עַל כָּל גּוֹיִם | יְיָ, עַל
הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ: מִי כַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ,
הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת: הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי
לִרְאוֹת, בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ: מְקִימִי
מֵעָפָר דָּל, מֵאַשְׁפֹּת יָרִים אֶבְיוֹן:
לְהוֹשִׁיבִי עִם נְדִיבִים, עִם נְדִיבֵי
עַמּוֹ: מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת,<sup>1</sup> אֵם
הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, הַלְלוּיָהּ:
Sephardi
Halleluyah, hallelu avdei Adonai, hallelu
et shem Adonai: yehi shem
Adonai mevorach, me'atah ve'ad olam:
mi'mizrach shemesh ad mevo'o, mehullal
shem Adonai: ram al kol goyim | Adonai, al
hashamayim kevodo: mi kaAdonai Eloheinu,
hamagbihi lashevet: hamashpili
lir'ot, bashamayim uva'aretz: mekimi
mei'afar dal, mei'ashpot yarim evyon:
l'hoshivi im nedivim, im nedivei
amo: moshivi akeret habayit,<sup>1</sup> eim
habanim s'meichah, halleluyah:
English
Everyone should <b>praise the Lord. Servants of the Lord,</b> give <b>praise. Praise the name of the Lord.</b> May the Lord's name be <b>blessed</b> by all creations, <b>now and forever.</b> From the people who live in the east where the <b>sun rises,</b> to the people who live in the west where <b>it sets, the Lord's name is praised. The Lord is exalted above all nations. God's glory is above the heavens.</b> Who is like the Lord, our <b>God, Who,</b> even though He rests <b>high up</b> above the world, still <b>lowers Himself to look down upon the heaven and earth</b> and keeps them in existence? <b>He picks up a needy person from the dust</b> of poverty, and <b>He lifts a poor person from the garbage heap.</b> Not only does God take poor people out of poverty, He raises them to a position where they can <b>sit with noblemen, with the noblemen of His nation,</b> the Children of Israel. God <b>settles a woman who cannot</b> naturally <b>have children into a house;</b><sup>1</sup> He gives her many children. He makes her a <b>happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.</b>
For transliteration, see page 951.
God overrode the rules of nature for the Jewish Nation
Hebrew
בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם,
בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם
לֹעֵז: הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ,
יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו: הַיָּם
רָאָה וַיָּנֹס, הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב
לְאָחוֹר: הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ
כְּאֵילִים, גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי צֹאן:
מַה לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס,
הַיַּרְדֵּן תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר:
הֶהָרִים תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים,
גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי צֹאן: מִלִּפְנֵי
אָדוֹן חוּלִי אָרֶץ, מִלִּפְנֵי
אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב: הַהֹפְכִי הַצּוּר
אֲגַם מָיִם, חַלָּמִישׁ
לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם:
Sephardi
B'tzeit Yisrael miMitzrayim,
Beit Ya'akov mei'am
lo'ez: hayetah Yehudah l'kodsho,
Yisrael mamshelotav: hayam
ra'ah vayanos, haYarden yisov
l'achor: heharim rakdu
ch'eilim, geva'ot kivnei tzon:
mah lecha hayam ki tanus,
haYarden tisov l'achor:
heharim tirkedu ch'eilim,
geva'ot kivnei tzon: milifnei
Adon chuli aretz, milifnei
Elo'ah Ya'akov: hahofchi hatzur
agom mayim, chalamish
l'ma'yeno mayim:
English
<b>When</b> the Children of <b>Israel went out of Egypt,</b> when <b>the House of Jacob</b> went out <b>from</b> among a <b>nation</b> that spoke a <b>foreign</b> language, the people of <b>Judah became His holy</b> nation; the Children of Israel came under <b>His rulership. The Sea</b> of Reeds saw the Jewish Nation coming, <b>and it fled</b> so that they could walk through. During that time, all the waters of the world split, including <b>the Jordan</b> River, which turned and flowed <b>backward.</b> When God's glory was revealed at Mount Sinai during the Giving of the Torah, the world shook and <b>the mountains</b> skipped like rams. The nearby <b>hills skipped like young sheep. What troubles you, Sea</b> of Reeds; why is it that <b>you run?</b> Why is it, <b>Jordan</b> River, that <b>you turn and flow backward?</b> What causes you, <b>mountains, to skip like rams,</b> and what is with <b>the hills, which skip like young sheep?</b> The sea, the mountains, and the hills answer: We do this in awe of being <b>before the Master,</b> God, the Creator of the <b>earth.</b> We are <b>before the God of Jacob, Who turns the rock into a pool of water, and Who turns the flint stone into a fountain of water.</b> When the Jewish Nation needed water in the desert, God turned a rock into a fountain of water.
On Rosh Chodesh and the last six days of Pesach, do not say the following paragraph.
May God be kind to the Jewish Nation, which trusts in Him alone
Hebrew
לֹא לָנוּ יְיָ, לֹא לָנוּ, כִּי
לְשִׁמְךָ תֵּן כָּבוֹד, עַל
חַסְדְּךָ עַל אֲמִתֶּךָ: לָמָּה
יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם, אַיֵּה נָא
אֱלֹהֵיהֶם: וֵאלֹהֵינוּ בַשָּׁמָיִם,
Sephardi
Lo lanu Adonai, lo lanu, ki
leshimcha ten kavod, al
chasdecha al amitecha: lamah
yomru hagoyim, ayeh na
Eloheihem: vEloheinu bashamayim,
English
<b>Not for our sake, Lord, not</b> because we are deserving should You be kind to us. <b>Rather, for</b> the sake of Your <b>name, give and shine Your glory,</b> in order that the nations should know of <b>Your kindness and Your truth</b>—that You always do good to the Jewish Nation. <b>Why should</b> the <b>nations</b> be able to <b>say</b> about the Jewish Nation, "<b>Where</b> is their <b>God?</b> Why does He not help them?" <b>Our God</b> is in