Pesukei DeZimra

p'sukei d'zimrah

פסוקי דזמרה

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Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

פסוקי דזמרה

PESUKEI DEZIMRA

The introductory blessing to the Pesukei DeZimra (Verses of Praise) is said standing, while holding the two front tzitziot of the tallit. They are kissed and released at the end of the blessing at "songs of praise" (on next page). From the beginning of this prayer to the end of the Amida, conversation is forbidden. See table on pages 1384–1386 for permitted congregational responses.

Some say:

Hebrew

הֲרֵינִי מְזַמֵּן אֶת פִּי לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל וּלְשַׁבֵּחַ אֶת בּוֹרְאִי, לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא
וּשְׁכִינְתֵּהּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעְלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Israeli

hareini mezamen et pi lehodot ulehalel uleshabeach et bore-i, leshem yichud kudsha b'rich hu
ushchineteh al yedei hahu tamir venelam b'shem kol Yisra-el.

בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָמַר

BLESSED IS HE WHO SPOKE

Hebrew

וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
בָּרוּךְ אוֹמֵר וְעוֹשֶׂה
בָּרוּךְ גּוֹזֵר וּמְקַיֵּם
בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֶׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית
בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל הָאָרֶץ
בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת
בָּרוּךְ מְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר טוֹב לִירֵאָיו
בָּרוּךְ חַי לָעַד וְקַיָּם לָנֶצַח
בָּרוּךְ פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל
בָּרוּךְ שְׁמוֹ

Israeli

vehayah ha-olam, baruch hu.
baruch omer ve-oseh
baruch gozer umekayem
baruch oseh bereishit
baruch merachem al ha-aretz
baruch merachem al habriyot
baruch meshalem sachar tov lire-av
baruch chai la-ad vekayam lanetzach
baruch podeh umatzil
baruch sh'mo

Commentary

PESUKEI DEZIMRA / VERSES OF PRAISE "A person should first recount the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, and then pray" (Berakhot 32b), hence the passages that follow, known as the "Verses of Praise." The morning service from this point until the end is constructed in three movements, whose themes are: (1) Creation: God as He is in nature; (2) Revelation: God as He is in Torah and prayer; and (3) Redemption: God as He is in history and our lives. The theme of the Verses of Praise is Creation – God as Architect and Maker of a universe of splendor and diversity, whose orderliness testifies to the single creative will that underlies all that exists. The psalms tell this story not in scientific prose but majestic poetry, not proving but proclaiming the One at the heart of all.

The core elements of Pesukei DeZimra are: (1) Psalm 145 (Ashrei), a prayer to which the sages attached particular significance, specifying that it should be said three times daily; and (2) Psalms 146–150, which form the culmination and crescendo of the book of Psalms as a whole. These six psalms correspond to the six days of creation; others are added on Shabbat and festivals. Around this inner core other passages have been woven: some from other biblical books and others from selected verses in the book of Psalms.