Hallel

halel

הלל

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

Hebrew

כִּי אֲמִילַם: דַּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל, וַיהֹוָה עֲזָרָנִי: עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ,
וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה: קוֹל רִנָּה וִישׁוּעָה בְּאָהֳלֵי צַדִּיקִים, יְמִין יְהֹוָה
עֹשָׂה חָיִל: יְמִין יְהֹוָה רוֹמֵמָה, יְמִין יְהֹוָה עֹשָׂה חָיִל: לֹא־אָמוּת
כִּי־אֶחְיֶה, וַאֲסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂי יָהּ: יַסֹּר יִסְּרַנִּי יָּהּ, וְלַמָּוֶת לֹא נְתָנָנִי:
פִּתְחוּ־לִי שַׁעֲרֵי־צֶדֶק, אָבֹא־בָם אוֹדֶה יָהּ: זֶה־הַשַּׁעַר לַיהֹוָה,
צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ:

Israeli

ki amilam: dachoh d'chitani linpol, vadonai azarani: ozi vezimrat Yah,
vayehi-li lishu-ah: kol rinah vishu-ah be-oholei tzadikim, yemin Adonai
osah chayil: yemin Adonai romemah, yemin Adonai osah chayil: lo-amut
ki-echyeh, va-asaper ma-asei Yah: yasor yisrani Yah, velamavet lo netanani:
pitchu-li sha-arei-tzedek, avo-vam odeh Yah: zeh-hasha-ar ladonai,
tzadikim yavou vo:

Hebrew

אוֹדְךָ כִּי עֲנִיתָנִי, וַתְּהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה:
אוֹדְךָ כִּי עֲנִיתָנִי, וַתְּהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה:

Israeli

odcha ki anitani, vatehi-li lishu-ah:
odcha ki anitani, vatehi-li lishu-ah:

Hebrew

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים, הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה:
אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים, הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה:

Israeli

even ma-asu habonim, haytah lerosh pinah:
even ma-asu habonim, haytah lerosh pinah:

Hebrew

מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה הָיְתָה זֹּאת, הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ:
מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה הָיְתָה זֹּאת, הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ:

Israeli

me-et Adonai haytah zot, hi niflat be-eineinu:
me-et Adonai haytah zot, hi niflat be-eineinu:

Hebrew

זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ:
זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ:

Israeli

zeh-hayom asah Adonai, nagilah venismechah vo:
zeh-hayom asah Adonai, nagilah venismechah vo:

On Sukkot, the lulav and etrog are waved while saying “LORD, please, save us,” three waves for each word of the verse (except God’s name), in the following directions: right, left, ahead, up, down, back.

Leader followed by congregation:

Hebrew

אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא:
אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא:
אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא:
אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא:

Israeli

ana Adonai hoshi-ah na:
ana Adonai hoshi-ah na:
ana Adonai hatzlichah na:
ana Adonai hatzlichah na:

Commentary

אוֹדְךָ I will thank You: This and the next eight verses, the last of Psalm 118, are repeated. Litany – a prayer in which the Leader says a verse or phrase and the congregation responds – was an aspect of worship in the Temple, and is developed most fully in the hakafot, processions around the synagogue, on Sukkot.

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים The stone the builders rejected: This is a reference to the people of Israel. Two of the first references to Israel in non-Jewish sources – the Merneptah stele (Egypt, thirteenth century BCE) and the Mesha stele (Moab, ninth century BCE) – both declare that Israel has been destroyed. Israel is the people that outlives its obituaries.

עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ The LORD is my strength and my song: a quotation from Shirat HaYam (Ex. 15:2); it also appears in Isaiah 12:2.

פִּתְחוּ־לִי שַׁעֲרֵי־צֶדֶק Open for me the gates of righteousness: A reference to the gates of the Temple.