Verses Of Praise

p'sukei d'zimrah

פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל
הָאָרֶץ, וְיֹאמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם יְהֹוָה
מָלָךְ: יְהֹוָה מָלָךְ, יְהֹוָה מָלָךְ, יְהֹוָה
יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: יְהֹוָה מֶלֶךְ
עוֹלָם וָעֶד, אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם
מֵאַרְצוֹ: יְהֹוָה הֵפִיר עֲצַת גּוֹיִם,
הֵנִיא מַחְשְׁבוֹת עַמִּים:¹ רַבּוֹת
מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב אִישׁ, וַעֲצַת יְהֹוָה
הִיא תָקוּם: עֲצַת יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם
תַּעֲמֹד, מַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבּוֹ לְדֹר
וָדֹר: כִּי הוּא אָמַר וַיֶּהִי, הוּא
צִוָּה וַיַּעֲמֹד:

Chabad

yism'chu hashomayim v'sogeil
ho-oretz, v'yoymru vagoyyim Adonoy
moloch: Adonoy moloch, Adonoy moloch, Adonoy
yimloych l'oylom vo-ed: Adonoy melech
oylom vo-ed, ov'du goyyim
mei-artzoy: Adonoy heifir atzas goyyim,
heini machsh'voys amim: raboys
machashovoys b'lev ish, va-atzas Adonoy
hi sokum: atzas Adonoy l'oylom
ta-amoyd, machsh'voys liboy l'doyr
vodoyr: ki hu omar vayehi, hu
tzivoh vaya-amoyd:

Hebrew

כִּי בָחַר יְהֹוָה בְּצִיּוֹן,² אִוָּהּ
לְמוֹשָׁב לוֹ: כִּי יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר
לוֹ יָהּ, יִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ: כִּי,
לֹא יִטֹּשׁ יְהֹוָה עַמּוֹ, וְנַחֲלָתוֹ לֹא
יַעֲזֹב: וְהוּא רַחוּם יְכַפֵּר עָוֹן
וְלֹא יַשְׁחִית, וְהִרְבָּה לְהָשִׁיב
אַפּוֹ, וְלֹא יָעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ:
יְהֹוָה³ הוֹשִׁיעָה, הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ
בְּיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ:³

Chabad

ki vochar Adonoy b'Tziyoyn, ivoh
l'moyshov loy: ki Ya-akoyv bochar
loy Yoh, Yisro-eil lisgulosoy: ki,
loy yitoysh Adonoy amoy, v'nachalosoy loy
ya-azoyv: v'hu rachum y'chapeir ovoyn
v'loy yashchis, v'hirboh l'hoshiv
apoy, v'loy yo-ir kol chamosoy:
Adonoy hoyshi-oh, hamelech ya-aneinu
b'yoym koreinu:

Concentrate intently the meaning. of the verse פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ in the following paragraph. If said without concentration repeat the verse with concentration. For transliteration, see page 942.

We praise God's greatness

Hebrew

אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ, עוֹד
יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה: אַשְׁרֵי
הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לּוֹ,⁴ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם
שֶׁיְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו:

Chabad

ashrei yoysh'vei veisecho, oyd
y'hal'lucho seloh: ashrei
ho-om shekochoh loy, ashrei ho-om
she-Adonoy eloyhov:

Hebrew

תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ
אֱלֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַאֲבָרֲכָה
שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: בְּכָל
יוֹם אֲבָרֲכֶךָּ, וַאֲהַלְלָה
שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: גָּדוֹל
יְהֹוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד,⁵ וְלִגְדֻלָּתוֹ
אֵין חֵקֶר:⁶ דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח
מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ:
הֲדַר כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ, וְדִבְרֵי
נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה: וֶעֱזוּז
נוֹרְאֹתֶיךָ יֹאמֵרוּ, וּגְדֻלָּתְךָ
אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה: זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ
יַבִּיעוּ, וְצִדְקָתְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ:
חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהֹוָה, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם

Chabad

t'hiloh l'Dovid, aroymimcho
Eloyhai hamelech, va-avorachoh
shimcho l'oylom vo-ed: b'chol
yoym avoracheko, va-ahal'loh
shimcho l'oylom vo-ed: godoyl
Adonoy um'hulol m'oyd, v'ligdulosoy
ein cheiker: doyr l'doyr y'shabach
ma-asecho, ug'vuroysecho yagidu:
hadar k'voyd hoydecho, v'divrei
nifl'oysecho osichoh: ve-ezuz
noyr'-oysecho yoymeiru, ug'dulos'cho
asap'renoh: zeicher rav tuv'cho
yabiu, v'tzidkos'cho y'raneinu:
chanun v'rachum Adonoy, erech apayim

Commentary

1 An alternative translation: "prevented." There are times when God does not wait for people to make evil plans before canceling them; instead, He "prevents" them from having these evil thoughts in the first place. For this, too, we are obliged to thank Him.

2 The word צִיּוֹן can also refer to the Jewish Nation. These verses can be read as one thought: the reason God created the universe and brought it into being is because He wanted His Divine Presence to rest among the Jewish Nation.

3 The name of God mentioned here (הוי"ה) represents God's supernatural power. We are asking God that even if it is impossible to save us according to the laws of nature, He should do so supernaturally.

4 Literally, "that this is so." The verse is telling us: Fortunate are the people who understand Torah concepts to the point that they can say, "This is so." This means that they understand the concept well enough to be able to explain it to others without altering its true meaning or watering it down. They are able to say, "This is it—this is the concept, without modification."

5 Although we cannot understand the full greatness of God, He is still "very praised" because His greatness is expressed in many ways and can be appreciated by all types of people, just as a wise teacher's greatness is expressed in his ability to teach many types of students.

6 God created all the worlds, both physical and spiritual, using just a small fraction of His powers—akin to a small drop of water from a huge ocean. When we consider this, we realize that His power is far beyond what we can imagine with our earthly minds, and that there is "no limit to His greatness."