We have seen two different approaches to the idea of pesukei d’zimra as preparation for the amida. First we reviewed R. Simlai’s ‘praise before petition.’ Then we saw the three ways in which we are meant to “rise to prayer” – solemnity, settled law and joy. We now turn to the third and concluding way in which pesukei d’zimra can be seen as helping to prepare for the amida. 

Last time we analyzed the first half of the first Mishna of the fifth chapter of Berachot. We now turn to the second half of that very same Mishna which offers a different way to prepare for Prayer.

חֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ שׁוֹהִים שָׁעָה אַחַת וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּכַוְּנוּ אֶת לִבָּם לַמָּקוֹם.

The ancient pious one used to wait in anticipation for an hour and then pray in order to intend their hearts to the Omnipresent One.

These chasidim used to prepare for their recitation of the amida by meditating for an hour. Again, in its context, this Mishna is outlining how we are meant to prepare for the moment of standing before God in the amida. The gemara adds the following instruction, extending the requirement to after Prayer as well:

בבלי ברכות ל״ב ע״ב

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל צָרִיךְ לִשְׁהוֹת שָׁעָה אַחַת אַחַר תְּפִלָּתוֹ

Bavli Berachot 32b

Yehoshua b. Levi said, “One who prays must meditate for an hour after their Prayer.”

Moving from the Amida to Pesukei d’Zimra

 

How do we move from this practice as both pre and post the amida to seeing that preparation in the recitation of pesukei d’zimra? Rabbi Yitzchak of Vienna quoted his teacher Rabbi Yehuda of Paris and made this very claim:

ספר אור זרוע (Vienna, d.1270) חלק א – הלכות תפילה סימן ק

פי’ מורי רבינו יהודה ב”ר יצחק…וצריך להשהות קודם התפלה דאמר ר’ יהושע בן לוי המתפלל צריך לשהות שעה אחת ואח”כ יתפלל [בבלי ברכות לב:]. ותנן חסידים הראשונים היו שוהים שעה אחת ומתפללים כדי שיכוונו את לבם לאביהם שבשמים [משנה ברכות ה:א, ל:]…כי מתוך כך נמצאנו מכוונים לבבינו כשאנו שוהים באשרי…

Sefer Or Zarua (Rabbi Yitzchak of Vienna, d. 1270)

My teacher R. Yehuda b. Yitzchak (Paris, d. 1224) explained…And we must pause (להשהות) before prayer, as R. Yehoshua b. Levi said, “One who prays must meditate for an hour after their Prayer.” And it is taught in the Mishna, “The ancient pious one used to pause for an hour and then pray in order to intend their hearts to the Omnipresent One.”…From this we learn to intend our hearts when we pause during ashrei.

The Or Zarua here quotes his master, Rav Yehuda of Paris, who makes the connection between the recitation of ashrei and the practice of the chasidim from the Mishna in Berachot. This link defines ashrei as the “pausing in anticipation.” This moves us away from a kind of meditative silence, and re-imagines pesukei d’zimra – represented by ashrei –  as that very preparation. 

Just as the Ba’alei ha-Tosafot reinterpreted R. Simlai’s idea of the structure of the amida and defined pesukei d’zimra as the “praise before the petition”, here too Rav Yehuda of Paris shifts the notion of שוהים (pausing in meditative preparation) to refer to pesukei d’zimra. Neither of these interpretations are necessary based on the gemarot in their context, but these early rishonim are clearly pushed to re-imagine the function of pesukei d’zimra within the structure of the siddur.

It is difficult to speculate as to why in the 12th and 13th centuries there was this desire to imbue pesukei d’zimra with these new meanings. Perhaps as the siddur was growing in length there was a need to add more depth? Maybe there are kabbalistic influences in this process that are bubbling beneath the surface? Either way, this process continues into the 14th century as well.

Rabbi Menachem ben Aharon ben Zerach (14th century, Spain), author of the book צידה לדרך, which is mostly written in parallel to the four sections of the Tur made a similar comment about the way in which we fulfill the practice of the ancient pious ones. He wrote the following brief comment on our topic:

צידה לדרך (מאמר ראשון, כלל שני, פרק שלישי, רבי מנחם בן אהרן בן זרח. 14th Century Spain)

חסידים הראשונים היו שוהין שעה אחת ומתפללין, ושעה אחת אחר התפלה ומאריכין בתפלה שעה אחת. ולכן אנו אומרים בתחלה ובסוף מזמורים.

Tzeida la’Derech (first ma’amar, second klal, third chapter)

The ancient pious ones used to wait in anticipation for one hour before prayer and then they would wait in anticipation for one hour after prayer. Therefore we say mizmorim (chapters of Psalms) at both the beginning and the end¹.

In this formulation, pesukei d’zimra is a meditative experience that builds quietly to the powerful encounter of the amida. This is a different kind of spiritual state from what we have seen until now. It feels akin to solemnity in the sense that it is likely quieter than praise or joy. One of the keys to working on your own spiritual growth through prayer is time. Arriving at shul five minutes before the start of the tefila, instead of five minutes late, can change the experience².

As we can quite clearly see there are competing approaches to the nature of pesukei d’zimra. We began with R. Simlai who saw pesukei d’zimra as the praise that precedes the petition of the amida. We have now seen two more approaches. Last week we unpacked the three beraytot of: solemnity, settled law and the joy of Mitzvah and now we have “pausing in anticipation” (שוהים). This cacophony of modes feels overwhelming. How are we meant to engage in all of these emotional states over the course of pesukei d’zimra? This question will drive our conclusion, but there are a few more steps to take before we get there.

1. The same idea appears in the ספר השלחן of רב חייא בר’ שלמה חביב מברצלונה who was a student of the Rashba in הלכות תפילה סוף שער השני it appears on עמ’ רסד ו-רסה in the edition of הרב מ”י בלוי.
2. See שערים בתפילה by Rabbi Shimshon David Picus z”l in the concluding section of his פרקי פתיחה, page 19 where he emphasizes the importance of coming a few minutes early