We have seen two  different general approaches. The first, based on the gemara in Shabbat 118b (R. Yosi), views pesukei d’zimra as a daily Hallel to thank God for the existence of nature. The second approach, based on the Mishna in Berachot 31a (R. Simlai and the beraytot), views pesukei d’zimra as preparation for the amida. There are three modes that the rishonim teased out of the gemara: 

1. praise before petition; 
2. solemnity, settled law, and the joy of Mitzvah; 
3. waiting in anticipation.

These three ideas plus Hallel do not easily sit in the same moment. How are we meant to bring all of these attitudes into one portion of tefila? Pesukei d’zimra appears to be a kind of emotional and spiritual roller coaster. Allow me to offer a brief insight at this stage, to which we will return in our concluding essay.

The Bach explained the relationship between R. Yosi (Hallel) and Preparing the Amida as follows:

ב”ח אורח חיים סימן נא:א, ונתקנה ברכה זו וכו’. 

נראה דמהך דכל כתבי ודפרק קמא דברכות לא היה נשמע אלא קבול שכר גדול לעולם הבא באמירת מזמורים אלו בכל יום. אבל שיהא חייב לאמרם לא שמענו. וכיון שלא היה חייב אין ראוי לתקן ברכה. אבל מהך דרבי שמלאי בפרק אין עומדין (דף ל”ב א) שמענו דחייב אדם לסדר שבחו של מקום ואחר כך יתפלל שמונה עשרה 

Bach, Orach Chayyim, Simman 51:1

And it appears that from the [statements] in Shabbat 118b (R. Yose – Hallel) and Berachot 4b (regarding the importance of ashrei) we would have only understood that the daily recitation of pesukei d’zimra comes with great reward in the world to come. However, we would not have extrapolated the idea that a person is obligated to recite pesukei d’zimra. And since it would not have been considered an obligation, it would not have been appropriate to establish a blessing (before and after). On the other hand, from the statement of R. Simlai in Berachot 32a (pesukei d’zimra as a daily hallel) we learn that the individual is indeed obligated to first clarify their praise of the Omnipresent one and only afterwards stand in the prayer of amida.

Here the Bach makes it clear that there are two different ideas embedded in pesukei d’zimra: 1) The obligation to prepare the Amida (R. Simlai and the beraytot in Berachot), and 2) The opportunity to praise God for the daily miracles of nature (R. Yosi in Shabbat 118b). If the Amida is primarily understood as petition, then that encounter demands the appropriate obligatory preparation.  

However, even prior to that obligation is a world-view. R. Yosi’s, “יהא חלקי עם גומרי הלל בכל יום – May my portion be among those who complete the Hallel every day” does not give us detailed instructions for what this looks like, but rather aspires to walk in the world in a certain manner. To occupy the gift of God’s creation and understand that there is something outside of myself that is greater than me and gives my life direction. R. Yosi did not articulate a technical requirement before which a blessing can or should be recited, but instead modeled for each of us a way of being.

Here we can begin to feel that pesukei d’zimra is meant to be more than a hodgepodge of Biblical verses sewn together over centuries, but rather an instruction manual for cultivating a certain kind of personality. Learning to be thankful for the simple gifts of nature is a lifelong endeavor that takes practice and ritual. R. Yosi was not “aspiring” to simply recite Biblical words, verses and chapters but rather was helping us to imagine that the recitation of these passages might be able to help us live with an attitude of gratitude.  

An Independent Unit – Rav Sa’adia Goan

Let us now shift to an entirely different approach to pesukei d’zimra and we will try to bring this all together in a few weeks. The final three positions that we will present understand pesukei d’zimra as an independent unit of tefila with its own unique goals. First we will see Rav Saadia’s approach, which appears to be echoed in the Rambam. And then we will see a short excerpt from the Zohar. Then we will take a look at a selection of the Sha’ari Orah. 

We mentioned above a short section from Rav Amram Gaon, who represents the earliest attempt to codify the siddur. The next Gaonic siddur was compiled by Rav Saadia Gaon (d. 942, Baghdad). The influence of Rav Amram’s and Rav Saadia’s siddurim can not be overstated. Here, Rav Saadia offers a short insight both into the nature of pesukei d’zimra as well as how it was established:

סידור רב סעדיא גאון

והתנדבה אומתנו לקרוא מזמורים מספר תשבחות הקב״ה ולפניהם ואחריהם שתי ברכות. ותיקנה לעשות כך אחרי שהמאמין מברך על כל המקרים הקורים אותו מראשית יקיצתו עד זמן התפלה.‏ ‏

Siddur Rav Saadia Gaon

Our nation volunteered to read mizmorim (chapters) from the book of praise of the Holy Blessed One (Psalms) – and before and after, two blessings. And it was established to do so because the believer must bless [God] for all the events that occur to him, from the moment he awakes until he begins to pray.

In this formulation, pesukei d’zimra is more properly seen as a continuation of birkot ha-shachar and not as an introduction to the amida. It seems here to carry forward the general themes of thanking God for basic, natural realities, which is the idea behind the morning blessings. At some level, pesukei d’zimra is seen here as a statement of faith that God is part of the world or nature. This may echo the general idea of Hallel being recited for nature (as opposed to the Hallel of miracles recited on chag).

Rav Saadia also appears to describe two stages, “והתנדבה…ותיקנה – Volunteered…Established.” One gets the sense that pesukei d/zimra began as a natural response to the world that people just began expressing the thanks of the Psalms. After that happened, the Rabbis then “established” a set of requirements verses and chapters as well as berachot before and after.

Rambam

The way that the Rambam codifies this question is quite fascinating. He wrote:

רמב״ם הלכות תפילה פרק ז הלכה יב 

וְשִׁבְּחוּ חֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים לְמִי שֶׁקּוֹרֶא זְמִירוֹת מִסֵּפֶר תִּלִּים בְּכָל יוֹם…וּכְבָר נָהֲגוּ הָעָם לִקְרוֹת פְּסוּקִים לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם וְתִקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים בְּרָכָה לִפְנֵי הַזְּמִירוֹת וְהִיא בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָמַר וּבְרָכָה לְאַחֲרֵיהֶן וְהִיא יִשְׁתַּבַּח

Rambam, Hilkhot Tefila, Chapter 7:12

And the original chachamim praised one who read zemirot from the book of Tehilim every day…And the nation has already practiced reading verses before and after. And the chachamim established a blessing before the zemirot and that is baruch she-amar, and a blessing after their recitation and that is yishtabach.

What Rambam shares with Rav Saadia is what he does NOT say. He makes no mention of preparation for the amida. He brings the idea of the Rif that there are berachot before and after the recitation of chapters of Psalms but gives no explicit reason for this takana. He also here reflects the non-obligatory nature of the founding of pesukei d’zimra: “The Rabbis praise…And the nation already practiced”.

In Rav Saadia and the Rambam we can hear echoes of R. Yosi from Shabbat 118b (Hallel) but almost nothing of R. Simlai and the beraytot in Berachot (preparing for the Amida). Pesukei d’Zimra is presented as a ground up religious phenomenon that only subsequently gained Rabbinic approval. As opposed to the Bach’s formulation that sought to move back the obligatory nature of this section, Rav Saadia and the Rambam leave room for an origin that is more flexible.

As we move forward, we will try to understand that flexibility and how that might be a model for religious exploration and growth. Next week – the Zohar!