Simanim 51-52 Part 3 Vayivarekh David
Mishna Berura
Yeshivat Har Etzion
SHIUR
#28: Simanim 51-52, Part 3
Pages
156-160
by
Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
VAYIVAREKH
DAVID:
This passage, ending with "u-mehallelim le-shem tif'artekha," is a direct
quote from Divrei Hayamim I 29:10-13.
It was instituted as part of the morning service by the Ge'onim
(Avudraham, Tur), and is mentioned as well in the Rambam, the Rokei'ach, and the
Avudraham.
King David, after gathering his ministers and mighty men in Jerusalem,
handed over to his son Shlomo the material which he had prepared for the
construction of the Temple - the gold, the silver, and the precious stones. The attendant congregation also
volunteered to bring similar items.
At this point, David blessed the congregation, saying that all wealth and
honor belongs to God, the Supreme Ruler, and we give thanks to Him. Since this passage deals with the
greatness of God, the fact that everything is from Him and our obligation to
thank Him, it is included in Pesukei De-zimra (Tzelota De-Avraham, p. 218). [Another reason will be mentioned
below.]
According to the Smag (Positive Commandment 19), citing R. Moshe Gaon,
the importance of Vayivarekh David exceeds that of the halleluya psalms (except
that of Ashrei and "E-l be-kodsho").
This is not accepted as halakha, but the Magen Avraham (52:1) rules that
it is preferred to Hodu, as does the Mishna Berura in 52:4 (but not the Arukh
Hashulchan in 52:7).
"Viyvarkhu shem kevodekha
u-meromam al kol berakha u-tehilla.
Ata hu Hashem levadekha... kemo even be-mayim
azim."
This passage comes from Nechemia 9, from the middle of verse 5 until
verse 11. [This is nusach
Sefarad. Nusach Ashkenaz begins
with verse 6 - "Ata hu Hashem levadekha."]
Apparently, Vayivarekh David was originally said only until "le-shem
tif'artekha," with Yishtabach following immediately. Thus writes the
Rokei'ach:
"When they would reach [the
point where we nowadays say] the verse 'Viyvarkhu shem kevodekha' they would
cease and
say the berakha of Yishtabach.
But afterwards, they instituted to say the passage [Nechemia 9] 'Ata hu
Hashem levadekha' until 'be-mayim azim,' 'Va-yosha' until 'le-olam,' 'Ki
la-Hashem ha-melukha ... Ve-alu moshi'im ... ve-haya Hashem le-melekh al kol
ha-aretz,' and then the one leading the prayer gets up and says
Yishtabach."
And in fact we find in the siddur of R. Akiva Eiger only until
"u-mehallelim le-shem tif'artekha."
Regarding the reason for reciting these verses the Tur
writes:
"And the reason is because
all of the fifteen expressions of praise
which are arranged in Yishtabach were learned in the midrash from Shirat Hayam
and from those verses of Vayivarekh David."
In any case, since the recital of these verses (from "Viyvarkhu shem
kevodekha" until Shirat Hayam) is of late origin, they may be omitted in cases
of a late arrival to synagogue.
NOTE: The passage begins in mid-verse
(Nechemia 9:5). This is a source of
puzzlement to the Acharonim (the Ya'avetz even says that it should not be said,
for this very reason). The Magen
Avraham (472:8) writes in the name of the Kolbo that one need not refrain from
reciting an incomplete verse in Ketuvim, but only in Torah and Nevi'im. The Tzelota De-Avraham (p. 219) explains
in accordance with Tosafot (Sukka 38b regarding the partial verse "Ana Hashem
hoshi'a na") that since the verse is said antiphonically by two people, it is
permitted to say half of it (since one person said this
half).
Another surprising custom involves the chazan stopping after "u-matzata
levavo ne'eman lefanekha" which, too, is the middle of a verse (Likkutei
Maharich 56b calls it a minhag which is difficult to understand; see also the
Tzelota De-Avraham, pp 219-220). It
appears that the chazan should not make a substantial pause at that point,
instead continuing immediately (aloud) with "ve-kharot imo
ha-berit."
SHIRAT
HA-YAM:
In Temple times, the Levi'im sang Shirat Ha-yam as an accompaniment to
the daily afternoon offering (as indicated in Rosh Hashana 31a). After the Temple was destroyed, a
difference in custom developed between Babylonia and Israel. In Babylonia only the shortened version
of Shirat Ha-yam that is found within the berakhot of Keriat Shema ("Mi kamokha
ba-elim Hashem") was said, while in Israel the entire poem was recited (Machzor
Vitri, siman 265; Yesodot Ha-tefilla, p.136).
With the passage of time, the Babylonian community began to include
Shirat Ha-yam in their prayers on Shabbatot and holidays (R. Natronai Gaon,
Sefer Ha-itim p. 249). R. Sa'adia
Gaon writes that "there are those who follow the custom" of saying Shirat
Ha-yam, and this is indicated as well by the Rambam (Hilkhot Tefilla 5:13). The Zohar (Beshalach, 54) says that it
should be recited daily, as does the Manhig (siman 24).
It is clear that the inclusion of Shirat Ha-yam is of relatively late
origin and is not one of the "songs of Your servant David" which generally make
up Pesukei De-zimra.
Consequently, the halleluyas, Vayivarekh David (until "le-shem
tif'artekha"), and Hodu (until "ve-hallel la-Hashem") take precedence over
Shirat Ha-yam. However, Shirat
Ha-yam certainly comes before the verses from Nechemia, which were included even
later (and perhaps constitute an introduction to Shirat Ha-yam), and the
assorted verses in Hodu and Yehi Khevod.
[The Arukh Ha-shulchan, however, who has a different order of priorities
from that of the majority of Acharonim, inserts Shirat Ha-yam after the
halleluyas.]
NOTE: While the inclusion of Shirat Ha-yam is
of late origin, it nevertheless is of great importance to say it with
concentration and with joy. Writes
the Mishna Berura in the name of the Zohar (51:17): "One should say Shirat
Ha-yam with joy, imagining to himself that on that very day he crossed the
sea. And one who recites it with
joy has his transgressions forgiven."
MIZMOR SHIR CHANUKAT
HA-BAYIT LE-DAVID:
This psalm is mentioned neither in the early siddurim nor in the
Rishonim, and is apparently an addition from about three hundred years ago
(Netiv Bina p.36; Tzelota De-Avraham p. 147). It was apparently joined to the recital
of korbanot in order to convey the idea that although we are currently unable to
bring offerings, our yearning to do so is like an offering itself - just as
David, who longed to build the Temple but did not do so, nevertheless has the
Temple referred to as his ("chanukat ha-bayit le-David" - Tzelota De-Avraham
there).
[The Netiv Bina (p. 136) cites a hypothesis of R. Avraham Berliner that
the custom was originally to say this psalm only on Chanuka, but with the
passage of time the note which limited its recital to Chanuka was
lost.]
It is clear that this psalm comes last on the list of priorities for the
latecomer.
HA-SHAMAYIM MESAPPERIM KEVOD
E-L ETC.:
Some of these psalms were said daily (Beit Yosef siman 50 regarding
"Ha-shamayim mesapperim"), and some added by the Ge'onim for Shabbat. Therefore, on Shabbat the daily psalms
take precedence (in brief, the order after the weekday psalms is:
"La-menatzei'ach," "Le-David," "Tefilla le-Moshe").
Nishmat, though, as we have seen, is mentioned in the Gemara (apparently,
on weekdays we shorten it to Yishtabach), and therefore it has the same status
as Barukh She-amar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach, and may not be omitted (M.B. 52:5;
Biur Halakha 281 s.v. U-vekhol).
[However, the Yechaveh Da'at (vol. V, siman 5, in the note) writes that
it is permitted for a latecomer to skip it, and that Pesukei De-zimra take
precedence over it).
SUMMARY: LIST OF PRIORITIES
FOR A LATECOMER TO SYNAGOGUE
1) Barukh She-amar, Ashrei,
Yishtabach (and according to the Arukh Ha-shulchan, Mizmor Le-toda as well), and
on Shabbat - Nishmat;
2) Hallelu e-l
be-kodsho;
3) Hallelu et Hashem min
ha-shamayim;
4) The rest of the
halleluyas;
5) Vayivarekh David (until
"le-shem tif'artekha");
6) Hodu la-Hashem (until
"ve-hallel la-Hashem");
7) Shirat
Ha-yam.
GENERAL
POINTS:
1) Pesukei Dezimra should be
said at a tranquil pace (Shulchan Arukh 51:8). The Arukh Ha-shulchan writes: "One
should not say Pesukei De-zimra with haste but rather one word at a time. And if others are rushing and he wishes
to pray along with the congregation, it is preferable to skip than to recite
with them hastily; and regarding this it was said, 'Better a little with
concentration than much without concentration.'"
2) According to the
Kabbalists, one should not omit Pesukei De-zimra even for the sake of tefilla
be-tzibbur - prayer together with a minyan of ten - "because one who does so
overturns the [heavenly] pipelines" (see Kaf Ha-chayim siman 52). To be sure, we rule that one does skip
in order to pray with the tzibbur, but this is not a desirable solution. Therefore, it is important to arrive on
time and not have to skip (according to the Kaf Ha-chayim, if there is a later
minyan, one must wait and pray then).
3) If one has skipped and
then sees that he has extra time, the Igrot Moshe writes (OC vol. II, 16) that
the arranged order of Pesukei De-zimra is le-khat'chila - obligatory only if one
has not started yet. Be-di'avad, if
one has already started and skipped some, he may go back and complete the psalms
he missed (see what we discussed last time regarding one who did not concentrate
properly for the verse "You open Your hand" in Ashrei).
4) If the omissions will not
enable one to pray Shemoneh Esrei together with the tzibbur, they are
forbidden. What if he will not
reach Shemoneh Esrei in time but will reach chazarat ha-shatz - the
repetition? The Peri Megadim (Eshel
Avraham, end of siman 52) appears to indicate that praying with the shatz (the
cantor) is not the same as praying with the tzibbur, and this is the opinion of
the Igrot Moshe (OC III:9, though in his opinion such a tefilla is slightly
preferable to praying alone). But
the Eshel Avraham Mi-Butshatsh (siman 52) believes that chazarat ha-shatz does
count as tefilla be-tzibbur, as does the Chazon Ish (19:7) as well as the Yabia
Omer (vol. II, 7:4-6). Attempt to
determine the opinion of the Mishna Berura in 52:7.
5) The Igrot Moshe writes
(OC IV:91) that one may skip parts of Pesukei De-zimra in order to teach Torah
to pupils, or in order to get to work on time if he works for others, or, if
self-employed, when there is a possibility of loss. Of course, all this is only be-di'avad -
if one is already in such a situation, but one should take care not to find
himself in such a situation.
6) Ashkenazic women say the
berakha over Pesukei De-zimra.
However, in cases of necessity they may skip Pesukei De-zimra
altogether. See M.B. 70:2 where he
writes that the main function of Pesukei De-zimra is for the sake of Shemoneh
Esrei and thus they are obligatory for women. However, in the Sha'ar Ha-tziyun 70:4 he
notes that from the Shulchan Arukh Ha-rav it appears that women are exempt. This latter opinion is held as well by
the Arukh Ha-shulchan 70:1, and therefore in cases of necessity they may skip
it.
Sefardic women, according to the Yabi'a Omer (vol. II, 6; and in Yechaveh
Da'at vol. III, 3), should not say Barukh She-amar and Yishtabach with "shem and
malkhut" - i.e., the mention of God's name and kingship inherent in the words
"Hashem ... Melekh ha-olam."
However, the Tzitz Eliezer (IX, 2) permits them to say the berakhot in
their entirety, as does R. Ben Tzion Abba Sha'ul (cited in Halikhot Bat Yisrael,
chapter 2, notes 22 and 26).
7) R. Natronai Gaon (cited
in the Tur) writes that Pesukei De-zimra may not be said after tefilla. The Beit Yosef undertsands this to refer
only to the berakhot of Barukh She-amar and Yishtabach; the psalms themselves,
however, may be said after tefilla, and would that one recite them all day
long. And thus he rules in the
Shulchan Arukh, siman 52. However,
the Arukh Ha-shulchan (52:5) believes that R. Natronai Gaon (who was discussing
one who said the "short version" of Pesukei De-zimra - Barukh She-amar, Ashrei,
and Yishtabach) did indeed mean that the psalms may not be said after tefilla,
because they were instituted to be said specifically
beforehand.
In practice, see M.B. 52:9 who rules that they should be said after
tefilla. It should be noted,
however, that in this case it is perhaps advisable, as a matter of public
policy, to rule like the Arukh Ha-shulchan, for otherwise there is a general
tendency to arrive late and skip parts of the service
regularly.
(This
shiur was translated by Pnina Baumgarten.)