Hallel
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Hallel (Hebrew: הַלֵּל, 'Praise') is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113–118 which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving.
Types
Full Hallel
Full Hallel (Hebrew: הלל שלם, romanized: Hallel shalem, lit. 'complete Hallel') consists of all six Psalms of the Hallel, in their entirety. It is a Jewish prayer recited on the first two nights and days of Pesach (only the first night and day in Israel), on Shavuot, all seven days of Sukkot, on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, and on the eight days of Hanukkah. The sages have provided a "siman" (a way to remember) the days when full Hallel is recited. It is called "BeBeTaCh".[1]
A blessing is recited at the beginning and end of Full Hallel.
Partial Hallel
Partial Hallel (Hebrew: חצי הלל, romanized: chatzi Hallel, lit. 'half Hallel') omits parts of the Full Hallel: The first 11 verses of both Psalms 115 and 116 are omitted. In Yemenite Jewish custom, additional passages are omitted: Psalm 117, and Psalm 118:1–4.[2]
Partial Hallel is recited on the last six days of Pesach and on
While Ashkenazi Jews recite a blessing at the beginning and end of Partial Hallel, some Sephardic Jews do not, particularly if the blessing they recite at the beginning of Full Hallel is ligmor et hahallel (to complete the Hallel) instead of likro et hahallel (to read the Hallel) as recited by Ashkenazi Jews.
Occasions
Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which are recited as a unit, on joyous occasions [6] including the each day of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot), as well as at Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh.
On all these occasions, Hallel is recited as part of the morning
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hallel is not said at all, because as the Talmud states: "Is it seemly for the king to be sitting on His Throne of Judgment, with the Books of Life and Death open before Him, and for the people to sing joyful praises to Him?"[9]
No Hallel is recited on Purim, despite the fact that there was a miraculous salvation. The Talmud suggests three reasons for this:[10]
- The miracle did not occur in the Land of Israel and, for "lesser" holidays, only those occurring in Israel merit the recitation of Hallel.
- The redemption was not complete: after the Miracle of Purim, Jews remained subjects of the Achaemenid Empire (whereas on Hanukkah, Jews gained their independence from the Seleucid Empire).
- Reading the Book of Esther is considered a form of Hallel.
Partial Hallel is recited on the last six days of Passover, and on Rosh Chodesh. On all other occasions when Hallel is recited, the text is the full Hallel.
Many Jewish communities, especially those which identify with religious Zionism, recite Hallel on Israeli Independence Day and some also recite it on Jerusalem Day. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel instructs Jews to recite Hallel during Israeli Independence Day.[11]
Other Hallel sequences
The name "Hallel" is normally applied to Psalms 113–118. For greater specificity this is sometimes called the Egyptian Hallel (Hallel Miẓri).[12] This name is due to its mention of the Exodus from Egypt in Psalms 114:1.[13]
Great Hallel
The term Great Hallel (Hallel HaGadol) is used to refer to Psalm 136; according to other opinions in the Talmud, Great Hallel refers to either Psalms 135–136 or 134–136.[13] Each verse of Psalm 136 concludes with the refrain "for his mercy endures forever" and it contains mention of twenty-six acts of Divine kindness and sustenance for the world.[14] It is recited at the Passover Seder after the standard Hallel is completed. It is also said in the expanded pǝsûqê ḏǝzimrāʾ on the morning of Shabbat and festivals. In the Talmudic era, if rain fell on the morning of a fast day that was declared in response to a drought, this was seen as a sign of Divine favor, in which case "the Great Hallel" was added in the afternoon prayers.[15] There is mention in some references that this Psalm may also be used antiphonally in Temple worship.[16]
Psalm 136 was most probably used antiphonally in Temple worship. In Jewish liturgy, the Great Hallel is recited at the Passover Seder after the Lesser Hallel. All through the refrain is a repeated reference to the Lord's steadfast love (see Hosea 2:19). This psalm is a hymn that opens with a call to praise God because of God's great deeds in nature and God's gracious historical actions in the history of Israel. It continues expressing God's mercy toward all and ends with another call to praise God.[17]
Pesukei Dezimra
Pesukei dezimra is also described by the Talmud as a kind of Hallel.[18]
Musical settings
In the Jewish tradition, there are well established and various melodies for the singing of Hallel. Some of the psalms are sung while others are recited silently or under the breath.
In the classical tradition, psalms from the Hallel have been set to music many times, notably:
- Psalm 113
- Psalm 114
- Mendelssohn
- Psalm 115
- Johann Sebastian Bach in Cantata BWV 196, Der Herr denket an uns, using verses 12–15
- Psalm 117
- Psalm 118
American composer and conductor Michael Isaacson has composed a full Hallel for SATB chorus, entitled An American Hallel, with interpolations of expressions of praise and gratitude by past and present Americans. It was premiered by the Carolina Master Chorale under the directorship of Tim Koch in the autumn of 2009.
Composer/performer Sam Glaser has also set the Psalms on his CD Hallel.
New Testament
The New Testament accounts of the Last Supper state that Jesus and his disciples "sang a psalm" or "hymn" after the meal before leaving for the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26), which may have been the Hallel. The Last Supper is popularly considered to have been a celebration of the Passover,[19] although this is controversial among scholars.[20] Jesus, like any other literate Jew in the first century, may well have known how to chant the Psalms in Hebrew, especially the famous Hallel psalms which were an integral part of the Passover.[21]
See also
References
- ^ Liadi, Zalman Siddur, "Seder Hallel"
- ^ See Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Megillah 3:8
- ^ Taanit 28b
- ^ a b Arachin 10a
- ^ הלל שלם וחצי הלל
- ^ "Hallel - "Praise of G-d"". Orthodox Union. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
- ^ Pesachim 116b
- ^ Shmuel Safrai and Ze'ev Safrai, Haggadah of the Sages (trans. Miriam Schlüsselberg; Jerusalem: Carta, 2009), 212. According to the Tosefta (Pes. 10:9[6])
- ^ Arachin 10b
- ^ Megillah 14a
- ^ "The Religious Status of Yom Ha'atzmaut". Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "Hallel". Encyclopaedia Judaica. The Gale Group. 2008. Archived from the original on 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ a b "הלל המצרי והלל הגדול בליל הסדר | בית המדרש | שיעורי תורה". אתר ישיבה. Archived from the original on 2020-04-11. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ e.g., Berachot 4b, Pesachim 118a
- ^ Taanit 19a
- ^ Ryrie Study Bible-page 955
- ^ Ryrie Study Bible page 955
- ^ "Shabbat 118b:5". www.sefaria.org. Archived from the original on 2020-01-12. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ^ Ross, Philip S. "Anthems for a Dying Lamb". Christian Focus. pp. 5–10. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- ^ Klawans, Jonathan (April 7, 2020). "Was Jesus' Last Supper a Seder". Biblical Archeology Society. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Pitre, Brant (April 9, 2009). "What Did Jesus Sing at the Last Supper?". thesacredpage.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
Further reading
- Cup of Salvation: A Powerful Journey Through King David's Psalms of Praise by ISBN 978-9652299352
- Anthems for a Dying Lamb: How Six Psalms (113-118) Became a Songbook for the Last Supper and the Age to Come by Philip S. Ross (Fearn, ISBN 9781527100879
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 855. .
- The Open Siddur Project: Hallel
- Sefaria.org: Hallel
- Hallel public domain audiobook at LibriVox