Hallel Psalms 113-118

A Full Hallel consists of Psalms 113-118. Hallel is recited after the Amidah in Shacharit and after Birkat Hamazon during the Pesach Seder. It is said each day during Sukkot, on Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Hallel is said on Shavuot, during Pesach, and on the eight days of Chanukah.

I know there are some rules for Hallel but will have to look them up. I intend just some creative writing below.

As a writer my instinct is that these psalms were composed separately. There are of course major themes of redemption, faith, and praise running through them. A couple psalms evidence very similar phrases but beyond that I don't perceive why they were selected as a group. Perhaps I will learn of some liturgical reason in the future.


Psalm 113
The first three verses each specifically enjoin us to 'praise the name of the L*rd", "Blessed be the name forever", and "from the sunrise to sunset the L*rd's name is to be praised."

Calling to mind from the liturgy "God reigns; God has reigned; God will reign forever and ever." which I understand is a three-fold name repeating tetragramaton.
Therefore, it is appropriate to approach with great humility, praise, and joy to the highest court. One should embrace Hallel and let go of all awareness of self except enthusiasm mixed with great humility.

Verses 4-9 ask in various ways "Who is like unto the L*rd Our G*d" (5). "Mi Kamocha Elohenu?"

Who raises up the poor and sets them with princes? Who makes the barren woman a mother? Whose glory surpasses all?

The answer is only "Praised him!"

Psalms 114
The power of our imagination is great. "The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like sheep" (4) "The Sea saw it and fled."

These images are of the idea of the L*rd dwelling in his temple "Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion" (G*d's dominion is unlimited.)

The psalmist taunts the Sea and the Mountains, "What aileth thee?" then proclaims "Tremble Earth, at the presence of the L*rd, at the presence of the G*d of Yaakov!"

The sea (in this case the Jordan River) and the mountains humble man, how beautiful to realize they are humble before their creator. The effect of the psalm then is to project humility upon us through a microcosm.

I believe that all which exists is G*d's being differentiated or rather 'instantiated' in objects that are specific forms of G*d’s being. All are dependent and one with their source. G*d not only defines but animates the universe.

Thanks be to G*d for preventing too much understanding of such metaphysics least I destroy myself. (One must be as careful with ideas of creation as a nuclear scientist is with plutonium.)


Psalms 115
This psalm is like a sermon. It begins with a beautiful verse "Not unto us, O L*RD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake." Then it dives into six verses excoriating idolatry followed by three that put a fine point on G*d's superiority. Then building to a crescendo we are told of his care and covenant.

Of idols we are told "They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; they have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they with their throat. They that make them shall be like unto them; yea, every one that trusteth in them."

"They that make them shall be like unto them" Indeed! The world is full of the spiritual blind, deaf, and lame. Without faith in G*d, man can only function by creating idols. Idols are like ideas. Our ideas are not our souls. Look at the ideas by which man governs himself, see how they pass like fashions, how they are overthrown by new idols.

Ambition is the greatest idol today. Not only our future but our ideas of self can become idols. We make idols of others and they constantly disappoint us.
This capacity to put holiness in objects is a debasement of our true purpose to bring it holiness into the world.
The heart rejoices in holiness but it is the source of holiness that must be praised and it cannot be limited by objects. Nor again should our self worth be placed in material things; all of which decay.

The psalmist gives us the answer in three verses "Trust the L*rd".

"O Israel, trust thou in the L*RD! He is their help and their shield!" (9)
"O house of Aaron, trust ye in the L*RD! He is their help and their shield!" (10)
"Ye that fear the L*RD, trust in the L*RD! He is their help and their shield." (11)

"Trust me, Trust me, Trust me." That is hard to do yet none of us can say why. If you tell someone who is at rock bottom that life has its ups and downs you are right but foolish. If you tell someone who looks at the misery and darkness in the world to look on the bright side you are well meaning but asinine.

The psalmist seems to recognize this shrewdness in people for he goes on to remind them of why they should trust. "The L*rd is mindful of us, he will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron.") (12) "The L*rd will increase you and your children" (14)

Then frankly the psalm loses focus. It is almost like someone objected to the sermon and it was hastily amended. Line seventeen seems to come out of nowhere it reads "The dead praise not the L*rd, neither any that go down into silence."

Is this tough love? Pray now because life is short?
Perhaps but the last line "But we will bless the L*rd forever." seems to contradict the idea that "the dead praise not the L*rd" The poet may very well have meant that we don't really live except when we live for G*d, that we never die in our children or in G*d. These are all very essential ideas.

I would add that I am not prepared to treat on death. I put my trust in the L*rd. I give myself utterly to him. I do not believe what others do about death. Yet I pray that all of us find peace in G*d.

Psalm 116
These verses are full of truth and praise of G*d but they overrun themselves with enthusiasm. They feel like a full heart improvising a prayer. They plead with us to feel their passion.

"I love that the L*RD should hear my voice and my supplications" (1) The psalmist pledges to "Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, I will call upon him all my days." (2)

Amen!

Yet, something bothers me. In many of the psalms I find this "I believe because..." formulation. Verse twelve actually voices the issue "How can I repay unto the L*RD all His bountiful dealings toward me?"

Therein is the problem, what of times when we don't easily perceive justice? Will we not feel we are "owed" something (Especially if we are righteous yet still suffer.) Don't people stop calling on G*d and praising him when they feel he doesn't hear.

Seek what you want for yourself which is unconditional love. I believe that the greatest justice for creation often requires injustice to individuals.

The subject is of the greatest importance because upon this one point the faith of billions is undermined. They don't believe in G*d because they suffer and they see great evil in the world.

This is the human experience. Contemplating it, I can't help but wonder if how we react to it defines us. I can never let go of my feelings of contempt and anger. I struggle with them. I am able to imagine and have faith in something greater than myself, in something more important than humanity. I can believe that all the disease and pain, even the atrocities man does to man have a purpose. Yet I understand those who see no evidence of this. For me it is as simple as thinking, "30 lives lost to save 31 lives." What if all the suffering of human kind allows the complete harmony of the rest of creation?

Yet that isn't enough. From BESHT and others I have come to the conclusion that evil is potential good. That we exist to right wrongs. That we make goodness by addressing evil without which we have no purpose.
Therefore, the proper reaction to the suffering and evil in the world is how good is created.

To react to the evil in the world with apathy and despair is to ground out the light/holiness G*d invests in the world. This reflected energy is what perpetuates life; it is the pulse of creation. We strangle it with our lack of faith. Our pride that we are the measure of justice, the reason for creation, cuts us off from spiritual nourishment. This has made the world nightmarish.

Instead I believe that "Gracious is the L*RD, and righteous; yea, our God is compassionate." (5)

I cannot explain the darkness in the world. but I know that "I was brought low, and He saved me." (6)

With the psalmist I can testify that "Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling." (8)

And I pray that "I shall walk before the L*RD in the lands of the living." (9)

Amen!

The next part of the text is frustrating. The poet seems to repent having said "All men are liars." (11) then promises to "Vow to the L*rd" (14) He then adds
"Precious in the sight of the L*RD is the death of His saints." (15)

It is not clear to me what the intention was of these verses. The last two lines 18 and 19 repeat this idea "I will pay my vows unto the L*RD, yea, in the presence of all His people. In the courts of the L*rd's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem."

This must refer to the specific iniquity from which the L*rd delivered the psalmist. Regardless of the situation and avoiding speculation verses 16 and 17 express a commitment to G*d.

".. I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the L*RD."

Blessed is the L*rd and forever may his name be blessed.


Psalms 117
There are only two verses that make up psalm 117. The first is consists of two reinforcing commands. "Praise the L*rd, all ye nations" and "Laud him, all ye peoples." The second verse continues "For his mercy toward us is great and the Truth of the L*rd endures forever."

No doubt this is a little masterpiece, yet something about the second line bothers me. Perhaps it is just that it is impossible to give all the reasons to praise G*d in a single sentence.


Psalm 118
The first line and the final line of Psalm 118 are the same: "Give thanks unto the L*RD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever."

Three lines follow with a pattern, "So let Israel now say..", "so let the house of Aaron now say...", and "So let them now that fear the L*rd say,..." Each ends with "Ci l'olam Chasdo" (His mercy endures forever. which of course is also the refrain in Psalm 136 and elsewhere.)

What follows is no longer a proclamation to the nations but an individual testifying and taking comfort in what G*d has done for him. With great beauty, the psalmist pledges his live to thankfulness and praise of G*d. This is the individual executing the call set forth in the first verses of the psalm.

Lines 6-12 have an odd form. I imagine it is musical but I don't recall having ever sung this aloud. There are two stanzas that being "The L*rd is for me [because]", then two that begin "It is better to take refuge in the L*rd [than]." This if followed by three verses that begin "They [various] compass about me... in the name of the L*rd I will cut them off."

"Cutting them off in the name" is an interesting expression. I never noted it before. "They compass about me like bees." This is also I think in another psalm. It is a vivid image.

I find the words increasingly moving as they continue somewhat haphazardly through the rest of the verses.
The next six lines sound very much like a soldiers prayer. The psalmist is attacked and chastised. He is in fear of death but the "right hand of the L*rd is valiant" (16)

In consequence of being delivered from death, the psalmist commits utterly to righteousness (Tzadikim). He does so not in one but in three verses.

19 "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the L*RD.
20 This is the gate of the L*rd; the righteous shall enter into it.
21 I will give thanks unto Thee, for Thou hast answered me, and art become my salvation.

Each of these is unadorned but two of the most beautiful lines ever written follow.

"The stone which the builders rejected is become the corner-stone." (22) and "This is the day which the L*RD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (24)

This is also my story. Oh G*d how I thank you! Oh G*d I praise your mercy with all my heart. Help me to 'rejoice' for I am weary still and fear. I will trust in you. I am committed to righteousness. Let my prayer join that of the psalmist, “We beseech Thee, O L*RD, save [the world] now! We beseech Thee, L*RD, make us now to prosper!" (25) "Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee." (28)

Halleluyah. Amen.