Hallel
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| Psalms • תהילים (Tehilim) |
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Psalm 23 • Psalm 51 • Psalm 67 |
| Complete Psalms 1–150 |
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King James version |
Hallel (Hebrew: הלל "Praise [God]") is part of Judaism's prayers, a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays.
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[edit] Hallel and the Jewish holy days
Hallel consists of six Psalms (113-118), which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions. It is usually chanted aloud as part of Shacharit (the morning prayer service) following the Shacharit's Shemoneh Esreh ("The Eighteen", the main prayer). It is also recited during the evening prayers the first night of Passover, except by Lithuanian and German Jews.
These occasions include the following: The three "major" Jewish holidays: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot (the "major" Jewish holy days, mentioned in the Torah) and Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh (beginnings of the new month). Many Jewish communities, especially those that identify with religious Zionism, recite Hallel on Yom Ha'atzma'ut (the Israeli independence day).
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hallel is not said at all, because as the Talmud states (Arachin 10b): "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?"
Pesach, like Sukkot, has the structure of "main holiday", followed by "Intermediate Days" (Chol ha-Moed), followed by "main holiday". Since Passover involved only a partial redemption of the Jews and the destruction of Egypt, only "Half" (or Partial) Hallel is recited on all of the last six days of Pesach. Full Hallel is recited for the entirety of Sukkot.
Partial Hallel is recited on Rosh Chodesh, because it was introduced at a much later time than the major holidays and because we have Rosh Chodesh every month and the other holidays are only once a year.
No Hallel, neither "Full" nor "Partial", is recited on Purim, despite the fact that there was a miraculous salvation, for several reasons:
- The miracle did not occur in the Land of Israel and, for "minor" holidays, only those occurring in Israel merit the recitation of Hallel.
- Even after the Miracle of Purim, the Jews remained subjects of the Persian Empire, whereas on Hanukkah, as a result of the victory of Judah Maccabee, the Jews regained their independence from Seleucid King of ancient Syria.
- Reading the Megilla (Book of Esther) is a substitute for Hallel.
[edit] Forms
Hallel is said in one of two forms: Full Hallel and Partial Hallel.
[edit] Full Hallel
Full Hallel (or הלל שלם Hallel Shalem in Hebrew Complete Hallel) consists of all six Psalms of the Hallel, in their entirety. It is a Jewish prayer recited on all nine days of Sukkot (including the "eighth" and "ninth" days, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah), on Shavuot, on the first two days of Pesach, and on the eight days of Hanukkah.
Full Hallel consists of: Psalm 113,Psalm 114.Psalm 115:1-11,12-18,Psalm 116:1-11,12-19,Psalm 117,Psalm 118.
[edit] Partial Hallel
Chatzi Hallel (חצי הלל Half Hallel or Partial Hallel) ("chatzi is "half" in Hebrew) is a Jewish prayer that does not include parts of the "Full Hallel": verses 1-11 of Psalm 115, nor those verses from Psalm 116. It is recited on the last six days of Pesach and on Rosh Chodesh.
[edit] Etymology
The Proto-Sinaitic and Proto-Canaanite letters h are reconstructed to have been called hillul "jubilation", and were based on the hieroglyph
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It was replaced by the predecessor of the Hebrew letter He ה (see there).
[edit] See also
