PESUKEI DEZIMRA / VERSES OF PRAISE This section of the prayers is based on the Talmudic teaching (Berakhot 32a) that “The pious men of old used to wait for an hour [before praying], they prayed for an hour, and then waited again for an hour.” Prayer requires mental preparation beforehand, as well as a gradual leave-taking afterward. It is impossible to move directly from worldly concerns to the intense con-centration required for genuine prayer, and vice versa. The verse cited in support of this practice is “Happy are they that dwell in Your House” (Psalm 84:5), and this verse occupies a prominent place at the heart of the Verses of Praise. In addition to the six psalms said on weekdays, nine extra psalms are added on Shabbat and Yom Tov.

מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּת הַבַּֽיִת A song for the dedication of the House: According to Rashi, David wrote this psalm to be sung at the inauguration of the Temple, though he knew it would only take place in the lifetime of his son, Solomon. The psalm first entered the siddur as a prayer to be said on Ḥanukka, and was later adopted as part of the daily prayers. Its content is beautifully suited to be a bridge between the Morning Blessings and the Pesukei DeZimra. The connecting theme is the restoration of life as a reason for giving praise. The Psalmist recounts a crisis when his life, hitherto secure, was suddenly in danger. It was then that he prayed to God, “What gain would there be if I died and went down to the grave?…Can dust thank You?” So we, waking to the life of a new day, express our sense of joy, “so that my soul may sing to You and not be silent.”

MOURNER’S KADDISH The paradox has long been noted that the mourner’s Kaddish contains no mention of death, bereavement or grief. In Judaism, we emerge from the pain of loss by re-immersing ourselves in life – and thus in God, the source of all life. The most profound gift we can bring to the memory of one we have lost is to be a source of blessing to the deceased by the good deeds we do in his or her name. When we say Kaddish, we are the cause of the congregation saying, in response, “May His great name be blessed for ever and all time.” This, according to the Talmud, brings great pleasure to God. By causing the congregation to praise God, we show that the recollection of the person we have lost moves us to good deeds – and thus that their memory continues to be a blessing.