Siman 52

And a great question must be asked: On what basis did they establish the Song of the Sea in Pesukei D'Zimra after the Psalms? For the Torah precedes the Prophets, and certainly the Writings, as we say at the end of Rosh Hashanah regarding the verses of "Malchuyot," "Zichronot," and "Shofrot." And perhaps it is because of this that the Rambam wrote in the seventh chapter of Tefillah, law 13, that we recite the Song of the Sea after "Yishtabach," and he wrote similarly at the end in the liturgy of the prayer, see there. And in explanation of his words, it can be said that the Song of the Sea is not part of Pesukei D'Zimra at all, but rather they established it before the blessing of "Yotzer Or" for some hidden reason known to them. But according to our custom, it is difficult. And I found that the Zohar in Parshat "Terumah" (page 131b) raised this difficulty, and this is its wording: Then the praise of the Song of the Sea... and if you say... why is it in the later arrangement after the praise of David? For the Written Torah... and it precedes the Writings...? Rather, from within... and this praise is superior..., and because of this it is adjacent to the prayer of sitting... Thus far its words. Meaning: That on the contrary, because of its great stature, they placed it adjacent to the Shema and its blessings, which is called in the language of the Zohar "the prayer of sitting," as I wrote in the previous siman at the end of section 8, see there.

The essence of Pesukei D'Zimra, according to Rashi in Shabbat (118b), are two psalms: "Hallelu et Hashem min hashamayim" and "Hallelu El bekodsho," see there. This is the opinion of the SeMaG and the Hagahot Maimoniyot. There are those who wrote that the essence is only the final psalm, "Hallelu El bekodsho," and this is the opinion of Rav Natronai that the Tur cited. The Rif and the Rambam wrote from "Tehillah l'David" until "Kol hanshamah," and it implies that according to them they are all equal. Nevertheless, one could say that they also admit that in a situation where it is impossible to say all of them, as will be explained, some of them take precedence over others.

This is the wording of our teacher, the Beit Yosef: If one comes to the beit knesset and finds the congregation at the end of Pesukei D'Zimrah, he says: "Baruch She'amar" until "Mehulal Batishbachot," and afterwards "Tehillah L'David" until "Me'atah V'ad Olam Halleluyah," and afterwards "Hallelu et Hashem min hashamayim" until "Livnei Yisrael am kerovo Halleluyah," and afterwards "Hallelu El bekodsho" until "Kol hanshamah...", and afterwards "Yishtabach," and afterwards "Yotzer" and Kriat Shema and its blessings, and he shall pray with the congregation. And if there is not sufficient time for this – he should also skip the psalm "Hallelu et Hashem min hashamayim." And if the congregation has already begun "Yotzer" and there is no time to say Pesukei D'Zimrah even with skipping – he should recite Kriat Shema and its blessings with the congregation and pray with them, and afterwards he should recite all of Pesukei D'Zimrah without the blessing before them and without the one after them. Thus far his words. This is because these blessings were only instituted before the prayer, in order to arrange the praise of the Omnipresent and afterwards pray, as I wrote at the beginning of siman 51. But once he has already prayed – there is no place to bless over the praise.

From this it has become clear how great is the power of prayer in a minyan: for not only do they shorten the songs and praises of pesukei d'zimra, but they even cancel them entirely, for anything without a berakhah is nothing. And that which he wrote, that afterward one should read all of pesukei d'zimra—it is not an obligation, for Rav Natronai Gaon, whom the Tur cited in his name, wrote that one should not read them afterward at all. Rather, our teacher, the Beit Yosef, in his great work wrote that certainly his intention was with a berakhah, for without a berakhah, would that one should say them all day long, see there. Consequently, he did not speak of an obligation, but rather like the reading of mere psalms. And according to this, even one who shortens pesukei d'zimra, as has been explained above—may say them after the prayer like the reading of mere psalms.

However, the words of our teacher, the Beit Yosef, are puzzling: for how is it possible to say that the Gaon's intention was regarding the blessings? For he is dealing with one who recited "Baruch She'amar" and "Yishtabach," only that he abbreviated the Pesukei D'zimra. And regarding this he wrote: and he should not say them after the prayer at all, as is explained in the Tur—behold, his intention is not regarding the blessings, for he already recited them, but rather his intention is regarding the psalms themselves, that he should not read them after the prayer, because they were only instituted before the prayer. And so I saw one who ruled: that even if he began from "Yotzer Or" and did not say Pesukei D'zimra at all before the prayer—he should not say them afterward even without blessings. And all the more so if he recited "Baruch She'amar" and "Yishtabach" and abbreviated the Pesukei D'zimra—that he should not complete them after the prayer at all (Bach), for after the prayer it is not appropriate to say songs. And it is true that in the name of our teacher Yonah, the Tur brought that if he did not say Pesukei D'zimra at all—he should say them after the prayer with their blessings, with "Baruch She'amar" and "Yishtabach" just as before the prayer, see there. However, we do not hold accordingly. And there are those who wish to distinguish between one who did not say them at all, in which case he says them with their blessings after the prayer, and one who said some of them with their blessings, in which case he does not complete them after the prayer at all even without blessings (Agur, and according to the Perishah this is also the opinion of the Tur, see there). But these words have already been rejected (as the Beit Yosef and the Bach wrote). And for the halachic ruling, it appears that "sit and do not act" is preferable. And especially since there are those who say that it is a great prohibition to say them after the prayer, as several of the Rishonim wrote. (See the Bach who wrote this in the name of the Semag and the Ramban and Likkutei Pardes, see there. And so appears to be the opinion of the sages of the Kabbalah. Examine and you will find it simple.)

And behold, it has already been explained that one should say "Baruch She'amar," and the two Halleluyot, and "Tehillah LeDavid," and "Yishtabach." And if time is short, he should say only the final "Halleluya." And our teacher, the Rema, wrote that if there is no time even for this, he should say only "Baruch She'amar," "Ashrei," and "Yishtabach," see there. For in a time of pressing need, one fulfills the obligation of Pesukei D'Zimra with "Ashrei" alone. And so it is in the Tur in the name of Rav Amram Gaon, see there. And they did not mention "Mizmor LeTodah" at all. However, our custom is to say it, for the issue of time does not apply to this, as one says it in a few moments. And likewise, the psalm "Hallelu El BeKodsho" is said because it is short, and it is not relevant to say regarding it "and there is no time for this."

And if there is still ample time—he should say all the Halleluyot. And if there is still time—he should say Shirat HaYam as well. And if there is still time—he should say also "Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen." And if there is still time—he should say also "Vayivarech David." And if there is still time—he should say from "Hodu" until "Romemu," and skip and begin from "Ashrei." And the words of our teacher, the Rema, who wrote: And if he has more time he should say "Hodu l'Hashem kiru" until "Vehu Rachum," and skip until "Vehu Rachum" that is before Ashrei, for in between they are only collected verses, thus far his words—his intention is not that if he has more time than for the two Halleluyot, for according to this "Hodu" would precede the rest of the Halleluyot, and it is impossible to say so. Rather, his intention is: and if he has more time after he says all the Halleluyot (Magen Avraham). And his wording is difficult, and also the Semak wrote explicitly that "Hodu" precedes. However, regarding the halacha, the main point is as I have written, for so agreed most of the poskim (as is explained in Ma'adanei Yom Tov and Eliyah Rabbah). And know that it is simple that if he came to the beit din and found the congregation in the middle of Pesukei D'Zimrah, and by the time he puts on his tallit and tefillin they will already be after "Yotzer Or" and it will be difficult for him to catch up to them even if he begins from "Yotzer Or"—he is exempt, and he should pray by himself according to the order of the prayer in its entirety. However, if he is only able to begin from "Yotzer Or"—he is obligated to begin, for great is the power of prayer with a congregation as I have written.

Our teacher, the Rema, wrote: In any event, he should say all the blessings that he is obligated to bless in the morning. Thus far his words. That is to say: if he arrived in the middle of Pesukei D'Zimrah and prayed with the congregation as has been explained, and had not yet blessed the morning blessings—he should say all the morning blessings after the prayer. However, there is one who says that if he did not say the blessing of "Who restores souls..."—he should not say it after the prayer, as he has already fulfilled his obligation with the blessing of "Who revives the dead" (Pri Chadash). And likewise, there is one who wrote that if he did not bless the blessing of the Torah—he should not bless it after the prayer, as he has already fulfilled his obligation with "Ahavah Rabbah." But this matter has already been explained in siman 47, see there. Also, in my humble opinion, he should not bless "Who gives the rooster understanding" after he has blessed "Who forms the luminaries." And also regarding the blessing of "Who releases the bound," I do not know how he could bless it, for they mentioned it in "Who sustains the living," and it requires further study. Therefore, he should be careful not to come to this situation. And if he did come to this situation, it appears to me that the rule is "a doubt regarding blessings is resolved leniently," and he should not say those blessings that we enumerated after the prayer.