Barukh she'amar ( or other variant English spellings), is the opening blessing to pesukei dezimra, a recitation in the Shacharit in Rabbinic Judaism. As with many texts in Judaism, it takes its name from the opening words of the prayer.
According to authorities beginning with Jacob ben Asher, the prayer must be sung to a melody;
According to Or Zarua II, the Barukh she'amar contains 87 words, which number is the gematria of the Hebrew word paz () meaning "refined gold.".
Purpose
the
Barukh she'amar acts as a
transition in the prayer service. In the
Syrian Jews, the common melody for the prayer is derived from that of
Hatikvah.
Origin
According to Jacob ben Asher and Isaac Aboab I, Barukh she-Amar is described by the Sefer Hekhalot. However, no extant manuscript contains this reference. Moses ben Jacob of Coucy, Amram ben Sheshna, Natronai ben Hilai, and
Saadia Gaon attest to its popular use by the 9th century. According to the
Mishneh Torah (), this prayer was instituted by the
Great Assembly;
() claims "this is the best of the praises, because the Great Assembly did not establish it but rather was given to the wise tradents by way of a note from heaven."
[Or Zarua f. 15b. N.b. that before the prayer he summarizes, "And this is Barukh she-Amar as the Great Assembly instituted by way of note".]
In the Sephardic and Mizrahi liturgies, as well as Nusach Sefard, the custom is to recite most of the additional psalms of Shabbat (except for Psalms 92 and 93) prior to Barukh she-Amar on Shabbat.
Aspects of God
There are seven aspects of God mentioned in Barukh she'amar. These are:
-
God spoke and the world came to be.
-
God speaks, does, decrees, and fulfills.
-
God is merciful.
-
God rewards those who fear Him.
-
God is eternal.
-
God rescues and redeems people.
-
Blessed is God's name.
Halakhah
Barukh she'amar becomes the initial part of the daily Jewish morning prayer, in "history-periods" of serious difficulty for the whole Jewish people; when there are not persecutions, ongoing
or anything else serious for the Jews,
Shacharit begins as always.
[Compendio dello "SHULCHAN 'ARUKH". Meqor Chajim (-VOLUME PRIMO- et -VOLUME SECONDO-) Kefar Chasidim/Rekhasim, Israel 1992]
External links
