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Hallel (, 'Praise') is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving.
A blessing is recited at the beginning and end of Full Hallel.
Partial Hallel is recited on the last six days of Pesach and on Rosh Chodesh. On these days Hallel was originally not recited at all, and the partial recitation indicates that it is only done by later custom rather than to fulfill a requirement.Taanit 28b Regarding Passover, the Talmud argues that Full Hallel is only recited on days when the Temple sacrifice differed from the previous day's, while the sacrifice for all days of Passover was identical.Arachin 10a Other sources suggest a different reason: that Full Hallel is omitted on the seventh day of Passover in consideration of the Egyptians who died during the Crossing the Red Sea, and omitted on the middle days of Passover so that they not overshadow the seventh day. הלל שלם וחצי הלל Regarding Rosh Chodesh, the Talmud states that Hallel is only required on days on which work is forbidden, which is not the case on Rosh Chodesh.
While Ashkenazi Jews recite a blessing at the beginning and end of Partial Hallel, some Sephardic Jews do not, and the few Sephardic communities that do recite a blessing on half Hallel (Moroccans and Spanish & Portuguese Jews, as well as some others) recite (to read the Hallel, as is always recited by contemporary Ashkenazim) on Half Hallel, as opposed to the blessing (to complete the Hallel) that they recite on Full Hallel.Sidur Avotenu, page 667 (link to Otzar Ha-chochmah, available by subscription only).
On all these occasions, Hallel is recited as part of the morning Shacharit prayer service, following the Amidah. In addition, it is recited in many communities during the evening prayers on the first (and, outside Israel, second) night of Pesach; however, according to the original Nusach Ashkenaz it is not recited at this time, and thus it is not recited in communities such as Lithuanian Jews (although most Litvish communities in Israel do recite it) and . It is recited in all communities during the Passover Seder service. According to the Talmud,Pesachim 116b there was a dispute between the Houses of Hillel and Shammai regarding the reading of Hallel during the Seder. According to the school of Shammai, only the first psalm (Ps. 113) should be read before the meal, whereas the school of Hillel advocated reading the first two psalms (Ps. 113 and 114). The remaining Psalms would be said after the Birkat Hamazon (as is usually the case, the halacha follows the school of Hillel).Shmuel Safrai and Ze'ev Safrai, Haggadah of the Sages (trans. Miriam Schlüsselberg; Jerusalem: Carta, 2009), 212. According to the Tosefta (Pes. 10:96)
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hallel is not said at all, because as the Talmud states: "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?"Arachin 10b
No Hallel is recited on Purim, despite the fact that there was a miraculous salvation. The Talmud suggests three reasons for this: Megillah 14a
Partial Hallel is recited on the last six days of Passover and on Rosh Chodesh. On all other occasions when Hallel is recited, the text is the full Hallel.
Many Jewish communities, especially those which identify with religious Zionism, recite Hallel on Israeli Independence Day and some also recite it on Jerusalem Day. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel instructs Jews to recite Hallel during Israeli Independence Day.
Psalm 136 was most probably used antiphonally in Temple worship. In Jewish liturgy, the Great Hallel is recited at the Passover Seder after the Lesser Hallel. All through the refrain is a repeated reference to the Lord's steadfast love (see ). This psalm is a hymn that opens with a call to praise God because of God's great deeds in nature and God's gracious historical actions in the history of Israel. It continues expressing God's mercy toward all and ends with another call to praise God.Ryrie Study Bible page 955
In the classical tradition, psalms from the Hallel have been set to music many times, notably:
American composer and conductor Michael Isaacson has composed a full Hallel for SATB chorus, entitled An American Hallel, with interpolations of expressions of praise and gratitude by past and present Americans. It was premiered by the Carolina Master Chorale under the directorship of Tim Koch in the autumn of 2009.
Composer/performer Sam Glaser has also set the Psalms on his CD Hallel.
Occasions
Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which are recited as a unit, on joyous occasions including the each day of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot), as well as at Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh.
Other Hallel sequences
The name "Hallel" is normally applied to Psalms 113–118. For greater specificity this is sometimes called the Egyptian Hallel (). This name is due to its mention of the Exodus from Egypt in .
Great Hallel
The term Great Hallel () is used to refer to Psalm 136; according to other opinions in the Talmud, Great Hallel refers to either Psalms 135–136 or 134–136. Each verse of Psalm 136 concludes with the refrain "for his mercy endures forever" and it contains mention of twenty-six acts of Divine kindness and sustenance for the world.e.g., Berachot 4b, Pesachim 118a It is recited at the Passover Seder after the standard Hallel is completed. It is also said in the expanded pesukei dezimra on the morning of Shabbat and festivals. In the Talmudic era, if rain fell on the morning of a fast day that was declared in response to a drought, this was seen as a sign of Divine favor, in which case "the Great Hallel" was added in the afternoon prayers.Taanit 19a There is mention in some references that this Psalm may also be used antiphonally in Temple worship.Ryrie Study Bible-page 955
Pesukei Dezimra
Pesukei dezimra is also described by the Talmud as a kind of Hallel.
Musical settings
In the Jewish tradition, there are well established and various melodies for the singing of Hallel. Some of the psalms are sung while others are recited silently or under the breath.
New Testament
The New Testament accounts of the Last Supper state that Jesus and his disciples "sang a psalm" or "hymn" after the meal before leaving for the Mount of Olives (, ), which may have been the Hallel. The Last Supper is popularly considered to have been a celebration of the Passover, although this is controversial among scholars. Jesus, like any other literate Jew in the first century, may well have known how to chant the Psalms in Hebrew, especially the famous Hallel psalms which were an integral part of the Passover.
See also
Further reading
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