פסחים 117:1 — Soncino English Talmud

R. Hisda said in R. Johanan's name: Hallelujah, Kesjah and Jedidjah are single words. Rab said: Kesjah and merhabjah are single words. Rabbah said merhabjah alone [is a single word]. The scholars asked: What about merhab Jah in R. Hisda's view? The question stands. The scholars asked: What about Jedidjah in Rab's view? — Come and hear: Jedidjah is divisible into two, therefore Jedid is non-sacred while Jah [the Lord] is sacred. The scholars asked: What about Hallelujah in Rab's view? Come and hear, for Rab said: I saw [a copy of] the Psalms in my friend's college, wherein ‘Hallalu’ was written on one line and ‘jah’ on the following. Now he disagrees with R. Joshua b. Levi, for R. Joshua b. Levi said: What is the meaning of ‘Hallelujah? Praise him with many praises. Further, he [R. Joshua b. Levi] is self-contradictory. For R. Joshua b. Levi said: The Book of Psalms was uttered with ten synonyms of praise, viz.: nizzuah [victory], niggun [melody], maskil, mizmor [psalm], shir [song], ashre [happy], tehillah [praise], tefillah [prayer], hodayah [thanksgiving] [and] hallelujah. The greatest of all is ‘hallelujah,’ because it embraces the [Divine] Name and praise simultaneously. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: The Song in the Torah was uttered by Moses and Israel when they ascended from the [Red] Sea. And who recited this Hallel? The prophets among them ordained that Israel should recite it at every important epoch and at every misfortune — may it not come upon them! and when they are redeemed they recite [in gratitude] for their redemption. It was taught, R. Meir used to say: All the praises which are stated in the Book of psalms, David uttered all of them, for it is said, The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended [kallu]: read not kallu but kol ellu [all these]. Who recited this Hallel? R. Jose said: My son Eleazar maintains [that] Moses and Israel said it when they ascended from the [Red] Sea, but his college disagree with him, averring that David said it. But is view is prefer able to theirs: Is it possible that Israel slaughtered their Passover-offerings or took their palm-branches without uttering song! Another argument: Micah's image stands at Beki and Israel recites the Hallel! Our Rabbis taught: As for all the songs and praises to which David gave utterance in the Book of Psalms, R. Joshua said: He spoke them in reference to himself; R. Joshua said: He spoke them with reference to the [Jewish] community; while the Sages maintain: Some of them refer to the community, while others refer to himself. [Thus:] those which are couched in the singular bear upon himself, while those which are couched in the plural allude to the community. Nizzuah and niggun [introduce psalms] relating to the future; maskil [indicates that it was spoken] through a meturgeman [interpreter]; [the superscription] To David, a psalm’ intimates that the Shechinah rested upon him and then he uttered [that] song; ‘a psalm of david’ intimates that he [first] uttered [that particular] psalm and then the Shechinah rested upon him. This teaches you that the Shechinah rests [upon man] neither in indolence nor in gloom nor in frivolity nor in levity, nor in vain pursuits, but only in rejoicing connected with a religious act, for it is said, ‘but now bring me a minstrel.’ And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that he hand of the lord came upon him. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: And it is likewise so in a matter of halachah. R. Nahman said: And it is likewise so for a good dream. But that is not so, for R. Giddal said in Rab's name: If a scholar sits before his teacher and his lips do not drip anxiety. they shall be burnt, for it is said, His lips are as lilies [shoshanim], dropping with flowing myrrh [mor ‘ober]: read not shoshanim but sheshonim [that study]; read not mor'ober but mar ‘ober [dropping anxiety]? — There is no difficulty: One applies to the teacher, the other to the disciple. Alternatively, both refer to the teacher, yet there is no difficulty: the one holds good before he commences; the other, after he commences. Even as Rabbah used to say something humorous to his scholars before he commenced [his discourse], in order to amuse them; after that he sat in awe and commenced the lecture. Our Rabbis taught: Who uttered this Hallel? R. Eleazar said: Moses ad Israel uttered it when they stood by the [Red] Sea. They exclaimed, ‘Not unto us, not unto us,’ and the Holy Spirit responded. ‘For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it.’ R. Judah said: Joshua and Israel uttered it when the kings of Canaan attacked them. They exclaimed, ‘Not unto us [etc.]’ and the Holy Spirit responded etc. R. Eleazar the Modiite said: Deborah and Barak uttered it when Sisera attacked them. They exclaimed, ‘Not unto us [etc.].’ and the Holy Spirit responded. ‘For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it.’ R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah said: Hezekiah and his companions uttered it when Sennacherib attacked them. They exclaimed, ‘Not unto us [etc.]’ and the Holy Spirit responded etc. R. Akiba said: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah uttered it when the wicked Nebuchadnezzar rose against them. They exclaimed, ‘Not unto us etc.,’ and the Holy Spirit responded etc. R. Jose the Galilean said: Mordecai and Esther uttered it when the wicked Haman rose against them. They supplicated, ‘Not unto us etc.’, and the Holy Spirit responded etc. But the Sages maintain: The prophets among them enacted that the Israelites should recite at every epoch and at every trouble — may it not come to them! — and when they are redeemed, they recite it [in thankfulness] for their delivery. R. Hisda Said: Hallelujah marks the end of a chapter; Rabbah b. R. Huna said: Hallelujah marks the beginning of a chapter. R. Hisda observed: I saw that in the copies of the Psalms used in the college of R. Hanin b. Rab, ‘Hallelujah’ was written in the middle of the chapter, which proves that he was in doubt. R. Hanin b. Raba said: A agree that in the case of, ‘My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and ever.’ ‘Hallelujah which follows it is the beginning of the [next] psalm. In the wicked shall see, and be vexed; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away, the desire of the wicked shall perish: the ‘Hallelujah’ which follows it commences the [next] psalm. Again, in the passage. ‘that stated in the house of the lord in the night seasons, the following ‘Hallelujah commences the [next] psalm. Bible scholars add the following: He will drink of the brook by the way, therefore will he lift up the head: Hallelujah which follows it is the beginning of the next psalm. The fear of the lord is the be ginning of wisdom; a good understanding have a they that do thereafter; His praise endureth for ever. ‘Hallelujah which follows it is the beginning of the [next] psalm. Shall we say that this is dependent on Tannaim? [For we learned:] HOW FAR DOES HE RECITE IT? BETH SHAMMAI MAINTAIN: UNTIL AS A JOYOUS MOTHER OF CHILDREN, WHILE BETH HILLEL. SAY: UNTIl. THE FLINT INTO A FOUNTAIN OF WATERS.’ But another [Baraitha] taught: How far does he recite it? Beth Shammai maintain: Until ‘when Israel came forth out of Egypt.’ while Beth Hillel say: Until, ‘Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us.’41^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ

^ᵃnote:In Ex. XVII, 16: The hand upon kesjah (E.V.: the throne of the Lord).
^ᵇnote:II Sam. XII, 25: and he called his name jedidjah (E.V. Jedidiah).
^ᶜnote:Though Jah means the ‘Lord,’ it combines to form a single word.
^ᵈnote:Ps CXVIII, 5: He answered me ba-merhabjah (E.V.: with great enlargement]; lit., ‘with the Lord's enlargement.
^ᵉnote:Rashal reads: Raba:
^ᶠnote:Is it one word or two?
^ᵍnote:This would affect e.g., the manner of its writing. If ‘Jedid’ is written incorrectly, it can be erased and rewritten. But Jah, being sacred (i.e., God's name), must not be erased and would have to be cut out entirely, together with its parchment.
^ʰnote:I.e., at the college of R. Hiyya.
^ⁱnote:Thus he evidently regards it as two words.
^ʲnote:Since he interprets the whole word thus, he evidently regards it as one.
^ᵏnote:V. e.g., superscriptions to Ps. XLII, XLIV, and XLV; perhaps lit., ‘a psalm giving instruction.’
^ˡnote:Thus he interprets ‘Jah’ separately.
^ᵐnote:‘Torah’ bears here its narrower connotation of Pentateuch. The ‘Song’ referred to is that contained in Ex. XV.
^ⁿnote:Ps. CXIII-CXVIII. [MS.M. (gloss) inserts: Moses and Israel recited it].
^ᵒnote:Ps. LXXII, 20.
^ᵖnote:The verse thus reads: All these are prayers etc.
^ᵠnote:Until the time of David — surely not.
^ʳnote:V. Judg. XVII.
^ˢnote:[Probably a variant of Bochin, v. judg. II, 1].
^ᵗnote:Rashbam: Hallel, which contains a sweeping condemnation of idolatry (v. Ps. CXV, 5-8), could not have been composed in the days of David while Micah's idolatrous image was still in existence; hence it must have been composed at the Red Sea.
^ᵘnote:V. supra.
^ᵛnote:Lit., ‘idle words’ or chatter.
^ʷnote:II Kings III, 15. Maharsha in Shab. 30a observes that the verse is quoted to show that the Shechinah does not rest on a man who is plunged in gloom, Elisha requiring the minstrel to dissipate the gloom occasioned by Jehoram's visit.
^ˣnote:Serious study should be preceded by light-hearted conversation.
^ʸnote:Going to sleep in good spirits promotes happy dreams.
^ᶻnote:Lit., ‘bitterness’. To show due reverence.
^ᵃᵃnote:Cant. V, 13.
^ᵃᵇnote:Lit., ‘and the scholars rejoiced’.
^ᵃᶜnote:Ps. CXV, 1.
^ᵃᵈnote:Isa. XLVIII, 11.
^ᵃᵉnote:Where a single ‘Hallelujah separates two psalms (e.g., Ps. CXXXIV and CXXXV), R. Hisda maintains that it ends the first, while Rabbah b. R. Huna places it at the beginning of the second.
^ᵃᶠnote:I.e., the two men were into one with ‘Hallelujah’ in the middle.
^ᵃᵍnote:Ps. CXLV, 21.
^ᵃʰnote:Ps. CXII, 10.
^ᵃⁱnote:Ibid. CXXXIV, 1.
^ᵃʲnote:This is somewhat difficult as ‘Hallelujah’ does not immediately follow. Possibly the phrase is quoted loosely to indicate which psalm is meant, viz., CXXXIV, ‘Hallelujah,’ the commencing the next. Tosaf. however quotes ‘Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God’. In our edd. this is Ps. CXXXV, 2, and does not end the psalm; but according to Tosaf. it does, while v. 3, which begins with ‘Hallelujah,’ (E.V. praise ye the lord) is the beginning of another psalm.
^ᵃᵏnote:Presumably scholars who specialized in the study of the Bible.
^ᵃˡnote:Ps. CX, 7.
^ᵃᵐnote:Ps. CXI, 10.
^ᵃⁿnote:Ibid. CXIV, 1.
^ᵃᵒnote:Ibid. CXV, 1. In each case whereas the Mishnah quotes the ending of the chapters according to our edd., the Baraitha quotes the beginning of the following chapters.