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Hallel ("Praise") is a Jewish prayer
List of Jewish prayers and blessings

Listed below are some Hebrew language Jewish servicess and Berakhahs that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. This article addresses Jewish liturgical blessings, which generally begin with the formula:...
—a verbatim recitation from Psalms
Psalms

Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible , included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim....
 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jew
Jew

A Jew is a member of the Jewish people, an ethnoreligious group that traces its ancestry to the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East....
s on Jewish holidays.

el consists of six Psalms (113-118), which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions. Hallel is usually chanted aloud as part of Shacharit
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
 (the morning prayer service) following the Shacharit's Shemoneh Esreh
Amidah

The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
 ("The Eighteen", the main prayer).






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Hallel ("Praise") is a Jewish prayer
List of Jewish prayers and blessings

Listed below are some Hebrew language Jewish servicess and Berakhahs that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. This article addresses Jewish liturgical blessings, which generally begin with the formula:...
—a verbatim recitation from Psalms
Psalms

Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible , included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim....
 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jew
Jew

A Jew is a member of the Jewish people, an ethnoreligious group that traces its ancestry to the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East....
s on Jewish holidays.

Hallel and the Jewish holy days

Hallel consists of six Psalms (113-118), which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions. Hallel is usually chanted aloud as part of Shacharit
Jewish services

Jewish services are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
 (the morning prayer service) following the Shacharit's Shemoneh Esreh
Amidah

The Amidah , also called the Shmona Esre , is the central prayer of the Siddur. As Judaism's prayer par excellence, the Amidah is often designated simply as tfila in Rabbinic literature....
 ("The Eighteen", the main prayer). It is also recited during the evening prayers the first night of Passover
Passover

Passover is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating God sparing the Israelites when He killed the first born of Egypt, and is followed by the seven day Feast of the Unleavened Bread commemorating the Exodus from Ancient Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from Judaism and slavery....
, except by Lithuanian
Lithuanian Jews

Lithuanian Jews are Ashkenazi Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania .Lithuania was historically home to a large and influential Jewish community that was almost entirely eliminated during the Holocaust: see Holocaust in Lithuania....
 and German Jews.

These occasions include the following: The three pilgrim festivals: Passover, Shavuot
Shavuot

is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan . Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day Names of God in Judaism#In English gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai....
 and Sukkot
Sukkot

Sukkot , is a Hebrew Bible pilgrimage Jewish holiday that occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . The holiday lasts seven days, including Chol Hamoed....
 (the "major" Jewish holy days, mentioned in the Torah
Torah

The term "Torah" , or Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, refers to the entirety of Judaism's founding Halakha and ethical religious texts....
) and Hanukkah
Hanukkah

File:PikiWiki Israel 146 Hanukka ?????.JpgHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE....
 and Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh, , is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the New Moon. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot....
 (beginnings of the new month). Many Jewish communities, especially those that identify with religious Zionism
Religious Zionism

Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement is an ideology that combines Zionism and religious Judaism, basing Zionism on the principles of Torah, Talmud et al and authentic heritage....
, recite Hallel on Yom Ha'atzma'ut (Israeli Independence Day). Some also recite it on Yom Yerushalayim (commemorating the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967).

On Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Judaism New Year." It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, as ordained in the Torah, in ....
 and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur , also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are Atonement in Judaism and Repentance in Judaism....
, Hallel is not said at all, because as the Talmud states (Arachin 10b): "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?"

Pesach, like Sukkot, has the structure of "main holiday," followed by "Intermediate Days" (Chol ha-Moed), followed by "main holiday." Since Passover involved only a partial redemption of the Jews and the destruction of Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
, only "Half" (or Partial) Hallel is recited on all of the last six days of Pesach. Full Hallel is recited for the entirety of Sukkot.

Partial Hallel is recited on Rosh Chodesh because it was introduced at a much later time than the major holidays.

No Hallel, neither "Full" nor "Partial," is recited on Purim
Purim

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people of the ancient Persian Empire from Haman 's plot to annihilate them, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible Book of Esther ....
, despite the fact that there was a miraculous salvation, for several reasons:
  • The miracle did not occur in the Land of Israel
    Land of Israel

    For other uses, see Israel The Land of Israel is the region which, according to the Hebrew Bible, was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, Abraham's grandson....
     and, for "minor" holidays, only those occurring in Israel merit the recitation of Hallel.
  • Even after the Miracle of Purim, the Jews remained subjects of the Persian Empire
    Persian Empire

    The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
    , whereas on Hanukkah, as a result of the victory of the Maccabees
    Judas Maccabeus

    Judas Maccabeus was a Kohen and the third son of the Jewish priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire and is acclaimed as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history alongside Joshua, Gideon and David....
    , the Jews gained their independence from the Seleucid kings.
  • Reading the Megilla (Book of Esther)
    Book of Esther

    The Book of Esther is one of the books of the Ketuvim of the Tanakh and of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim....
     is a substitute for Hallel.


Forms

Hallel is said in one of two forms: Full Hallel and Partial Hallel.

Full Hallel

Full Hallel (or ??? ??? Hallel Shalem in Hebrew
Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Modern Hebrew is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Classical Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jews communities around the world....
 Complete Hallel) consists of all six Psalms of the Hallel, in their entirety. It is a Jewish prayer
List of Jewish prayers and blessings

Listed below are some Hebrew language Jewish servicess and Berakhahs that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. This article addresses Jewish liturgical blessings, which generally begin with the formula:...
 recited on all seven days of Sukkot
Sukkot

Sukkot , is a Hebrew Bible pilgrimage Jewish holiday that occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . The holiday lasts seven days, including Chol Hamoed....
, on Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Bible Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret , which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei ....
), on Shavuot
Shavuot

is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan . Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day Names of God in Judaism#In English gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai....
, on the first two days of Pesach (only the first day in Israel), and on the eight days of Hanukkah
Hanukkah

File:PikiWiki Israel 146 Hanukka ?????.JpgHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE....
.

Full Hallel consists of: Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115:1-11,12-18, Psalm 116:1-11,12-19, Psalm 117, Psalm 118.

A blessing is recited at the beginning and end of Full Hallel.

Partial Hallel

Chatzi Hallel (??? ??? Half Hallel
Hallel

Hallel is a List of Jewish Prayers and Blessings?a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays....
 or Partial Hallel
Hallel

Hallel is a List of Jewish Prayers and Blessings?a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays....
) ("chatzi is "half" in Hebrew
Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Modern Hebrew is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Classical Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jews communities around the world....
)does not include parts of the "Full Hallel": verses 1-11 of Psalm 115, nor those verses from Psalm 116. It is recited on the last six days of Pesach and on Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh

Rosh Chodesh, , is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the New Moon. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot....
.

While Ashkenazi Jews recite a blessing at the beginning and end of Partial Hallel, some Sephardi Jews do not, particularly if the blessing they recite at the beginning of Full Hallel is ligmor et hahallel (to complete the Hallel) instead of likro et hahallel (to read the Hallel) as recited by Ashkenazi Jews.

Etymology

Hallel, as mentioned above, is a Hebrew word meaning "praise". The Proto-Sinaitic and Proto-Canaanite letters h are reconstructed to have been called hillul "jubilation", and were based on the hieroglyph
Egyptian hieroglyphs

Egyptian hieroglyphs was a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that contained a combination of logographic and alphabetic elements....
 A28 It was replaced by a predecessor of the Hebrew letter He
He (letter)

He is the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician alphabet , Aramaic alphabet, Hebrew alphabet , Syriac alphabet and Arabic alphabet ....
 .

The same word is used in Arabic ("Praise") or ("to praise"). It is usually said with the intention of saying the prayer , that is "There is no God but the God".

Musical Settings

Psalms from the Hallel have been set to music many times, notably:
Psalm 113
  • Josquin des Pres
Psalm 117
  • Antonio Vivaldi
    Antonio Vivaldi

    Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed il Prete Rosso , was a Baroque music composer and Venice priest, as well as a famous virtuoso violinist, born and raised in the Republic of Venice....
Psalm 118
  • Leonin
    Léonin

    L?onin is the first known significant composer of polyphony organum. He was probably France, and he probably lived and worked in Paris at the Notre Dame de Paris, and was the earliest member of the Notre Dame school of polyphony who is known by name....
  • Perotin
    Pérotin

    P?rotin , also called Perotin the Great, was a European composer, believed to be France, who lived around the end of the 12th century and beginning of the 13th century....


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 is to be premiered by the Carolina Master Chorale under the directorship of Tim Koch in the Fall of 2009

Composer/performer Sam Glaser has also set the Psalms on his new CD Hallel www.samglaser.com

See also

  • Biblical poetry
    Biblical poetry

    This article is concerned with Biblical poetry, specifically poetry in the Tanakh.The question whether the literature of the ancient Hebrews includes portions that may be called poetry is answered by the ancient Hebrews themselves....
  • halal
    Halal

    Halal is an Arabic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law and custom. It is the opposite of haraam....
  • Takbir
    Takbir

    The 'takbir' or 'takbeer' is the Arabic language name for the phrase , . Usually translated "God in Islam is great" or "God in Islam is [the] greatest," it is a common Arabic expression, used as both an informal expression of faith and as a formal declaration....
  • List of Jewish Prayers and Blessings
    List of Jewish prayers and blessings

    Listed below are some Hebrew language Jewish servicess and Berakhahs that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. This article addresses Jewish liturgical blessings, which generally begin with the formula:...
  • Hallelujah
    Hallelujah

    Hallelujah, Halleluyah, or Alleluia, is a transliteration of the Hebrew language word meaning "praise Yah ". It is found mainly in the book of Psalms and has a similar pronunciation in many, but not all, languages....