Baruch Sheh-Amar: Blessed is the Eternal Who Spoke

Given by David Cohen at Tifereth Israel August 23, 1997

With Baruch Sheh-Amar, we begin the Pesukei-de-Zimra and sing praises to God.

The Baruch Sheh-Amar introduces the Pseukei with a blessing. This is a separate and distinct part of the Shachrit service and therefore it opens with a blessing and closes with one, Yishtabach.

The first part of the service has awakened us. And as Rabbi Seidel has reminded us, the opening blessing can be said when we actually see the dawn, get dressed and think of those without clothes, as we enjoy the protection of our shelter, and think of those without shelter, or eat our abundant food as we think of those who are hungry. In the synagogue we have come to say these prayers publicly.

Having been awakened, we are prepared for praise. Indeed, some commentators think of the Pesukei-de-Zimra as being drawn from the word zimor, to prune. That was we have a chance to cut away, to prune, the mental and spiritual hindrances to prayer.

The reference is to the Sedra Behar from Vayikrah. In the Sabbatical year we are asked to neither sow nor prune our vineyard. To me this suggests the value of space and pace as we think of prayer. To praise, we cannot be hurried and by not racing we have a chance at coming closer to depth.

Those who lead us in song in the Baruch Sheh-Amar -- a talent that I am without – help us set the mood for praising and pruning. Reuven Hammer, a Jewish Theological Seminary trained rabbi now teaching in Jerusalem, reminds us that the prayer praises God as creator of the world and, as the sages teach, emphasizes God’s quality of mercy and compassion.

The Baruch she-Amar is purposely followed by a short blessing of many verbs that emphasize the praise that Rabbi Hammer reminds us is due God.

We have begun to make ourselves ready for the praise of God.