Psalm 136 – Psalms Of Pesukei Dezimra Of Shabbat By Rabbi Gail Diamond
User Profile Picture
ByConservative Yeshiva Online
Collection Logo
Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem
תהילים קל״ו:א׳-כ״ו
(א) הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ב) ה֭וֹדוּ לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ג) ה֭וֹדוּ לַאֲדֹנֵ֣י הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ד) לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת גְּדֹל֣וֹת לְבַדּ֑וֹ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ה) לְעֹשֵׂ֣ה הַ֭שָּׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָ֑ה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ו) לְרֹקַ֣ע הָ֭אָרֶץ עַל־הַמָּ֑יִם כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ז) לְ֭עֹשֵׂה אוֹרִ֣ים גְּדֹלִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ח) אֶת־הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת בַּיּ֑וֹם כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ט) אֶת־הַיָּרֵ֣חַ וְ֭כוֹכָבִים לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת בַּלָּ֑יְלָה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (י) לְמַכֵּ֣ה מִ֭צְרַיִם בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יא) וַיּוֹצֵ֣א יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹכָ֑ם כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יב) בְּיָ֣ד חֲ֭זָקָה וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֑ה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יג) לְגֹזֵ֣ר יַם־ס֭וּף לִגְזָרִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְהֶעֱבִ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל בְּתוֹכ֑וֹ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (טו) וְנִ֘עֵ֤ר פַּרְעֹ֣ה וְחֵיל֣וֹ בְיַם־ס֑וּף כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (טז) לְמוֹלִ֣יךְ עַ֭מּוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יז) לְ֭מַכֵּה מְלָכִ֣ים גְּדֹלִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יח) וַֽ֭יַּהֲרֹג מְלָכִ֣ים אַדִּירִ֑ים כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (יט) לְ֭סִיחוֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֑י כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כ) וּ֭לְעוֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כא) וְנָתַ֣ן אַרְצָ֣ם לְנַחֲלָ֑ה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כב) נַ֭חֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל עַבְדּ֑וֹ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כג) שֶׁ֭בְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ זָ֣כַר לָ֑נוּ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כד) וַיִּפְרְקֵ֥נוּ מִצָּרֵ֑ינוּ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כה) נֹתֵ֣ן לֶ֭חֶם לְכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (כו) ה֭וֹדוּ לְאֵ֣ל הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
Psalms 136:1-26
(1) Praise the LORD; for He is good, His steadfast love is eternal. (2) Praise the God of gods, His steadfast love is eternal. (3) Praise the Lord of lords, His steadfast love is eternal; (4) Who alone works great marvels, His steadfast love is eternal; (5) Who made the heavens with wisdom, His steadfast love is eternal; (6) Who spread the earth over the water, His steadfast love is eternal; (7) Who made the great lights, His steadfast love is eternal; (8) the sun to dominate the day, His steadfast love is eternal; (9) the moon and the stars to dominate the night, His steadfast love is eternal; (10) Who struck Egypt through their first-born, His steadfast love is eternal; (11) and brought Israel out of their midst, His steadfast love is eternal; (12) with a strong hand and outstretched arm, His steadfast love is eternal; (13) Who split apart the Sea of Reeds, His steadfast love is eternal; (14) and made Israel pass through it, His steadfast love is eternal; (15) Who hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Reeds, His steadfast love is eternal; (16) Who led His people through the wilderness, His steadfast love is eternal; (17) Who struck down great kings, His steadfast love is eternal; (18) and slew mighty kings— His steadfast love is eternal; (19) Sihon, king of the Amorites, His steadfast love is eternal; (20) Og, king of Bashan— His steadfast love is eternal; (21) and gave their land as a heritage, His steadfast love is eternal; (22) a heritage to His servant Israel, His steadfast love is eternal; (23) Who took note of us in our degradation, His steadfast love is eternal; (24) and rescued us from our enemies, His steadfast love is eternal; (25) Who gives food to all flesh, His steadfast love is eternal. (26) Praise the God of heaven, His steadfast love is eternal.

Ki L’’Olam Hasdo

1. Reading exercise – Read through the Psalm. How does the repeated refrain influence your response to the Psalm? Do you think the Psalm tells a story?

2. Activity – Review the Psalm for parallels with Psalm 135. How do you see the relationship between these two Psalms? Together, do they form a whole?

3. Setting – The Psalm highlights various events in the history of the Israelite people. How would you describe the emphasis of this historical retelling? What is included? What is left out?

4. Structure –

  1. Which verses do you consider to be the introduction and conclusion of the Psalm?
  2. How else would you divide the Psalm into sections?
  3. This is the only Psalm in the book of Psalms where a congregational refrain is part of every verse. What might we learn from this about the communal recitation of Psalms in the Temple?

5. Biblical/Rabbinic references

Verse 1: Psalm 106:1

Verse 4: Psalm 72:18, Psalm 86:10

Verse 5: Jeremiah 10:12, Proverbs 3:19

Verse 6: Isaiah 42:5, 44:24

Verses 7-9: Bereishit 1:16-18

Verse 10: Shmot 12:12, Numbers 33:4,

Verse 11-12: Shmot 7:5, Deut. 7:8, 19, Shmot 6:6, Deut. 4:34, 5:15, 26:8

Verse 14: Shmot 14:22, Numbers 33:8

Verse 15: Shmot 14:27, 15:4

Verse 16: Deut. 29:4, Psalm 78:52

Verses 17-22: Numbers 21:21-35

Verse 25: Psalm 145:15-16

6. Vocabulary–

Verse 12 – נטויה – what part of speech is this word (noun, adjective, verb)? Discuss its root and meaning.

Verse 23 – בשפלנו – what part of speech is this word? Discuss its root and meaning.

Verse 24 – ויפרקנו – what part of speech is this word? Discuss its root and meaning.

7. Prayer and liturgy–

  1. This Psalm could be viewed as a collection of Biblical verses and themes put into liturgical form. Can you cite any other examples of this practice? What might this teach us about early Jewish liturgy?
  2. As discussed in question 3, this Psalm lifts up a particular set of events in Israelite history, some of which are commonly referred to in our liturgy; others which are not. What do you consider the role of history/story in prayer?
  3. This Psalm is referred to as “the Great Hallel”. From what period was this Psalm known as such and what are the origins of its use in liturgy?

8. Spiritual issues – What do you consider to be the spiritual message of verses 23 & 24? Of the Psalm as a whole?

9. Conclusion – What does the phrase כי לעולם חסדו mean? What do you think it has meant to Jews historically? What does it mean to you?