!Psukey Dzimrah: Pruning To Prophesy

מתני׳ אין עומדין להתפלל אלא מתוך כובד ראש חסידים הראשונים היו שוהין שעה אחת ומתפללין כדי שיכוונו לבם לאביהם שבשמים אפי' המלך שואל בשלומו לא ישיבנו ואפי' נחש כרוך על עקבו לא יפסיק:

Berakhot 30b:14

MISHNA: One may only stand and begin to pray from an approach of gravity and submission. There is a tradition that the early generations of pious men would wait one hour, in order to reach the solemn frame of mind appropriate for prayer, and then pray, so that they would focus their hearts toward their Father in Heaven. Standing in prayer is standing before God and, as such, even if the king greets him, he should not respond to him; and even if a snake is wrapped on his heel, he should not interrupt his prayer.

ברכות ל״ב א:ל״ב

דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: לְעוֹלָם יְסַדֵּר אָדָם שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְפַּלֵּל. מְנָלַן? — מִמֹּשֶׁה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה׳ בָּעֵת הַהִיא״. וּכְתִיב: ״ה׳ אֱלֹקִים אַתָּה הַחִלֹּתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת עַבְדְּךָ אֶת גׇּדְלְךָ וְאֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה אֲשֶׁר מִי אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה כְמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְכִגְבוּרוֹתֶיךָ״. וּכְתִיב בָּתְרֵיהּ ״אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה וְגוֹ׳״.

Berakhot 32a:32

Based on Moses’ prayers, Rabbi Simlai taught: One should always set forth praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and then pray for his own needs. From where do we derive that one should conduct himself in this manner? From Moses, as it is written in his prayer: “And I beseeched the Lord at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:23). And immediately afterward in his prayer, it is written: “Lord, God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what God is there in the heavens or on earth who can perform deeds such as Yours and Your might” (Deuteronomy 3:24)? Here, Moses began with praise of God, and it is only thereafter that it is written: “Please, let me pass over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and the Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25). Only after his praise did Moses make his personal request.

דברים ג׳:כ״ג-כ״ה

(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־ה' בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אדושם ה' אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃

Deuteronomy 3:23-25

(23) I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! (25) Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.”

Rav Schwabb on Prayer:
Psukey Dzimrah is comparable to walking though the ulam in the beit Hamikadsh.
a corridor before the holy of holies, to prepare.

שבת קי״ח ב:ה׳

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: יְהֵא חֶלְקִי מִגּוֹמְרֵי הַלֵּל בְּכׇל יוֹם. אִינִי?! וְהָאָמַר מָר: הַקּוֹרֵא הַלֵּל בְּכׇל יוֹם הֲרֵי זֶה מְחָרֵף וּמְגַדֵּף! כִּי קָאָמְרִינַן — בִּפְסוּקֵי דְזִמְרָא.

Shabbat 118b:5

Rabbi Yosei said: May my portion be among those who eat three meals on Shabbat. Apropos this statement of Rabbi Yosei, the Gemara cites additional declarations. Rabbi Yosei said: May my portion be among those who complete hallel every day. The Gemara is surprised at this: Is that so? Didn’t the Master say: One who reads hallel every day is tantamount to one who curses and blasphemes God. He displays contempt for hallel by not reserving it for days on which miracles occurred. The Gemara answers: When we say this statement of Rabbi Yosei, we are referring to the verses of praise [pesukei dezimra], recited during the morning service, not to hallel (Psalms 113–118) recited on special days.

אורח חיים נ״א:ח׳

(ח) א"א הזמירות במרוצה כי אם בנחת:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 51:8

(8) We aught not say these songs hurriedly, but rather at a pleasant pace.

אורח חיים א׳:ד׳

(ד) טוב מעט תחנונים בכוונה מהרבות בלא כוונה:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 1:4

(4) Better few supplications with concentration than much without concentration.

ויקרא כ״ה:ד׳

(ד) וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ...וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃

Leviticus 25:4

(4) But in the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of the LORD: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

שפת אמת
השבח להשי״ת מסיר ההסתר מהחיצוניות וזה הענין פסוקי דזמרה קודם התפילה, לגרש הסיטרא אחרא.
(שופטים, תרלא)

מסילת ישרים א׳:ב׳

(ב) והנה מה שהורונו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה הוא, שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על ה' ולהנות מזיו שכינתו שזהו התענוג האמיתי והעידון הגדול מכל העידונים שיכולים להמצא. ומקום העידון הזה באמת הוא העולם הבא, כי הוא הנברא בהכנה המצטרכת לדבר הזה.

Mesillat Yesharim 1:2

(2) Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose.

Sefer Chareidim 9:56: Rav Eleazar Azkiri:
Singing to Hashem is the fulfillment of a Biblical Mitzvah "You shall love hashem your G-d with all your heart".
It is the way of the lover to sing, A person who loves him full heartedly will sing for the Blessed One, just like Moshe, the Israelites, Miriam, Joshua...by means of the Holy Spirit:

מלכים ב ג׳:ט״ו

(טו) וְעַתָּ֖ה קְחוּ־לִ֣י מְנַגֵּ֑ן וְהָיָה֙ כְּנַגֵּ֣ן הַֽמְנַגֵּ֔ן וַתְּהִ֥י עָלָ֖יו יַד־ה'׃

II Kings 3:15

(15) Now then, get me a musician.” As the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him,