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THE LAWS OF P'SUKEI D'ZIMRAH
P'sukei D'zimrah are the p'sukim (verses) that are between Boruch Sheomar
and Yishtabach. Our Sages placed P'sukei D'zimrah in the davening, so that a
person can prepare himself for the Tefillah, the main part of davening. Saying
these p'sukim puts a person in the right mood for davening by thinking about the
greatness of Hashem.
The posuk in Ashrei that says: "You open up your hand", is considered to
be the most important part of P'sukei D'zimrah, since it reminds a person that all
his living needs come from Hashem. Another important part is the third set of
Psalms no.148, where all of Creation is praising Hashem. When saying this posuk,
a person should think about praising Hashem, since a person is a part of Creation.
The P'sukei D'zimrah should be said calmly, and a person should be careful not to
rush through it. Everyone should try to say the entire P'sukei D'zimrah, and not
skip parts. The "Song of the Sea" prayer, which is almost at the end of P'sukei
D'zimrah, should be said happily and a person should try to feel the same
excitement our ancestors did when they crossed the sea.
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