Hallel facts for kids
Hallel (Hebrew: הַלֵּל, meaning "Praise") is a special Jewish prayer. It comes directly from Psalms 113–118 in the Bible. Jewish people say Hallel on certain Jewish holidays. It is a way to show praise and thanks to God.
Contents
When is Hallel Recited?
Hallel is made up of six Psalms (113–118). These Psalms are said together as one prayer. People say Hallel on happy occasions. These include the three main Three Pilgrimage Festivals mentioned in the Torah: Passover (Pesach), Shavuot, and Sukkot. It is also said during Hanukkah and on Rosh Chodesh (the start of a new Jewish month).
Hallel is said during the evening prayers on the first night of Passover. Outside of Israel, it is also said on the second night. All Jewish communities say Hallel during the Passover Seder meal.
Long ago, two famous Jewish schools of thought, the school of Hillel and the school of Shammai, had a disagreement. They debated how much of Hallel to say before the Passover meal. The School of Shammai thought only Psalm 113 should be said. The School of Hillel believed Psalms 113 and 114 should be said. The rest of the Psalms would be said after the meal. Today, Jewish law (called Halakha) follows the School of Hillel.
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hallel is not said. These are serious days of judgment. The Talmud, a book of Jewish law and tradition, explains why. It asks: "Is it right for the King (God) to be judging us, with books of life and death open, while we sing joyful praises?"
Full Hallel and Partial Hallel
Hallel can be said in two ways: "Full Hallel" or "Partial Hallel."
Full Hallel
Full Hallel (Hebrew: הלל שלם, romanized: Hallel shalem, meaning "complete Hallel") includes all six Psalms of Hallel. It is said on the first two nights and days of Passover (only the first night and day in Israel). It is also said on Shavuot, all seven days of Sukkot, on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, and all eight days of Hanukkah.
Jewish teachers created a way to remember when Full Hallel is said. They call it "BeBeTaCh." This helps people remember the holidays.
Full Hallel includes:
- Psalm 113
- Psalm 114
- Parts of Psalm 115 (verses 1–11 and 12–18)
- Parts of Psalm 116 (verses 1–11 and 12–19)
- Psalm 117
- Psalm 118
A special blessing is said at the beginning and end of Full Hallel.
Partial Hallel
Partial Hallel (Hebrew: חצי הלל, romanized: chatzi Hallel, meaning "half Hallel") leaves out some parts of Full Hallel. It skips the first eleven verses of Psalms 115 and 116.
Partial Hallel is said on the last six days of Passover. It is also said on Rosh Chodesh.
During Passover, only Partial Hallel is said on the later days. This is because the Jews' freedom from Egypt was not complete right away. Also, the same animal sacrifice was offered in the Temple each day of Passover. This was different from Sukkot, where different sacrifices were offered.
Partial Hallel is said on Rosh Chodesh because this practice was added much later than the main holidays.
No Hallel at all is said on Purim. This is even though Purim celebrates a miracle. There are a few reasons for this:
- The Purim miracle happened outside the Land of Israel. For smaller holidays, Hallel is usually only said for miracles that happened in Israel.
- After Purim, the Jewish people were still under the rule of the Persian Empire. On Hanukkah, however, the Maccabees won freedom from the Seleucid Empire.
- Reading the Megilla (Book of Esther) on Purim is seen as a substitute for Hallel.
The Great Hallel
Sometimes, Psalm 136 is called "the Great Hallel." Each verse of Psalm 136 ends with the phrase "for his mercy endures forever." This Psalm talks about 26 acts of God's kindness and how He supports the world.
The Great Hallel is said at the Passover Seder after the standard Hallel is finished. It is also part of the longer morning prayers (called Pesukei dezimra) on Shabbat and other festivals.
This Psalm is a hymn that starts by asking people to praise God. It praises God for His great actions in nature and His kind deeds in Israel's history. It continues by talking about God's mercy to everyone. It ends with another call to praise God.
Hallel in the New Testament
The New Testament tells us about the Last Supper. It says that Jesus and his disciples "sang a psalm" or "hymn" after their meal. This happened before they went to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26). Many people believe this hymn was the Hallel. The Last Supper is often thought to be a Passover celebration. Jesus, like other educated Jewish people at that time, likely knew how to sing the Psalms in Hebrew, especially the well-known Hallel psalms. These were a very important part of Passover.
Musical Settings
In Jewish tradition, there are many different melodies for singing Hallel. Some of the Psalms are sung aloud. Others are recited quietly or under one's breath.
Other Uses of "Hallel"
The name "Hallel" usually refers to Psalms 113–118. To be more specific, this is sometimes called the Egyptian Hallel (Hallel Miẓri). This name comes from its mention of the Exodus from Egypt in Psalms 114:1.
The term Great Hallel (Hallel HaGadol) is used for Psalm 136. Some ancient Jewish texts also say that Great Hallel can refer to Psalms 135-136 or even 134-136.
The Talmud also describes Pesukei dezimra (a set of morning prayers) as a type of Hallel.
Modern Hallel Times
Many Jewish communities, especially those who support religious Zionism, say Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). Some also say it on Yom Yerushalayim (the day celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967). The Chief Rabbinate of Israel tells Jews to say Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut. On these days, Hallel is usually chanted aloud during the morning prayer service (called Shacharit). It is said after the main prayer, the Shemoneh Esreh.
See also
In Spanish: Hallel para niños
