Divrei Shoftim
The Wisdom of Hodu
The Shulchan Aruch (in
Orach Chaim 52) brings the case of one who comes to davening late. The halacha
depends upon the degree of tardiness. If one can skip certain parts of tefillah
in order to reach Shemonah Esreh with the tzibbur, he should; if he cannot, he
should simply daven in his normal manner, by himself. (See there for the
details.)
The Mechaber also notes that any part of Pesukei d’Zimra which a latecomer has skipped – even the entire thing – should be recited after davening is over. The Mishnah Brurah there (52:9) adds that this catching-up is an obligation. Why is it so important?
HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l, explains in Nefesh Shimshon that when Chazal designed the siddur, they crafted it so that every part would address a key area of every Jew’s soul. Nothing in our davening – from Modeh Ani to Shir Shel Yom – is superfluous; every component benefits some aspect of our spirituality.
Hodu, said at or near the beginning of Pesukei d’Zimra (depending upon the nusach) is a prime example. At first glance (or even after many years of sleepy recitation), its twenty-nine pesukim seem to have little relationship to each other. Rav Pincus reveals one overarching theme: the revelation and recognition of Hashem’s Oneness in this world. At the outset, we set the tone and declare, “Give thanks to Hashem, declare His name, make His acts known among the nations. Sing to Him, make music to Him, speak of all His wonders.”
This concept finds expression throughout the rest of Hodu. For instance, we say, “G-d of vengeance, Hashem, G-d of vengeance, appear!” When we see Hashem repaying the evil ones, measure for measure, we experience a tremendous boost in our relationship with Hashem. One example is yetzias Mitzrayim, when every plague and krias Yam Suf addressed yet another injustice perpetrated by the Egyptians upon us.
Don’t we already know this idea? After all, at least four times a day we say “Shema Yisroel,” the source for the mitzvoh to acknowledge Hashem’s Oneness. Says Rav Pincus: Chazal saw that we needed more.
Today, we live in a state of “shilton harashah,” the dominance of evil. The ghetto walls that kept out foreign influences have long fallen; today, there isn’t even one “good street,” much less a decent neighborhood. The yetzer hara doesn’t bother with a silver platter to bring the world to us, he uses a silver pipeline, which bubbles and gushes 24-by-7. He manages to divert this flow to every one of us, in a customized and personalized temptation. The Satmar Rav zt”l once said that the average frum Jew today is exposed to more chitzonius in one morning than his ancestors in Europe saw in a lifetime. (He was nifter over twenty years ago, and the drop from his time to now is palpable.)
This tidal wave is only the first step in the yetzer hara’s plan. The message he brings to us is, “Sure, Hashem, with Torah and mitzvos, is in here. But look at that big, fun world out there. Happy, happy, happy, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you enjoy that, too?” Once he has planted in our minds that there is “inside, outside,” the outside works rapidly to devour the inside. The external formalities may continue, but eventually, the outer shell collapses, and there is nothing. Has this process happened? Sadly, it has corrupted and destroyed millions of American Jews in the past century. HaRav Avigdor Miller zt”l said that over the decades, he saw entire Jewish last names slowly disappear from the phone book.
To fight back, we call out, “Hodu!” There is no border; Hashem runs the world -- ain od milvado! Not only do these verses guide our minds in the right directions, but their thoughtful recitation itself also produces enormous benefit to our neshamos.
May we be zochim to keep the awareness of Hashem’s Oneness in mind, always and forever.