Hallel • is collection of six psalms: 113-118. The Jewish tradition remembers that King David wrote the Psalms.
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• is said on the three festivals: Pesah, Shavuot, and Sukkot. It is also said on Hanukkah (but not Purim), and most Jews also say it on Yom ha-Atzma’ut (Israel’s Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). • is also said as part of the Passover Seder. • is the oldest part of the siddur—a cycle of prayers that goes all the way back into the service in the Temple. • is a group of psalms with really good melodies that are a lot of fun to sing. The Talmud (Pesahim 117a-118a) helps us understand the . It teaches that: • is said when Israel is in danger and is said when Israel has been rescued. This teaches us that we can call on God when we need help because God has been there for us in the past when we have needed help. • traces the history of the Jewish people. It has five themes: (1) the Exodus from Egypt, (2) the crossing of the Reed Sea, (3) the giving of the Torah, (4) the giving of eternal life, (5) the coming of the Messiah. • We cannot change the order of the because it tells a story that starts in the past, leads to the present, and has faith in the future. We believe that God will take care of us—because God has taken care of us in the past. 1