Tefillah:Hodu and Other Verses/0

Hodu and Other Verses

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Overview

The minhag of saying Hodu as part of Pesukei DeZimra seems to have started in Eretz Yisrael as found in מסכת סופרים. The מקור for saying Hodu is already Seder Olam Rabbah which talks about David saying Hodu in the morning.

Hodu was not said in Bavel in the time of the Geonim and was adopted only later in Ashkenaz and France and then in Provence during the beginning of the Rishonim time. In Spain Hodu was added only later to Pesukei DeZimra. But, in Provence and Spain as opposed to Ashkenaz and France they said Hodu before Barukh Sheamar showing that it is not part of the main Pesukei DeZimra.

Introduction

After Barukh Sheamar we say "Hodu" which is the tefillah David said when he brought the Aron in Divrei HaYamim I 16. The same tefillah is found in Tehillim (with small differences). Why do we say the Mizmor from Divrei HaYamim and not from Tehillim, especially since most of Pesukei DeZimra is found in Tehillim?

Tannaim and Amoraim

Saying Hodu is not mentioned explicitly in sources from chazal, but one possible source is Seder Olam Rabbah 14:

ויהי דויד וזקני ישראל ושרי האלפים וגו' (דברי הימים א טו כה), ויביאו את ארון האלהים וגו', ויכל דויד מהעלות העלה וגו', ויחלק לכל איש ישראל וגו', ויתן לפני ארון ה' מן הלוים משרתים וגו', ביום ההוא אז נתן דויד בראש וגו' (שם /דברי הימים א'/ טז), בשחר היו אומרים הודו לה' קראו בשמו וגו' (שם /דברי הימים א'/ טז ח), עד אל תגעו במשיחי וגו' (שם /דברי הימים א'/ טז כב), ובין הערבים היו אומרים שירו לה' כל הארץ וגו' (שם /דברי הימים א'/ טז כג), עד (ואמר) [ויאמרו] כל העם אמן והלל לה' (שם /דברי הימים א'/ טז לו), וכך היו אומרים כל ארבעים ושלש שנה לפני הארון, עד שהביאו שלמה לבית העולמים.

Although Seder Olam Rabbah only talks about David saying Hodu, a lot of people say it's a source for us saying Hodu.

Geonim

The only source from the Geonic period which mentions Hodu¹ is מסכת סופרים which shows that saying Hodu must have been a מנהג ארץ ישראלי.

Rishonim

• Ashkenaz and France - In Ashkenaz and France they adopted the Eretz Yisraeli minhag² of saying Hodu. Although, most people said Hodu always both on chol and on Shabbat, in ספר הפרדס it says that Hodu is only said on chol. The opposite is found in סידור ראב"ן that Hodu is only said on Shabbat since there are more people in shul.
• Provence - In Provence they were influenced by the minhag in France and also started saying Hodu although they said it before Barukh Sheamar to differentiate it from the rest of Pesukei DeZimra since it wasn't really part of it.
• Spain - In Spain the minhag to say Hodu was adopted only later.³ They added it before Barukh Sheamar to show that it wasn't really part of Pesukei DeZimra.

¹ Hodu is mentioned in siddur R. Amram Gaon but only on Shabbat in כ"י מ' וז' which seems to be a תוספת.

² For other examples of Ashkenaz taking the מסורת ארץ ישראלית see...

³ It is first found in the אורחות חיים.