Shir Shel Yom
Encyclopedia
Shir Shel Yom meaning "'song' [i.e. Psalm] of [the] day [of the week]" consists of one psalm recited daily at the end of the Jewish morning prayer services known as shacharit
. Each day of the week possesses a distinct psalm that is regerred to by its Hebrew name as the shir shel yom and each day's shir shel yom is a different paragraph of Psalms
.
Although fundamentally similar to the Levite's
song that was sung at the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem in ancient times, there are some differences between the two.
, as explained by the beraisa that quotes Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Akiva
:
Shacharit
Shacharit is the the daily morning Tefillah of the Jewish people, one of the three times there is prayer each day.Shacharit is said to have been established by the patriarch Abraham when he prayed in the morning...
. Each day of the week possesses a distinct psalm that is regerred to by its Hebrew name as the shir shel yom and each day's shir shel yom is a different paragraph of Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
.
Although fundamentally similar to the Levite's
Levite
In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"...
song that was sung at the Holy Temple
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
in Jerusalem in ancient times, there are some differences between the two.
Songs for the days of the week
- Sunday: Psalm 24Psalm 24' is the 24th Psalm from the Book of Psalms.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom for Sunday.*On days other than Shabbat, is recited when returning the Torah Scroll to the ark.*Verse 1 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4....
. - Monday: Psalm 48Psalm 48Psalm 48 is the 48th psalm of the Book of Psalms, composed by sons of Korah.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom for Monday.*Verse 2 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4.*Verse 12 is part of the blessings before the Shema....
. - Tuesday: Psalm 82Psalm 82Psalm 82 is the 82nd psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms.God is stationing himself in the assembly of the Divine One; in the middle of the gods he judges.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom on Tuesday....
. - Wednesday: Psalm 94Psalm 94Psalm 94 is one of the psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms. One of the Royal Psalms, Psalm 93-99, praising God as the King of His people.-Judaism:...
, followed (in many communities) by the first three verses of Psalm 95Psalm 95Psalm 95 is part of the biblical Book of Psalms. One of the Royal Psalms, Psalm 93-99, praising God as the King of His people.-Judaism:*Is the opening paragraph of Kabbalat Shabbat.*Is recited on Shabbat Hagadol....
. - Thursday: Psalm 81Psalm 81Psalm 81 is the 81st psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms.-Judaism:*The psalm is recited in its entirety in the Shir Shel Yom of Thursday.*Is recited on Rosh Hashanah in some traditions....
. - Friday: Psalm 93Psalm 93Psalm 93 is the 93rd psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms. One of the Royal Psalms, Psalm 93-99, praising God as the King of His people.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day for the Shir Shel Yom on Friday....
. - Saturday: Psalm 92Psalm 92Psalm 92 , known as Mizmor Shir L'yom HaShabbat, is a psalm ostensibly dedicated to the Shabbat day. Though it is permissible to recite it any day, it is generally reserved for Shabbat and is also recited during the morning services on festivals.-Judaism:*Is recited a total of three times during...
.
Rationale
Each day's shir shel yom was chosen for its ties to that day's significance in the week of CreationCreationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, as explained by the beraisa that quotes Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Akiva
Rabbi Akiva
Akiva ben Joseph simply known as Rabbi Akiva , was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century . He was a great authority in the matter of Jewish tradition, and one of the most central and essential contributors to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha...
:
- On Sunday, LAdonai ha'aretz u'melo'ah (ליהוה הארץ ומלואה, "For God is the land and its fullness") is recited, in reference to the first day of CreationCreation according to GenesisThe Genesis creation narrative describes the divine creation of the world including the first man and woman...
, on which God acquired the universe, bequethed it to mankind and ruled over His world by Himself.
- On Monday, Gadol Adonai u'mehulal me'od (גדול יהוה ומהלל מאד, "Great is God and much praised") is recited, in reference to the second day of Creation, on which He separated the things that he made (the heavens from the earth) and reigned over them.
- On Tuesday, ElohimElohimElohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or...
nitzav ba'adat ElEl (god)is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "deity", cognate to Akkadian and then to Hebrew : Eli and Arabic )....
(אלוהים נצב בעדת אל, "God stands in the divine assembly") is recited, in reference to the third day of Creation, on which He exposed the land with His wisdom, thus preparing the world for His assembly.
- On Wednesday, El nikamot Adonai (אל נקמות יהוה, "Hashem is a God of vengeance") is recited, in reference to the fourth day of Creation, on which He created the sun and the moon and how he will ultimately exact punishment from those who worship them.
- On Thursday, Harninu leilohim uzeinu (הרנינו לאלוהים עוזנו, "Sing joyously to the God of our might") is recited, in reference to the fifth day of Creation, on which He created the birds and the fish to give praise to his name.
- On Friday, Adonai malach gei'ut laveish (יהוה מלך גאות לבש, "Hashem has reigned, he had donned grandeur") is recited, in reference to the sixth day of Creation, on which He completed his work and reigned over his creations.
- On the Sabbath, Mizmor shir leyom haShabbatShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
(מזמור שיר ליום השבת, "A song, a hymn for the Sabbath day") is recited, in reference to the seventh day of Creation, which is a day that is entirely Sabbath.