Shacharis > Pesukei D’zimra > Hallelu Min Hashamayim
Based on Sefer Aish Ha’Avodah
The Zohar Hakadosh teaches that from the start of Shacharis until Yishtabach, we should aim to fulfill the mitzvah of Yiras Hashem. But how can we genuinely feel that awe? You can’t just flip a switch and feel Yirah.
The path begins with Hispa’alos – being emotionally moved by the greatness of Hashem. This usually happens through powerful experiences like seeing the wonders of nature, which stir humility and awe. But those don’t happen every morning during davening.
Another approach is deep contemplation—thinking intensely about Hashem’s greatness until it stirs your heart. This is why some people (and many Chabad Chassidim in particular) learn Chassidus before davening to awaken that sense of hispa’alos.
Still, most people struggle to invest that time each day. So how can we merit to experience hispa’alos during a “routine” Shacharis?
The answer is that experiencing something supernatural or investing hours in deep contemplation isn’t the only path to hispa’alos. There’s another way, one built through awareness of countless small details that, when seen together, stir a deep sense of awe.
We don’t feel awe when looking at a few people. But walk into a Siyum HaShas with tens of thousands in attendance. What you are feeling is hispa’alos. A single blade of grass or flower may not inspire us, but take in a sweeping landscape of rolling green hills, bursting with flowers and trees, a river winding through them with a perfectly placed waterfall, and that sense of awe at the grandeur of Hashem’s creations begins to set in. It’s not from one specific detail, but from how all the details come together into something breathtaking.
This is the picture Dovid HaMelech paints in this Hallelukah. He describes how all of creation comes together in a unified chorus of praise to Hashem: angels and Heavenly legions – sun, moon, and stars, the Heavens above, the waters below, and the sea creatures within. Fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy winds, mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars, wild beasts, cattle, crawling creatures and winged birds, rulers and kings, all join in this divine praise.
Many of Dovid HaMelech’s songs in Tehillim follow this approach. He looks around and marvels at the vast detail of creation: the mountains, grasses, oceans, insects, animals of the land, and creatures of the sea.
Pick up a handful of dirt. In your hand are millions of particles. Under a microscope, each reveals an entire universe, filled with even more microscopic structures. Now pause and consider: every single particle exists only because Hashem is actively willing it to be, moment by moment, with precise intention. That alone is enough to spark hispa’alos.
Sometimes Hashem sends us an experience that inspires hispa’alos and yiras Hashem, but even when those moments don’t come to us, we can seek out ways to develop that awe. This is what Dovid Hamelech taught us in Hallelu Min Hashamayim.
Take it to go:
When you say this Hallelukah, take a moment to actually visualize the image of the vivid world Dovid HaMelech is painting. Imagine the entire universe joining in a magnificent song of praise to Hashem. See the angels and Heavenly legions, the sun, moon, and shining stars. Picture the vast heavens above, the waters below, and the countless creatures that fill the sea. Watch as fire and hail, snow and mist, and stormy winds move with purpose, fulfilling His command and praising His name. Let your mind wander to the mountains and hills, the fruit trees and towering cedars, the wild animals and gentle cattle, the crawling creatures and birds in flight. The entirety of creation, lifting their voices in harmony, declaring the greatness of their Creator.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 35 Lag Ba’omer Edition.