Halleluyah--But Not Always

One of the highlights of the prayer services on holidays is the Hallel prayer. Consisting of 6 paragraphs of psalms (113-118) the joyous prayer is sung ecstatically. But like many things in life, not all “Hallels” are the same. On certain holidays, such as the first day of Passover, and the seven days of sukkot, we recite all six paragraphs. On other holidays, such as Rosh Chodesh and the second through the seventh day of Passover, we recite a truncated version of Hallel, skipping two paragraphs in the middle.
In Jewish day school we were taught a lovely lesson: we recite the shortened Hallel beginning on the second day of Passover because our cups cannot runneth over while the Egyptians were drowning in the Sea. The idea originates with a Midrash following the miracle of the splitting of the sea. The angels, upon hearing Moses leading the people in song to thank God for their unexpected salvation, approach God to sing. Before the angels begin God says “the creations of my hands are drowning in the sea, and you want to sing?”
Similar to the custom of removing of drops of wine from our cups when naming the ten plagues during the Passover seder, (which my proper German born grandmother did with a spoon rather than her finger) the Hallel distinction illustrates that our joy must be tempered by the suffering of others, even our former jailers.
Years later I was surprised, even disappointed to learn that the distinction is actually based upon a technicality. Turning to the list of sacrifices in our chapter the Talmud explains that we sing the apocopated version of Hallel on Passover because each day we offered the same number of bulls, whereas on Sukkot a different number of bulls are offered each day. On the first day 13 bulls are offered, on the second 12, 11 on the third…The varied sacrifices allude to the idea that each day of Sukkot is slightly different, and thus deserve the singing of the complete Hallel.
The two explanations, while seemingly unrelated do have a connection. In total there are 70 bulls offered on sukkot (13+12+11+10+9+8+7=70) corresponding to Biblical idea of 70 nations. The descending number, the rabbis teach, indicates the lessening of the nations. However, unlike the drowning of the Egyptians, the diminishing of the nations doesn’t foretell their destruction, but rather leads into to the 8th day when only one bull is offered. The one bull represents the messianic period when the differences that divide people will be eliminated. This vision of the entire world standing together as one, united by our common goals, dreams, and missions, rather than the need to drown our enemies, certainly merits the singing of the entire Hallel. (and for that matter many other joyous songs).

Rabbi Marc Gitler works for 929 North America

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