In a previous post we assumed the natue of pesukah d'zimrah was some form of saying prases to Hashem, whether it be as an intro. to Shemone Esrai or its own takanah to praise Hashem. However, we find that Tosfos has a different approach and that maybe the opinion of the Rambam as well.
Tosfos Berachos 31a ד"ה רבנן understands the reason why we say pesukah d'zimrah is because one should enter prayer from the joy of a mitzvah. The Tosfos Rosh adds the mitzvah is the study of the words of Torah. We see that Tosfos is of the opinion that pesukah d'zimrah isn't said as a form of praise to Hashem, its a fulfillment of studying Torah by reading pessukim from Tanach.
The Rambam Tefillah in Ch. 7 when discussing what every individual says as in the morning prayers, brings pesukah d'zimrah. In Ch.9 he moves to the communal prayer and says it starts from kaddish after yishtoboch. Why is pesukah d'zimrah not prayed as a community? If its a din of studying Torah, we can understand its not part of the order of prayer to demand a communal service.
The Shla Tammid #80 says that the parts of the siddur that
are learning such as איזהו
מקומן, במה מדליקין, ברייתא דקטורת should be said in the niggun of
learning Mishna, not that of prayer. It
should come out that according to Tosfos, one should say pesukah d’zimra as
one would study pessukim, not as prayer.
However, it still needs to be explained why the mitzvah chosen
is specifically learning Torah? Rav
Solovetchik explains the Rambam in positive mitzva #5 cites the Sifri ולעבדו זו תפילה
ואמרו גם כן ולעבדו זה תלמוד. We
see there is a unique connection between learning and prayer; both of them
constitute ולעבדו
as opposed to other mitzvot. It is thus
fitting that it is the mitzvoh that should lead one into prayer for only they
share this quality of ולעבדו. He suggests further that learning Torah itself
is has an aspect of saying praise to Hashem, the Torah itself says כתבו לכם את
השירה הזאת, its called a song. Through
learning Torah, one enters prayer with a mitzvah, specifically one that has an
element of praise to Hashem in it.
Perhaps a more simple approach as to why specifically talmud torah. It says in psalms chap. 19 פקודי ה' ישרים משמחי לב. Which other mitzvah is specifically ascribed the power to cause happiness. And it seems that this is accepted לדינא. Which other mitzvos are forbidden to an avel and to everyone on תשעה באב because they are משמחי לב. Only torah
ReplyDeleteAn interesting idea. Though the Gemorah says simcha of a mitzvah and all mitzvot should be performed out of simcha as Rambam end of laws of lulav says, hence I assume that could apply to all mitzvot. But I hear what your sayung that Torah brings out simcha more.
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