The sages have provided a "siman" (a way to remember) the days when full Hallel is recited.
[6] Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which are recited as a unit, on joyous occasions[7] including the each day of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot), as well as at Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh.
On all these occasions, Hallel is recited as part of the morning Shacharit prayer service, following the Amidah.
According to the Talmud,[8] there was a dispute between the Houses of Hillel and Shammai regarding the reading of Hallel during the Seder.
[9] On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hallel is not said at all, because as the Talmud states: "Is it seemly for the king to be sitting on His Throne of Judgment, with the Books of Life and Death open before Him, and for the people to sing joyful praises to Him?
The Talmud suggests three reasons for this:[11] Partial Hallel is recited on the last six days of Passover, and on Rosh Chodesh.
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel instructs Jews to recite Hallel during Israeli Independence Day.
[14] Each verse of Psalm 136 concludes with the refrain "for his mercy endures forever" and it contains mention of twenty-six acts of Divine kindness and sustenance for the world.
In the Talmudic era, if rain fell on the morning of a fast day that was declared in response to a drought, this was seen as a sign of Divine favor, in which case "the Great Hallel" was added in the afternoon prayers.
It was premiered by the Carolina Master Chorale under the directorship of Tim Koch in the autumn of 2009.
The New Testament accounts of the Last Supper state that Jesus and his disciples "sang a psalm" or "hymn" after the meal before leaving for the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26), which may have been the Hallel.