Pesukei dezimra (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָא, romanized: pǝsuqe ḏǝzimrāʾ "Verses of praise"; Rabbinic Hebrew: פַּסוּקֵי הַזְּמִירוֹת pasûqê hazzǝmîrôṯ "Verses of songs), or zemirot as they are called in the Spanish and Portuguese tradition, are a group of prayers that may be recited during Shacharit (the morning set of prayers in Judaism).
[1] The goal of pesukei dezimra is for the individual to recite praises of God before making the requests featured later in Shacharit and the day.
[2] The first source for pesukei dezimra is in the Babylonian Talmud, where it is described as non-obligatory (performed by some people but not others): Rabbi Yosei said: May my portion be among those who eat three meals on Shabbat.
[10]: 169 Rashi commented Talmud Berakhot 4b:16 that the prayer that Jews are required to say thrice daily in order to be assured a place in the World to Come is Psalm 145.
[11] Rashi considered that singing of three psalms 145, 148, 150 in the morning is required of Jewish personal prayer (not communal).
The psalm expresses thanks to God for all the miracles that happen to us each day in total oblivion, as we are routinely in danger without even knowing it.
On Shabbat and holidays of biblical origin (and in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite, also on Hoshana Rabbah), various psalms are added between Hodu and Yehi Khevod.
According to the Western Ashkenazic rite, the hazzan begins ha-gibur la-nezach on Passover, Hakel B'tzatzumot on Shavuot and ha-gadol bi-khvot shemecha on Sukkot.
[19] It is also described in the Book of Life that loudly chanting the word Hamelekh has the effect of driving away accusers from the throne of judgement.
[20] Additionally, the letter ה is dropped off the word היושב, alluding to the fact that now God is sitting on the throne.
Ashkenazi Judaism considers pesukei dezimra to be an obligation on the basis that it is not timebound, and it can be recited at any time of day.