Pesukei dezimra

Pesukei dezimra (Aramaic: פְסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָא, P'suqế dh'zimra "hymnal verses") or zemirot, as they are called in the Spanish and Portuguese tradition, are a group of prayers that are recited daily during Jewish morning services. The prayers consist of various blessings, psalms, and sequences of verses.

The purpose of pesukei dezimra is so an individual will recite praises of God prior to making requests of God which take place later during Shacharit and throughout the day.

Origin

The first source for Pesukei Dezimra is in the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 118b:

Later commentaries to this line explain what Pesukei Dezimra consists of: Rashi said it means Psalms 148 and 150, while Meiri said it means all of Psalms 145-150. Nowadays, it is customary for Pesukei Dezimra to include Psalms 145-150 as well as several other psalms and recitations.

For a long time, these prayers remained optional. But Maimonides said that prayer should be recited in an upbeat mood, and as a result, these prayers became a part of the regular service. Maimonides also said that these prayers should be recited slowly and wholeheartedly, and that rushing through them as many who recite them daily do defeats their purpose.