Parshat Terumah
March 3, 2006

Yishtabach

Yishtabach Shimcha Laad Malkaynu - Your name shall be praised forever- is the opening phrase of the final blessing of the section of Shacharit– Pesukei Dezimra.

Despite the fact that this is a blessing, it does not begin with the formula Baruch Atoh because it is a continuation of the blessing at the end of Baruch Sheamar said at the beginning of Pesukei Dezimra (this is called in Jewish Law a Beracha Smucha Lechaverta – a blessing connected to another). The psalms and verses we recite in between are relevant praises and therefore are appropriately inserted between the opening and closing blessings.

The opening phrase - Yishtabach Shimcha Laad Malkaynu - Your name shall be praised forever states that despite the fact that we could never properly express sufficient praise and acknowledgement of our Creator we are nevertheless concluding this segment of our prayers and advancing to a new arena.

Rav Schwab zt”l points out in the beginning of his book On Prayer that the structure of our prayer service is organized like a processional through the Beit Hamikdash starting with the Ezrat Nashim outside the gates of the Temple and advancing through the courtyards to the Ulam /Antechamber, making our way into the Haychal / Holy place and continuing on to find ourselves symbolically in the Holy of Holies beseeching G-d with our private Amidah.

It is alluded to in Yishtabach that this is the concluding prayer before advancing from the Ulam to the Haychal. First it says Yishtabach Shimcha...Hae-l Hamelech, then it says Baruch atoh .Hae-l Hamelech, but at the conclusion it states Habocher…Melech E-l Chey Haolomim. The switch in order indicates that a transition has taken place.

May we merit utilizing our prayers properly to not only symbolically enter the Beit Hamikdash, but to see the third Temple rebuilt in our days.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Ephraim Epstein

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