Description
As we discussed in the previous shiur, the liturgical poem "Nishmat Kol Hai" is quite ancient and predates the era of the פייטנים. It is mentioned by R. Yohanan as the "Birkat haShir" which is to accompany the fourth (or fifth?) cup at the Seder. After reviewing some of the Halakhic considerations regarding its recitation - including a quick survey of the main approaches among the ראשונים regarding what is said over the fourth cup and if there is a fifth cup, we turn to the text itself and analyze it, line by line, seeing its development from a hymn about personal thanksgiving to a national-historic song of praise to an eschatological vision of universal acknowledgement of God's glory. I then suggest why this was an appropriate poem to be added to the Seder and, from there, to be instituted as the culmination of Psukei d'Zimra - what Haza"l referred to as "the daily Hallel" (הלל שבכל יום).
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