Tefillah Tips - Hallelukah Ki Tov – 6

Enu Lashem Betodah Zamru Leylokaynu Bechinor – Speak out to Hashem with Thanksgiving and Sing unto Elokenu/ our G-d with a harp.

The Malbim explains that the two parts of the verse represent different levels of thanksgiving and appreciation. Enu Lashem Betodah- Speak out to Hashem with Thanksgiving is the wholehearted expression verbally of thanks for the overwhelming good that is granted to the entire world. Any thinking / feeling person can and should recognize the beautiful, sensational and benevolent natural world that we live in. Zamru Leylokaynu Bechinor - Sing unto Elokenu /our G-d with a harp. The name of G-d, Elokenu represents the divine providence G-d has provided and provides for the Jews throughout history and until today. How else can we explain our miraculous history, present and destiny! Therefore, King David calls upon us to demonstrate a stronger and more powerful expression of thanksgiving through an instrument – the harp.

Rav Avigdor Miller z”l points to four dimensions of thanksgiving that are presennt in the verse: intellectual, verbal, song and instrumental. These are four separate and different forms of expression – each incrementally more refined than the previous one.

1. Todah – First one intellectually grasps and realizes the good being received.

2. Enu – One may then verbalize their thoughts.

3. Zamru – Composing and performing a melody expresses joy and wisdom with sophisticaiton.

4. Kinor – with an instrument i.e. harp – strengthens the demonstration of joy.

Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Ephraim Epstein