Yishtabach

Yishtabach (Hebrew: יִשְׁתַּבַּח, romanized: yištabbaḥ, lit. 'Praised be [God]') is a Jewish prayer of acclamation recited at the end of Pesukei Dezimra (פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָא, pĕsûqê de-zimrā’) during the Jewish morning prayer service, Shacharit (שַׁחֲרִית, šaḥarit). Yishtabach precedes the recitation of Chatzi Kaddish (חֲצִי קַדִּישׁ, ḥaṣi qaddiš), which in turn precedes Barechu (בָּרְכוּ, bārĕkû). As a component of Pesukei Dezimra, Yishtabach is preceded by the recitation of Barukh She'amar (בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָמַר, bārûkh šeʾāmar).^[1] Both Yishtabach and Barukh She’amar are blessings, which supports the notion that Pesukei Dezimra is a single, unified prayer for praising God.^[2][3] The author of Yishtabach is unknown; tradition attributes it to Solomon, as the initial letters of words 2–5 form an acronym of his Hebrew-language name "שְׁלֹמֹה" (Shlomó).^[4]

The blessing highlights the number fifteen: fifteen expressions of praise at the start and fifteen words in the closing line. This alludes to a divine name of God, Yah (Biblical Hebrew: יָהּ, romanized: Yāh),^[5] that, in Gematria, is assigned a value of fifteen; there are also fifteen Songs of Ascent in the book of Psalms (Psalms 120–134). Rabbi Ron Isaacs argues that there are two themes of Yishtabach: God's power and might are deserving of praise and adoration, and that one must continually praise God.^[6]

In the Ashkenazic rite, Yishtabach is usually recited while standing. This practice follows a ruling made in the Mishnah Berurah of standing during Barukh She’amar, and since Yishtabach concludes Pesukei Dezimra, they are recited in the same manner.^[7][8] On Shabbat, some Jewish communities, regardless of their rite, sit during the recitation of Yishtabach.^[9] In most Sephardic communities, the blessing is always recited while seated.^[10]