Introduction

The purpose of this peirush on the first chapter of Hallel is intended not as a peirush. Of course it’s that too, but when the Rav z”tl spoke about Hallel it was much more than just teaching us teitch of the words or iyunim on the pessukim. He was teaching us how to say Hallel — better yet, how to sing it — and how to be swept up in his gratitude for Hashem’s chassadim, and his excitement of praising Him for גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ, His Greatness and everything He does for us.

Anyone who was zocheh to know Rav Miller can testify to the fact that he was a most happy man. His sweet smile of contentment was a sign of what was doing in his head — he was overflowing with gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for even the most simple things in life and for life itself. And that was his especial avodah of Hallel on Rosh Chodesh: It was a time to reinvigorate that feeling of gratitude and happiness, a time to prepare again for another month of saying thank You to the One he called, “my best Friend.”

And so we hope that the following likut on the first kepitel of Hallel, gathered from more than twenty of the Rav’s tapes, will lift us all up a little closer to the way the Rav said Hallel every Rosh Chodesh. His face was flush with excitement, gratitude and love of Hashem, and it was a spark plug for the rest of the day — a day of thanking Hashem for another month of life — and a catalyst for happiness during the rest of the month.

But before we begin with Hallel itself we’ll first introduce the subject of Rosh Chodesh with two Q&A’s from the Rav where he describes what he often referred to as “the three important elements of the Rosh Chodesh,” and which encapsulated his avodah of the day.