Baruch She'amar

לְמַכֵּה מְלָכִים גְּדֹלִים, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: וַיַּהֲרֹג מְלָכִים אַדִּירִים, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: לְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: וּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: וְנָתַן אַרְצָם לְנַחֲלָה, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ

In the Shabbos morning Tefillah, the Tehillim 136 is said, which includes the above verses. First, the tehillim mentions the destruction of the mighty kings, and then afterwards, mentions in particular Sichon and Og, as exemplifiers of the strong and fearful kings. Why are these two kings singled out from among all the kings that were defeated?

The explanation is contained in the concept that not all people opposing the Jews were fitting that the Jews would occupy and inherit their land. As can be seen in the second chapter of Devarim, many lands (Ammon and Moav) were not to become occupied lands of the Jews despite the military victory. However, these lands did become “purified” by the hand of Sichon (Gittin 38a).

As explained in Chullin 60b, even though HaShem stated that the Jews were not to conquer the lands of Ammon and Moav, but when Sichon came and took land from Moav, and then the Jews by defeating Sichon, came to possess lands that had belonged to Moav. Similarly, Og took land from Ammon, which after defeating Og, the Jews assumed possession of this land. Thus, Sichon and Og enabled the lands of Ammon and Moav to become into the possession of the Jews.

And now we can understand the order of the Tehillim.

• למכה מלכים גדולים — Refers to the kings like Ammon and Moav, that the Jews defeated but did not gain any material advantage from this victory
• למכה סיחון... ועוג — After defeating these two kings, who had previously took lands from Ammon & Moav
• ונתן ארצם לנחלה — And then HaShem (in addition to the lands of Sichon & Og) also provided (some of) the lands of Ammon & Moav

וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל

How does one explain the concept of sitting upon the praises of the Jews? What are the praises that enable this? And why does the continuation of this verse (וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה וְאָמַר) refers to angels? The entire verse needs explanation.

First, the word יושב means to indicate the essence as opposed to the position when one stands. One settles on a chair (Shmuel I, chapter 4), and one settles one’s honor on a bed (see Yechezkeil 23), and one settles oneself (דברים א, מו) ותשבו בקדש ימים רבים. This same concept is expressed in the well-known concept בסכות תשבו – תשבו כעין תדורו. The Rabbis understood that the word “sitting” from this verse, is not be understood as the opposite of standing, but to be understood in the concept of one’s existence.

Secondly the Gemara (Chullin 91b) states that the ministering angels above do not say Shirah until the Jews say Shirah below. Thus, the “holy ones” (the angels) sit (actual existence waits) for the praises of the Jews (to say Shirah below). As stated in Yirmiyahu (20, 13) that the תהילות (praises) of the Jews are called Shirah 'שירו לה' הללו את ה'. And, only after the praises of the Jews (their Shirah) do the angels turn to one another and say קדוש, קדוש, קדוש, which is the Shirah of the angels. Thus, the Jews saying Shirah below is necessary to enable the angels to say Shirah above.