The Brachos
7. The Anshei Knesses haGedola instituted two brachos for Pesukei d’Zimra—Baruch She’Amar before and Yishtabach after.
8. Baruch She’Amar. The Anshei Knesses HaGedola established the nusach of Baruch She’Amar based on a note that fell from Shamayim with the nusach on it. It has 87 words. An allusion to this is the pasuk, “ראשו כתם פ"ז ,” i.e., the “head,” or beginning, of tefilla is a bracha with פ"ז [87] words (ס' היכולות לר' ישמעאל כהן גדול, טור, ט"ז סי' נ"א סק"א, מ"ב סק"א ).
9. Yishtabach. Similarly, they established the nusach of a bracha after Pesukei d’Zimra—the bracha of Yishtabach. Some say Avraham established it and alluded to his name in the words א 'דון הנפלאות, ב 'ורא כל הנשמות, ר 'בון כל המעשים, ה 'בוחר בשירי זמרה, מ 'לך יחיד (בן איש חי ש''א מקץ, כף החיים סי מ''ח ). Others say Shlomo HaMelech established it and alluded to his name in the words ש'מך ל'עד מ'לכנו ה'קל המלך (כל בו סי' ה', ארחות חיים ). Others say it is from the time of the Tannaim; yet others say it is from the time of the Geonim (פר''ח ).
10. Yishtabach does not start with the word ברוך because it follows the bracha of ברוך שאמר [ברכה הסמוכה לחברתה ], as both were instituted for Pesukei d’Zimra (שו''ע סי' נ''ד ס''א ). The pesukim and paragraphs between the brachos are not an interruption (מ''ב שם סק''א ) because they are all songs and praises (לבוש ס''א ).
