Structure of Tefilla
1. Main part of tefilla. The main part of Shacharis is Shemoneh Esrei. Prior to that, we fulfill the mitzva d’Oraisa of Krias Shema if it is within the first three hours of the day. Chazal also instituted brachos before Shema and after Shema, before Shemoneh Esrei, the zman of which is until the end of the fourth hour of the day (see at length Issue 109 regarding sof zman Kriyas Shema and tefilla).
2. Pesukei d’Zimra. Chazal also instituted the saying of pesukim praising Hashem before we daven. There are multiple reasons given for this, as we will now go through.
Reasons for Pesukei d’Zimra
3. Praise, then requests. One reason for Pesukei d’Zimra is based on R’ Simlai’s drasha: One should always set forth Hashem’s praises and only afterward daven. This is based on the tefilla of Moshe Rabbeinu (גמ' ברכות ל''ב ע''א ), who first said, “אתה החלות להראות את עבדך את גדלך וכו' אשר מי קל בשמים ובארץ אשר יעשה כמעשיך וכגבורתיך ,” and only then requested “אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה ” (דברים ג', כ''ג ).
4. Simcha shel mitzva. Another reason given by the Rishonim is based on the Gemara in Brachos (דף ל''א ע''א ) which says we do not daven from a state of frivolity or levity; we daven from a state of seriousness and simcha shel mitzva, e.g., engaging in divrei Torah. Thus, we say Pesukei d’Zimra before Shemoneh Esrei so that our tefilla is from a state of simcha shel mitzva (תוס' ברכות שם, רא''ש, טור סי' נ''א ). When we first relate Hashem’s praises, the tefilla is desirable to Hashem and accepted (שו''ע הרב סי' נ''ב ).
