The section of the morning prayer service from Baruch She’amar through Yishtabah is commonly referred to as "Pesukeh De’zimra." The plain meaning of this phrase is, "verses of song." This section contains chapters from the Book of Tehillim (Psalms), and we therefore refer to it as "Pesukeh De’zimra," verses of praise for the Almighty.
The scholars of Kabbala, however, offered a deeper interpretation of this term, one which reflects its underlying purpose and function as part of the morning prayers. The Kabbalists explained that throughout the world there are spiritual forces which could potentially interfere with our prayers. There are all kinds of different spirits – entities such as "Shedim," "Mazikim" and the like – which seek to prevent our prayers from rising to the heavens. These are the same forces which try to interfere as the soul of a deceased person, Heaven forbid, makes its way to the heavens. It is customary at funerals to recite chapter 91 of Tehillim ("Yosheb Be’seter Elyon"), which is a prayer for protection against harmful spiritual forces. (Verse 3, in particular, lists several spirits – "Pah Yakush," "Deber Havot," and so on – from which David petitions God for protection.) We recite this chapter at funerals as a prayer that the deceased’s soul should rise peacefully to its resting place in the heavens, and not be disturbed by the interference of these harmful spirits.
By the same token, our prayers need protection as they make their way toward the Heavenly Throne. We therefore recite the section of Pesukeh De’zimra before praying, in order to "clear the way" for our prayers to ascend to the heavens. The Hebrew verb "Z.M.R." means "prune" or "cut," as in the verse, "Karmecha Lo Tizmor" ("You shall not prune your vineyard [during Shemita]" – Vayikra 25:4). The term "Pesukeh De’zimra" thus means "the verses that cut," referring to the purpose served by this part of the service to eliminate the harmful forces which seek to sabotage our prayers. Similarly, King David proclaims in Tehillim (119:54), "Zemirot Hayu Li Hukecha" ("Your statutes were like songs for me"). David realized that his songs of praise to God served as "Zemirot" – they "cut through" the harmful spiritual forces that threatened him.
This understanding of Pesukeh De’zimra underscores the importance of coming to the synagogue on time to be able to recite this section of the service. All too often, people come late for the Shaharit service and are forced to begin the prayer from "Yoser," skipping Pesukeh De’zimra. When we pray without reciting Pesukeh De’zimra, our prayers run into a brick wall of sorts, as spiritual forces block the path and do not allow our prayers to ascend to the heavens. It behooves us, then, to arrive on time and ensure to recite Pesukeh De’zimra and thereby allow our prayers to achieve their desired effect.
It must also be emphasized that Halacha forbids speaking from Baruch She’amar until the end of the Amida. Many people are, unfortunately, unaware of this Halacha. One must remember to avoid all interruptions from the time he begins reciting Baruch She’amar until he completes the Amida prayer.
Summary: The Pesukeh De’zimra section of the morning prayer service plays a crucial role in enabling our prayers to achieve their desired effect. One must therefore ensure to arrive on time and recite Pesukeh De’zimra, and to avoid speaking from Baruch She’amar until the end of the Amida.
