11/21/2023 0 Comments Kaddish in russian transliteration![]() Reciting Kaddish for a parent “gives the son or daughter an opportunity to receive communal sympathy for this entire time and even to channel his or her own bereftness into positive action,” writes Rabbi Judith Hauptman. Saying Kaddish also can provide much-needed routine and structure in a life that has been upended by loss, and participating in a ritual Jews have been practicing for centuries gives one a feeling of being part of something larger. Kelman and Fendel note: “Often, it is very difficult to know what to say to a mourner, and yet when the minyan responds with the appropriate words (at the same time that the mourner is standing), it is as if those words and the voices of those present offer comfort, since the mourner senses the presence of everyone around him or her.” But saying Kaddish forces a mourner to join with others,” he writes. “After the death of a loved one, a person might well wish to stay home alone, or with a few family members, and brood. Telushkin notes that reciting the Kaddish is psychologically beneficial because it gets mourners to go out in public and join a community. Is there any reason to say the Kaddish if one is not religious? In the Orthodox world, the issue is more complicated, with some communities supportive of women reciting the Kaddish and others objecting to it. Outside of Orthodox Judaism, the answer is yes. The Kaddish prayer, as Rabbi Elie Kaunfer explains, asks for God’s presence to be made great in the world in the wake of grief and loss. Since Judaism focuses on life, the tradition often sees death as a lessening of God’s presence in the world. Kelman and Fendel note that the “positive, affirming and hopeful nature of the text is in contradiction to the often negative, even depressed, outlook of a mourner, which is part of why recitation is so important.” In Jewish Literacy, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin suggests that “Most likely, people believed that the finest way to honor the dead was to recite the Kaddish, thereby testifying that the deceased person left behind worthy descendants, people who attend prayer services daily and proclaim there their ongoing loyalty to God.” There are many different theories, but no definitive answer. Why was this prayer designated by Jewish law to memorialize the dead? There are also other forms of the Kaddish used in the daily prayers as well as a at funerals. The Mourner’s Kaddish was originally known as the Orphan’s Kaddish and was said only by children for their parents, but now encompasses other mourners. Instead, it “was originally a call for the coming of God’s ultimate reign on earth” and was often said following a study session or sermon, and came to be known as the Rabbi’s Kaddish. In Nihum Aveilim: A Guide for the Comforter, Rabbi Stuart Kelman and Dan Fendel write that the prayer originally had nothing to do with mourning. The prayer was written in Aramaic, because it was the vernacular - the language spoken by most Jews at the time. When did Jews begin reciting the Kaddish? From then on, one recites Kaddish on a loved one’s yahrzeit (the Hebrew anniversary of their death) and at Yizkor (memorial) services. Traditionally, Jews are required to say the Kaddish for 30 days after burial for a child, spouse or sibling, and for 11 months after burial for a parent. For how long does a mourner say the Kaddish? In some Reform congregations, the Kaddish is said even when a minyan is not present. However, Jews who say Kaddish have a range of practices - some people go to services daily to recite Kaddish, while others do so only on Shabbat. Traditionally Jews recite Kaddish three times a day at the daily morning, afternoon and evening prayer services. How frequently do Jewish mourners recite the Kaddish? However, many women recite the Kaddish as well, and it is also permissible to do so for loved ones who are not parents, spouses, siblings or children. Traditionally, Jewish men are required to recite the Kaddish for a deceased parent, spouse, sibling or child. Listen to the Kaddish For whom does one say the Kaddish? Is there any reason to say the Kaddish if one is not religious?Īre there any alternative rituals for people who are unable to make it to services to say Kaddish? ![]()
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