Kaddish

This article is about the Jewish prayer. For other uses, see Kaddish (disambiguation).
"Kadish" redirects here. For the village in Iran, see Kadish, Iran.
Not to be confused with Kiddush or Kedusha.

Kaddish (קדיש, Qaddish Aramaic: "holy"; alternative spellings: qaddish, ḳaddish) is a hymn of praises to God found in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy different versions of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between sections of the service.

The term "Kaddish" is often used to refer specifically to "The Mourner's Kaddish", said as part of the mourning rituals in Judaism in all prayer services, as well as at funerals (other than at the grave site – see below Kaddish ahar Hakk'vurah) and memorials. When mention is made of "saying Kaddish", this unambiguously refers to the rituals of mourning. Mourners say Kaddish to show that despite the loss they still praise God.

The opening words of this prayer are inspired by Ezekiel 38:23, a vision of God becoming great in the eyes of all the nations. The central line of the Kaddish in Jewish tradition is the congregation's response: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא (Yehei shmëh rabba mevarakh lealam ulalmey almaya, "May His great name be blessed for ever, and to all eternity"), a public declaration of God's greatness and eternality.[1] This response is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew "ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד" (Blessed be His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever), which is to be found in the Jerusalem Targum (יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרֵךְ לְעָלְמֵי עַלְמִין) (Genesis 49:2 and Deuteronomy 6:4), and is similar to the wording of Daniel 2:20.

The Mourners, Rabbis and Complete Kaddish end with a supplication for peace ("Oseh Shalom..."), which is in Hebrew, and is somewhat similar to the Bible Job 25:2.

Along with the Shema and Amidah, the Kaddish is one of the most important and central elements in the Jewish liturgy. Kaddish cannot be recited alone. Along with some prayers, it can only be recited with a minyan of ten Jews.

History and background

"The Kaddish is in origin a closing doxology to an Aggadic discourse."[2] Most of it is written in Aramaic, which, at the time of its original composition, was the lingua franca of the Jewish people. It is not composed in the vernacular Aramaic, however, but rather in a "literary, jargon Aramaic" that was used in the academies, and is identical to the dialect of the Targum.[2]

The oldest version of the Kaddish is found in the Siddur of Rab Amram Gaon, c. 900. Shira Schoenberg observes that "The first mention of mourners saying Kaddish at the end of the service is in a 13th century halakhic writing by Isaac ben Moses of Vienna, the Or Zarua (literally "Light is Sown"). The Kaddish at the end of the service became designated as Kaddish Yatom or Mourner's Kaddish (literally, "Orphan's Kaddish").[1]

Variant forms

The various versions of the Kaddish are:

All versions of the Kaddish begin with the Hatzi Kaddish (there are some extra passages in the Kaddish after a burial or a siyum). The longer versions contain additional paragraphs, and are often named after distinctive words in those paragraphs.

The Half Kaddish is used to punctuate divisions within the service: for example, before Barechu, between the Shema and the Amidah and following readings from the Torah. The Kaddish d'Rabbanan is used after any part of the service that includes extracts from the Mishnah or the Talmud, as its original purpose was to close a study session. Kaddish Titkabbal originally marked the end of the service, though in later times extra passages and hymns were added to follow it.

The Jewish Encyclopedia's article on Kaddish mentions an additional type of Kaddish, called "Kaddish Yahid", or "Individual's Kaddish".[1] This is included in the Siddur of Amram Gaon, but is a meditation taking the place of Kaddish rather than a Kaddish in the normal sense.

Text of the Kaddish

The following includes the half, complete, mourner's and rabbi's kaddish. The variant lines of the kaddish after a burial or a siyum are given below.

# English translation Transliteration Aramaic / Hebrew
1 May His great namea be exalted and sanctifiedb. Yitgaddal veyitqaddash shmeh rabba יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא
2 in the world which He created according to His will! Beʻalma di vra khir'uteh בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ
3 May He establish His kingdom veyamlikh malkhuteh וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ
4 and may His salvation blossom and His anointed be near.ad [veyatzmaḥ purqaneh viqarev (qetz) meshiḥeh] וְיַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב(קיץ) מְשִׁיחֵהּ
5 during your lifetime and during your days beḥayekhon uvyomekhon בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן
6 and during the lifetimes of all the House of Israel, uvḥaye dekhol [bet] yisrael וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל [בֵּית] יִשְׂרָאֵל
7 speedily and very soon! And say, Amen.a beʻagala uvizman qariv veʼimru amen בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
The next two lines are recited by the congregation and then the leader:
8 May His great name be blessed yehe shmeh rabba mevarakh יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ
9 for ever, and to all eternity! leʻalam ulʻalme ʻalmaya לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא
10 Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, Yitbarakh veyishtabbaḥ veyitpaar veyitromam יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם
11 extolled and honoured, adored and lauded veyitnasse veyithaddar veyitʻalleh veyithallal וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל
12 be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,a shmeh dequdsha berikh hu. שְׁמֵהּ דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
13 above and beyond all the blessings, leʻella (lʻella mikkol) min kol birkhata לְעֵלָּא (לְעֵלָּא מִכָּל) מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא
14 hymns, praises and consolations veshirata tushbeḥata veneḥemata וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא
15 that are uttered in the world! And say, Amen.a daamiran beʻalma veʼimru amen דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
The half kaddish ends here.
Here the "complete kaddish" includes:
16 eMay the prayers and supplications Titqabbal tzelotehon uvaʻutehon תִּתְקַבַּל צְלוֹתְהוֹן וּבָעוּתְהוֹן
17 of all Israel d'khol bet yisrael דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
18 be accepted by their Father who is in Heaven; And say, Amen.a qodam avuhon di bishmayya, vʼimru amen קֳדָם אֲבוּהוֹן דִּי בִשְׁמַיָּא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
Here the "kaddish of the rabbis" (including the kaddish after a siyum) includes:
19 To Israel, to the Rabbis and their disciples ʻal yisrael veʻal rabbanan veʻal talmidehon עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל רַבָּנָן וְעַל תַּלְמִידֵיהוֹן
20 to the disciples of their disciples, v'ʻal kol talmidey talmidehon וְעַל כָּל תַּלְמִידֵי תַלְמִידֵיהוֹן.
21 and to all those who engage in the study of the Torah veʻal kol man deʻos'qin b'orayta וְעַל כָּל מָאן דְּעָסְקִין בְּאוֹרַיְתָא.
22 in this [holy]z place or in any other place, di b'atra [qadisha] haden vedi bekhol atar v'atar דִּי בְאַתְרָא [קַדִישָא] הָדֵין וְדִי בְּכָל אֲתַר וַאֲתַר.
23 may there come abundant peace, y'he lehon ul'khon sh'lama rabba יְהֵא לְהוֹן וּלְכוֹן שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא
24 grace, lovingkindness and compassion, long life hinna v'ḥisda v'raḥamey v'ḥayye arikhe חִנָּא וְחִסְדָּא וְרַחֲמֵי וְחַיֵּי אֲרִיכֵי
25 ample sustenance and salvation um'zone r'viḥe ufurqana וּמְזוֹנֵי רְוִיחֵי וּפוְּרְקָנָא
26 from the Father who is in heaven (and earth); min qodam avuhon di vishmayya [v'ʼarʻa]e מִן קֳדָם אֲבוּהוּן דְבִשְׁמַיָּא [וְאַרְעָא]
27 and say, Amen.a v'ʼimru amen וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
All variants but the half kaddish conclude:
28 fMay there be abundant peace from heaven, Yehe shelama rabba min shemayya יְהֵא שְׁלָמָה רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא,
29 [and] [good] life [ve]hayyim [tovim] [וְ]חַיִּים [טוֹבִים]
30 satisfaction, help, comfort, refuge, vesava vishuʻa veneḥama veshezava וְשָֹבָע וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה וְשֵׁיזָבָה
31 healing, redemption, forgiveness, atonement, urfuʼa ugʼulla usliha v'khappara וּרְפוּאָה וּגְאֻלָּה וּסְלִיחָה וְכַפָּרָה,
32 relief and salvationd verevaḥ vehatzala וְרֵוַח וְהַצָּלָה
33 for us and for all his people [upon us and upon all] Israel; and say, Amen.a lanu ulkhol ʻammo [ʻalainu v'al kol] yisrael v'ʼimru amen לָנוּ וּלְכָל עַמּוֹ [עׇלֵינוּ וְעַל כׇּל] יִשְֹרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
34 fMay He who makes peace in His high places ʻoseh shalom bimromav עוֹשֶֹה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו,
35 grant [in his mercy]g peace upon us hu [berakhamav] yaʻase shalom ʻalenu הוּא [בְּרַחֲמָיו] יַעֲשֶֹה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ,
36 and upon all [his nation]h Israel; and say, Amen.a v'ʻal kol [ammo] yisra'el, v'ʼimru amen וְעַל כָּל [עַמּוֹ] יִשְֹרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.

Text of the burial kaddish

In the burial kaddish, and that after a siyum according to Ashkenazim,i, lines 2-3 are replaced by:

# English translation Transcription Aramaic
37 In the world which will be renewed B'ʻal'ma d'hu ʻatid l'ithaddata בְּעָלְמָא דְהוּא עָתִיד לְאִתְחַדָּתָא
38 and where He will give life to the dead ulʼaḥaya metaya וּלְאַחֲיָאָה מֵתַיָא
39 and raise them to eternal life ulʼassaqa yathon l'ḥayye ʻal'ma וּלְאַסָּקָא יָתְהוֹן לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא
40 and rebuild the city of Jerusalem ul'mivne qarta dirush'lem וּלְמִבְנֵא קַרְתָּא דִירוּשְׁלֵם
41 and complete His temple there uleshakhlala hekhlehh b'gavvah וּלְשַׁכְלָלָא הֵיכְלֵהּ בְּגַוַּהּ
42 and uproot foreign worship from the earth ulmeʻqar pulḥana nukhraʼa m'arʻa וּלְמֶעְקַר פֻּלְחָנָא נֻכְרָאָה מְאַרְעָא
43 and restore Heavenly worship to its position v'laʼatava pulḥana dishmayya l'ʼatreh וּלַאֲתָבָא פֻּלְחָנָא דִשְׁמַיָּא לְאַתְרֵהּ
44 and may the Holy One, blessed is He, v'yamlikh qudsha b'rikh hu וְיַמְלִיךְ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא
45 reign in His sovereign splendour ... b'malkhuteh viqareh בְּמַלְכוּתֵהּ וִיקָרֵהּ

Recent additions to Oseh Shalom

In some recent prayerbooks, for example, the American Reform Machzor,[3] line 36 is replaced with:

36 all Israel, and all who dwell on earth; and let us say: Amen. v'al kol isra'el, v'al kol yoshvei teiveil; v'imru: Amen. וְעַל כָּל יִשְֹרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

This effort to extend the reach of Oseh Shalom to non-Jews is said to have been started by the British Liberal Jewish movement in 1967, with the introduction of v'al kol bnai Adam ("and upon all children of Adam");[4] these words continue to be used by some in the UK.[5]

Notes

Customs

The Kaddish, as used in the services on special days is chanted. There are different melodies in different Jewish traditions and within each tradition the melody can change according to the version, the day it is said and even the position in the service; many mourners recite it slowly and contemplatively.

In Sephardi synagogues the whole congregation sits for Kaddish, except:

In Ashkenazi synagogues, the custom varies. Very commonly, in both Orthodox and Reform congregations, everyone stands; but in some (especially many Conservative and Hasidic) synagogues, most of the congregants sit. Sometimes, a distinction is made between the different forms of Kaddish, or each congregant stands or sits according to his or her own custom. The Mourner's Kaddish is often treated differently from the other variations of Kaddish in the service, as is the Half Kaddish before the maftir.

Those standing to recite the Kaddish bow, by widespread tradition, at various places. Generally: At the first word of the prayer, at each Amen, at Yitbarakh, at Brikh hu, and for the last verse (Oseh shalom). For Oseh shalom it is customary take three steps back (if possible) then bow to one's left, then to one's right, and finally bow forward, as if taking leave of the presence of a king, in the same way as when the same words are used as the concluding line of the Amidah.[10]

Minyan requirement

Masekhet Soferim, an eighth-century compilation of Jewish laws regarding the preparation of holy books and public reading, states (Chapter 10:7) that Kaddish may be recited only in the presence a minyan (at least 10 men).[11] While the traditional view is that "if kaddish is said in private, then by definition it is not kaddish,"[12] some alternatives have been suggested, including the Kaddish L'yachid ("Kaddish for an individual"),[13] attributed to ninth-century Gaon Amram bar Sheshna,[14] and the use of kavanah prayer, asking heavenly beings to join with the individual "to make a minyan of both Earth and heaven".[15]

Mourner's Kaddish

"Mourner's Kaddish"[16] is said at all prayer services and certain other occasions. It is written in Aramaic.[17] It takes the form of Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba, and is traditionally recited several times, most prominently at or towards the end of the service, after the Aleinu and/or closing Psalms and/or (on the Sabbath) Ani'im Zemirot. Following the death of a parent, child, spouse, or sibling it is customary to recite the Mourner's Kaddish in the presence of a congregation daily for thirty days, or eleven months in the case of a parent, and then at every anniversary of the death.[18] The "mourner" who says the Kaddish will be any person present at a service who has the obligation to recite Kaddish in accordance with these rules.

Customs for reciting the Mourner's Kaddish vary markedly among various communities. In Sephardi synagogues, the custom is that all the mourners stand and chant the Kaddish together. In Ashkenazi synagogues, the earlier custom was that one mourner be chosen to lead the prayer on behalf of the rest, though most congregations have now adopted the Sephardi custom. In many Reform synagogues, the entire congregation recites the Mourner's Kaddish together. This is sometimes said to be for those victims of the Holocaust who have no one left to recite the Mourner's Kaddish on their behalf. In some congregations (especially Reform and Conservative ones), the Rabbi will read a list of the deceased who have a Yahrzeit on that day (or who have died within the past month), and then ask the congregants to name any people they are mourning for. Some synagogues try to multiply the number of times that the Mourner's Kaddish is recited, for example, reciting a separate Mourner's Kaddish after both Aleinu and then each closing Psalm. Other synagogues limit themselves to one Mourner's Kaddish at the end of the service.

Saying the Mourner's Kaddish was mostly prohibited for Orthodox Jewish women, but is now becoming more common.[19] In 2013 the Israeli Orthodox rabbinical organization Beit Hillel issued a halachic ruling which allows women, for the first time, to say the Kaddish in memory of their deceased parents.[20] Ephraim Mirvis, an Orthodox rabbi who serves as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, supports Orthodox women saying Kaddish.[21]

It is important to note that the Mourner's Kaddish does not mention death at all, but instead praises God. Though the Kaddish is often popularly referred to as the "Jewish Prayer for the Dead," that designation more accurately belongs to the prayer called "El male rachamim", which specifically prays for the soul of the deceased.

Use of the Kaddish in the arts

The Kaddish has been a particularly common theme and reference point in the arts, including the following:

In literature and publications

(Alphabetical by author)

In music

(Alphabetical by creator)

Online

Onscreen, in film

(Chronological)

Onscreen, in television

(Alphabetical by program title)

Onstage, in dance, theater and musicals

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 "Jewishvirtuallibrary.org". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  2. 1 2 Pool, D. de S., The Kaddish, Sivan Press, Ltd, Jerusalem, 1909, (3rd printing, 1964). (see David de Sola Pool)
  3. Mishkan HaNefesh. New York: Central Conference of American Rabbis. 2015. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-88123-208-0.
  4. Villa, Diana (July 2006). "Addition at the end of Kaddish". The Schechter Institutes. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. Winer, Mark. "Torah from around the world #73". World Union for Progressive Judaism. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  6. Scherman, Nosson, The Kaddish Prayer: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic Sources (Brooklyn, Mesorah Publ'ns, 3rd ed. 1991) page 28; Nulman, Macy, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (Aronson, NJ, 1993) s.v. Kaddish, pages 185–186; see also the pointed Hebrew translations of the Kaddish in the Siddur Rinat Yisroel (Jerusalem, 1977) Ashkenaz ed. page 40, and in Rosenstein, Siddur Shirah Hadasha (Eshkol, Jerusalem, no date, reprinted circa 1945 – but original edition was 1914) page 38; Silverman, Morris, Comments on the Text of the Siddur, Journal of Jewish Music & Liturgy, vol. 2, nr. 1 (1977–78) page 21.
  7. Silverman, Morris, Comments on the Text of the Siddur, Journal of Jewish Music & Liturgy, vol. 2, nr. 1 (1977–78) page 21.
  8. Mishcon, A., Disputed Phrasings in the Siddur, Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 7 n.s., nr. 4 (April 1917) page 545.
  9. Mishcon, A., Disputed Phrasings in the Siddur, Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 7 n.s., nr. 4 (April 1917) pages 545–546; Nulman, Macy, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (Aronson, NJ, 1993) s.v. Kaddish, page 186.
  10. H.D. Assaf, Kaddish: Its origins, meanings and laws (Maimonides Research Inst., Haifa, 1966) 2003 English ed. pages 228–233; M. Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (Aronson, NJ, 1993) page 186.
  11. Blumenthal, David. "Kaddish". Emory University. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  12. "Kaddish Without A Minyan". Ohr Somayach: Ask the Rabbi. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  13. Amram Gaon. "Kaddish L'yachid" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  14. Frydman, Pamela. "Mourner's Prayer without a minyan". Rabbi Pamela Frydman. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  15. Dosick, Wayne (September 5, 2003). "For the Solitary Mourner: A Prayer of Godly Praise". The Forward. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  16. "Text of the Mourner's Kaddish in Hebrew, with English transliteration and translation". Jewfaq.org. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  17. "Why is the Kaddish in Aramaic?" chabad.org
  18. Yahrzeit Customs kaddish-prayer.com
  19. Orthodox Women Embrace The Kaddish thedailybeast.com
  20. Ruchama Weiss; Levi Brackman. "Halachic ruling: Women may say Kaddish". Ynetnews. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  21. Interview: Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis thejc.com
  22. Shai Afsai, "The Kaddish," Jerusalem Post, Aug. 27, 2010.
  23. Goldberg, Denny (January–February 1999). "The ADL vs. Superman". Tikkun Magazine. Berkeley, CA: Tikkun. 14(1) (5). Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  24. "Concordband.org". Concordband.org. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  25. "Kaddishproject.org" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  26. Norris, Geoffrey. "Weinberg Symphony No 21 (review)". Gramophone Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  27. "Beitmalkhut.org". Beitmalkhut.org. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  28. TV.com (2006-05-14). "TV.com". TV.com. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  29. "Written in Dust" tv.com
Bibliography

External links

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