Jewish and Hebrew Prayers for the Dead and Dying A Brief Introduction to Kaddish: The word itself rings deeply within the hearts
of all Jews from all backgrounds, religious, affiliated, and even the very
distant. Amongst the Jewish people Kaddish is probably one of the most
widely known and perhaps least understood parts within the Jewish “liturgy”/prayer
service. Since Kaddish is primarily recited by those in mourning for a
loved one, the context of this revered proclamation is oftentimes misconstrued
as referring to death and various topics associated with mourning. This,
however, is not so. Kaddish is, first and foremost, a declaration of the
Jewish people’s uncompromising belief that in due time the Divine Name
will be One and His Divine glory will be manifest throughout all corners
of the universe. The reality of the Creator, the only true reality, will
become obvious to all. Then the planet, currently dominated by strife,
persecution, and desire for material gain will transform into a repository
for spiritual knowledge as understood through our holy Torah and a place
to cling to the Divine Himself. Secondly, Kaddish proclaims G-d’s ineffable,
incomprehensible greatness and the Jewish people’s inextricable relationship
with Him. It is human nature in times of crisis, tragedy and mourning to
turn away from the Divine. Understandably, there are times when we are
swayed by our emotions, incapable of maintaining the perspective that everything
that occurs in our relatively small universe is only through the will of
G-d and by consequence must be for the best. Amongst other reasons, the
Rabbi’s by means of their profound wisdom designed Kaddish to address this
almost inevitable despair and spiritual alienation. By proclaiming G-d’s
greatness three times a day with fervent concentration, the mourner is able
survive the recent blow and persevere in his spiritual journey. Lastly, the
spiritual strength of Kaddish is not limited to consoling the mourner. Truly,
the primary spiritual purpose of Kaddish lies in elevating the neshoma (soul)
of the recently departed into higher spiritual realms in the afterworld,
granting them greater opportunity to bask in the Divine light for all eternity.
This phenomenon is derived from a verse in Deuteronomy: “Grant atonement
to your nation Israel whom you have redeemed.” (Duet:21:8) The Sages of
old explained this in the Pesikta: “...this refers to the dead who can
receive atonement through the charity of the living.”
Kaddish
Yeetgadal v' yeetkadash sh'mey rabbah (Cong. Amein).
May His great Name grow exalted and sanctified
(Cong. Amen.)
B'almah dee v'rah kheer'utey
in the world that He created as He willed.
v' yamleekh malkhutei,b'chahyeykhohn, uv' yohmeykhohn,
May He give reign to His kingship in your lifetimes
and in your days,
uv'chahyei d'chohl beyt yisrael,
and in the lifetimes of the entire Family of Israel,
ba'agalah u'veez'man kareev, v'eemru: Amein.
swiftly and soon. Now respond: Amen.
(Cong: Amein. Y'hey sh'met rabbah m'varach l'alam
u'l'almey almahyah)
(Cong Amen. May His great Name be blessed forever
and ever.)
Y'hey sh'met rabbah m'varach l'alam u'l'almey
almahyah.
May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.
Yeet'barakh, v' yeesh'tabach, v' yeetpa'ar, v'
yeetrohmam, v' yeet'nasei,
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,
v' yeet'hadar, v' yeet'aleh, v' yeet'halal sh'mey
d'kudshah b'reekh hoo
mighty, upraised, and lauded be the Name of the
Holy One, Blessed is He
(Cong. b'reekh hoo).
(Cong. Blessed is He)
L'eylah meen kohl beerkhatah v'sheeratah,
beyond any blessing and song,
toosh'b'chatah v'nechematah, da'ameeran b'al'mah,
v'eemru: Amein
praise and consolation that are uttered in the
world. Now respond: Amen.
(Cong. Amein).
(Cong. Amen).
Y'hei shlamah rabbah meen sh'mahyah,v'chahyeem
May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life
aleynu v'al kohl yisrael, v'eemru: Amein
upon us and upon all Israel. Now respond: Amen.
(Cong. Amein).
(Cong. Amen).
Oseh shalom beem'roh'mahv, hoo ya'aseh shalom,
He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make
peace,
aleynu v'al kohl yisrael v'eemru: Amein
upon us and upon all Israel. Now respond: Amen.
(Cong. Amein).
(Cong. Amen).
Jews have always relied on Tehillim (Psalms) in
times of trouble. For example, when a relative is sick, people often recite
psalms for their welfare. Psalms can be found in any bible. Some psalms
that are particularly appropriate at this time include Psalm 20, 23, 79,
91 and 123.
MOURNER'S KADDISH
An English Translation
Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout
the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish
His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life
of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all
eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled
and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be
He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are
ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life,
for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
The Meaning of Kaddish
Having read the translation of the Kaddish Prayer,
one should realize that, although Jewish Law requires that the Kaddish
be recited during the first eleven months following the death of a loved
one by prescribed mourners, and on each anniversary of the death (the "Yahrtzeit"),
and by custom in the State of Israel by all Jews on the Tenth of Tevet ("Yom
HaKaddish HaKlali'), there is no reference, no word even, about death in
the prayer!
The theme of Kaddish is, rather, the Greatness
of G-d, Who conducts the entire universe, and especially his most favored
creature, each individual human being, with careful supervision. In this
prayer, we also pray for peace - from apparently the only One Who can guarantee
it - peace between nations, peace between individuals, and peace of mind.
Paradoxically, this is, in fact, the only true
comfort in the case of the loss of a loved one. That is, to be able to
view the passing of the beloved individual from the perspective that that
person's soul was gathered in, so to speak, by the One Who had provided
it in the first place.
As Beruriah, the great wife of Rabbi Meir, consoled
her husband, upon the death of their two sons, with words to this effect,
"A soul is comparable to an object which was given to us - to each individual,
to his or her parents and loved ones, to guard and watch over for a limited
time. When the time comes for the object to be returned to its rightful
owner, should we not be willing to return it? With regard to our sons, let
us therefore consider the matter as 'The L- rd gave, and the L-rd took back,
may the Name of the L-rd be Blessed!' "
Kaddish is a traditional prayer that is said
daily with a quorum of at least ten Jewish males who are over the age of
thirteen. The mourner stands and says the Kaddish while the quorum
responds in unison with the appropriate phrase (to see prayer
click). The Kaddish is said from the day of burial, daily for the
first eleven months, and on the anniversary of the death.
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