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Kaddish



The Kaddish (Hebrew word) is a prayer that praises God and expresses a yearning for the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. The emotional reactions inspired by the Kaddish come from the circumstances in which it is said: it is recited at funerals and by mourners, and sons are required to say Kaddish for eleven months after the death of a parent.

The word Kaddish means "sanctification", and the prayer is a sanctification of God's name. Kaddish is only said with a prayer quorum of ten men (minyan), following a psalm or prayer that has been said in the presence of a minyan, since the essence of the Kaddish is public sanctification.

The first mention of mourners saying Kaddish at the end of the service is in a thirteenth century halakhic writing called the Or Zarua. Although Kaddish contains no reference to death, it has become the prayer for mourners to say. One explanation is that it is an expression of acceptance of Divine judgement and righteousness at a time when a person may easily become bitter and reject God. Kaddish is a way in which children can continue to show respect and concern for their parents even after they have died.

The opening words, yitgadal t'yitkadash, were inspired by Ezekiel 38:23 ("Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord") when the prophet envisions a time when God will become great in the eyes of all the nations. The response of the listeners to the first lines of the mourners is a public declaration of the belief that God is great and holy: "May His great Name be blessed forever and ever". This response is central to the Kaddish and should be said out loud.