Aliyot | Burial of Shemot | Decorum During Services
| El Maleh Rachamin
| Erev Pesach on Shabbat | Hanukah | Havdalah | High Holidays | High Holiday Dress | High Holidays Preparations
| How to Dress for Shul |
Jewish Books | The
Kaddish | Kedushah | Keriah
Mi Sheberach | the Machzor | Mitzvah Minyanaires | Mourning | Pesach | Prayer
| Proper Behavior in Shul
| Proper Dress for Children in Shul | Purim Ritual
Objects | Ritual Practices | Rosh Chodesh | Seudah Shlishit | Shabbat | Shavout
| Shiva | Traditions
| Visiting the Sick
The Kaddish
Alvin Stern
The Kaddish prayer is found in many places in our Siddur and is used in many
ways during our services. This article will try to explain those differences
and mention some of the traditions revolving around this prayer.
The Kaddish is a prayer of praise about G-d. The first variant is the Hatzi
Kaddish, or Reader’s Kaddish. This form is the short or half-Kaddish (hatzi
means half). It is used to indicate sections of the service. For example, before
calling the Bar or Bat Mitzvah child to the Torah for the Maftir or additional
Aliya, we insert a Hatzi Kaddish on Shabbat morning; other examples are: before
the Borchu (call to prayer) in all morning services, before the Torah service
on Monday and Thursday mornings and both before and after the Torah service
on Shabbat Mincha.
The full Kaddish is called Kaddish Shalem (shalem means complete). This Kaddish
is found at the end of services. Example: just before Aleinu at Shacharit, Mincha
and Ma’ariv; after Hallel on Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot and Rosh Chodesh;
after the Shacharit service on Shabbat and holidays and after Musaph, Mincha
and Neilah on Yom Kippur (services which do not end with Aleinu). This form
of the Kaddish includes the Titkabel verse and ends with Oseh Shalom.
Kaddish Yatom is known as the Mourner’s Kaddish. It is the same as the
full version, except the third verse from the end (Titkabel) is omitted. Again,
there is no reference to death or anything else which distinguishes this Kaddish
from others (except the Titkabel verse). It is simply a matter of who is reciting
the Kaddish — in this case, individuals who have lost a dear one or are
marking a Yahrzeit. This Kaddish occurs at the end of services, including the
Kabbalat Shabbat of Friday night, the end of the morning, afternoon and evening
services, and after certain Psalms near the beginning and end of the Shacharit
service (e.g. the Psalm for the Day). At a minyon held in a shiva house, it
is customary to add a special Psalm at the end of the morning and evening services
and to add a Kaddish recited only by those sitting shiva.
There is a special Kaddish recited by mourners at the grave side at the time
of burial. Kaddish D’Rabbanan is the Scholar’s Kaddish. It is recited
in memory of our sages of ancient days. It is recited after a period of study
such as a selection from Talmud in the morning service (Rabbi Ishmayel Omer)
and after the study session on erev Pesach at the Siyum HaB’chorim (Fast
of the First Born). It includes a whole new paragraph for our scholars and adds
a word in each of the last two verses of the Mourner’s Kaddish. For example,
instead of just asking for peace in Oseh Shalom, we include God’s mercy
by saying B’Rachamov.
The Kaddish is only recited in the presence of a Minyon, since like the Kedusha
prayer, it praises G-d’s name.
There are several customs as to who stands for the Kaddish. When one recites
the Kaddish, one stands. Therefore, mourners rise to recite the prayer. In addition,
when one hears the Kaddish, it is traditional to stand. Thus, you will see several
people stand when the Hazzan recites a Kaddish (whether half or full). In many
shuls, everyone is asked to stand during Mourner’s Kaddish to show support
for the mourners so they don’t feel isolated.
|
