The content of the Kaddish prayer is the confession and unconditional acceptance of God’s world leadership, both for the whole and for the individual. This in all circumstances of life, even if we have to sacrifice our lives for the recognition of this. That is why this confession is also expressed when we are faced with the great riddle of death, when the question ‘why’ is asked. This article is taken from the Siach-Jitschak of the NIK. Siach Yitzchak is a prayer book-Tefilla with a Dutch translation by I. Dasberg. The book is used as standard in Dutch synagogues. The book can be purchased at various stores and web shops such as Yehuda Judaica. The price of the book varies from 25 to 30.
Public
The core of the prayer is to say it in public, so with ‘minyan’ (the required ten people for performing the communal prayer) and to glorify what God means to us. A meaning that is embodied in the four-letter Name, the meaning of which can be approximated as:
Who was there, who is there, who will always be there.
Lecture
Originally, this prayer was said after a lecture had been given in which the traditions passed on to the congregation were passed on on the basis of Bible passages and to which a word of comfort with Messianic thoughts was attached. It originated in the Babylonian captivity, which lasted more than ten centuries, when the vernacular was Aramaic. Although there are also sources that provide a somewhat similar text in Hebrew, the text of our Kaddish prayer is in Aramaic, transferred from the school to the synagogue.
Five types
There are five different forms of prayer.
- Kaddish-shalem: the entire Kaddish – pronounced by the reader after finishing a main prayer.
- Khazhi-Kaddish: half Kaddish – only the first two stanzas, spoken by the reader after finishing a certain part of the service.
- Kaddish-Yatom: spoken by someone who is in the mourning year of one of his parents or on the ‘year-time day’.
- Kaddish-derabbanan: with a special prayer for the teachers, said after learning.
- Kaddish-le(it)chadda: spoken at a funeral and also at a sieyum, ending a part of the Talmud, with a different text from the first part, starting with the word: le(it)chaddata.
Text
Cantor:
Let the greatness and holiness of His great Name be mentioned in the world He created according to His will and may He establish His kingdom during your lifetime and during the lifetime of the whole House of Israel, soon and soon. Now say: Amen.
Congregation and cantor:
May His great name be praised forever and ever.
Cantor:
May the Name of the Holy One be praised, mentioned with honor, fame and esteem, exalted, glorified and sung with ecstatic praise, above all expressions of praise, song, praise and comfort that there are in the world be expressed. Now say: Amen.
Congregation:
Accept our prayer with compassion and good will!
Cantor:
May the prayer and supplication of all Israel be accepted before their Father in heaven. Now say: Amen.
Congregation:
Blessed be the name of the Eternal from now and forever.
Cantor:
May much peace come from heaven and live for us and for all Israel. Now say: Amen.
Congregation:
My help comes from the Eternal, the maker of heaven and earth.
Cantor:
Who makes peace in His high realms may also bring peace to us and to all Israel. Now say: Amen.