Many mourners are devoted to the customary recitation of Kaddish for a deceased close relative and struggling with how to do so in the absence of a minyan. If necessary, a woman could recite Kaddish in front of a Minyan, privately. Why did Trump’s impeachment lawyer David Schoen keep putting his hand on his head? I have heard that in the confines of a Bet Hachaim where there is no Minyan present one may say Kaddish for the Met after the burial. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a rosh yeshiva, or head of school, in Israel, has taken a different approach by questioning what would be so terrible about saying Kaddish at home without a minyan. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a rosh yeshiva, or head of school, in Israel, has taken a different approach by questioning what would be so terrible about saying Kaddish at home without a minyan. “May the name of YHVH be blessed from now until forever” (Psalms 113:2). All Rights Reserved. [Originally posted on RabbiDunner.com] Questions and answers with Rav Hershel Schachter shlit”a, regarding situations arising from the … Kaddish is considered a davar shebikdusha, and may not be recited unless a minyan is present.. We need to find ways to nurture strong interpersonal ties — and maintain our traditions — so that our communities will still be there when we are ready to go back to them. The person saying Kaddish is included in the minyan, meaning that there has to be 9 people listening to Kaddish besides for the one saying Kaddish. But we may be deluding ourselves by trying to live normal lives during a pandemic. © 2021 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. ) Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s. There is an origin story of how Kaddish, a prayer originally said after study, became a mourner’s prayer. This text reports on a practical situation where someone could not attend a minyan (either because they don’t live near enough Jews, or simply arrived late to services). Portuguese politician suggests that Israel’s vaccination success is because of Jewish financial power, Court revives challenge to Arkansas law that restricts state business with Israel boycotters. Jewish tradition gets so many of the mourning practices right (surrounding the mourner in shiva, offering stages of mourning up to a year, etc.) In a time when we must be apart to protect one another from a novel and deadly virus, it is painful not being able to recite this prayer together with others. Since Kaddish does not mention God’s name, saying the prayer at home privately, though not ideal, would not constitute taking God’s name in vain. Yizkor is recited four times a year during holiday synagogue services. If so, then you can say kaddish for your mother without going to synagogue. The pandemic has devastated restaurants. In that story, Rabbi Akiva tries to help save a dead man from eternal suffering. Margolioth, p. 80). If you can't find someone locally, Ohr Somayach offers such a service. Donate. Students often tell me that friendships and relationships are stronger when they aren’t conducted through screens and devices, and that they are seeking more personal ways of connecting with one another outside of the classroom. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saying-kaddish-without-a-minyan I had done some research on this subject years ago and I am enclosing below a dialogue I had with the Chair of the Talmud Department of Chovevi Torah regarding this issue which is so relevant today. Mourner’s Kaddish in Aramaic Transliteration Seeking Guidance When Saying Kaddish Rather, the essence is that the children should act in a righteous manner, for in that way they benefit their ancestors…and a person should command his children to perform a certain mitzvah, and if they fulfil that mitzvah, it is considered more worthy than the Kaddish. Remember all the kindness and good deeds that s/he did in the land of the living. But Rabbi Akiva wants to help him. Our ancestors created legitimate substitutions for Kaddish when a minyan wasn’t available, or when someone arrived late to shul, by using biblical verses with words similar to Kaddish — and we would do well to avail ourselves of those solutions now. All of this is missed when someone says the words alone. The choice of these substitute texts is also significant in understanding what we are asking for when reciting the Kaddish — or its substitute. Here are some of the solutions other rabbis are offering, why I believe they fall short and an alternative suggestion. A woman should not recite the Kaddish as part of the services, but she should delegate it to another relative or hire someone for reciting the Kaddish. These arguments are a leap of imagination. Shimon ben Yohai said: Whoever has a son that toils in Torah, it is as if he has not died.” (Genesis Rabbah 49:4). In this case, doing a mitzvah that was particularly important to the loved one can be something “even more worthy than the kaddish.”. for a deceased close relative and struggling with how to do so in the absence of a minyan. Honoring the deceased is really about living a certain life infused with Jewish tradition. While most prayers are a dialogue between God and people, the Kaddish is a conversation between people. Another case would be where two or more people are saying Kaddish at the same time and part of the audience is responding to one person and part to another. Prayer for When There is No Minyan to Say Kaddish. Saying Kaddish Without a Minyan? Since we generally resolve doubts about the rabbinic requirements for a minyan leniently, the argument goes, we can consider videoconferencing as seeing each other — as leading Israeli rosh yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Melamed has reportedly argued. God of all creatures, in whose care is all, turn today in loving-kindness and mercy to my prayer on behalf of the memory of my dear one. ). In another version, he had intercourse with a woman engaged to another man, on Yom Kippur! So what are we to do about Mourner’s Kaddish in this topsy-turvy world without minyans? This offers a possibly meaningful option for mourners, but I believe it obscures the uniqueness of Kaddish. WALTHAM, Mass. Saying Kaddish in a World Without Minyanim (audio/mpeg, 37.45MB) play skip. In the time of the coronavirus, Jewish communities cannot form prayer quorums in person to say the mourner’s prayer — but here's what they can do. Saying Kaddish without a Minyan Isaac Pollak When the Coronavirus evolved there was a discussion regarding saying Kaddish without a minyan. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. And in this a child confers merit on his parent. — Like so many others, I am feeling the spiritual loss and pain of our current inability to learn Torah and pray together in person. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and bring you ads that might interest you. This offers a possibly meaningful option for mourners, but I believe it obscures the uniqueness of Kaddish. The Mourner’s Kaddish: A Memorial Prayer in Praise of God. Finally, when the son knows how to lead the prayers before the congregation, read Torah publicly, and (in later versions) cue the response to Kaddish, the man’s suffering is abated.