by Rabbi David Woznica
It is customary for those in mourning to recite Kaddish after the death of a mother, father, husband, wife, sister, brother, son or daughter. After the loss of a parent, a mourner traditionally recites Kaddish daily for 11 months. One is also to say Kaddish on yartzeit (the anniversary of the death) and at yizkor (which occurs four times a year, on Yom Kippur, and the last day of Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot).
One reason to recite Kaddish is to honor the memory of loved ones. Standing among other mourners expresses that while the departed may not be with us physically, they are in our thoughts.
I learned something recently that makes reciting the Kaddish even more powerful. Our tradition holds that the soul lives on and that on the anniversary of death the souls of our loved ones are given a new judgement. And, when we recite Kaddish we elevate their souls.
At the next yartzeit of a family member, in addition to reflecting on what they have done for us, we can do something extraordinary for them. We can come to temple, recite the mourner’s Kaddish and in doing so we elevate their souls. If we keep that in our thoughts, the haunting words of the Kaddish take on even greater meaning — for us and for our departed loved ones.
Rabbi Woznica welcomes your comments at [email protected]