An Aramaic prayer sanctifying God's name, best known in its form recited by mourners.
Historical Context
The Kaddish is an ancient Aramaic doxology that magnifies and sanctifies God's name and prays for the coming of his kingdom. Despite its strong association with bereavement, the mourner's Kaddish never mentions death; scholars trace its origins to the study houses of late antiquity, where it concluded sessions of teaching, and several forms of it still mark the divisions of the prayer service.
Use and Practice
Different forms of the Kaddish punctuate the daily services, and the Mourner's Kaddish is recited by bereaved relatives at services during the period of mourning and on the anniversary of a death, traditionally in the presence of a congregation of ten.
References
- Oxford Bibliographies — Jewish Prayer Subscription
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Amidah — The standing prayer at the center of every Jewish prayer service, recited silently while standing.
- Shema — Judaism's central affirmation of the one God, drawn from Deuteronomy 6:4 and recited morning and evening.
Related Across the Site
- The Akathist Devotion — An akathist is a long hymn of praise to Christ, the Mother of God, or a saint, sung standing.
- The Three Daily Prayers Devotion — Jewish devotion is structured by three daily services — morning, afternoon, and evening — built around the Shema and the Amidah.
- Wearing Tefillin Devotion — On weekday mornings, leather boxes containing Scripture are bound to the arm and the head for the morning prayer.
- Amidah Prayer or Creed — The standing prayer at the center of every Jewish prayer service, recited silently while standing.
- Birkat HaMazon Prayer or Creed — The Grace After Meals, a set of blessings of thanksgiving recited after eating a meal with bread.
- Glory Be (Gloria Patri) Prayer or Creed — A short doxology praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, used across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant worship.
- Te Deum Prayer or Creed — An ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, sung on occasions of solemn thanksgiving in Catholic and Anglican worship.
- Trisagion Prayers Prayer or Creed — The opening prayers of Orthodox services and prayer rules, built around the thrice-holy hymn 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.'