Tuesday, July 25, 2006

mourners' kaddish in wartime

"The Kaddish… is basically a prayer, written mostly in Aramaic, expressing praise of God and the yearning for the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth…
...at the end of the service, the last Kaddish is called the Mourners’ Kaddish.

Traditionally, only those who are mourning the loss of a close relative rise and recite this Kaddish, but in some communities, everyone rises."
Here is a version of the Mourners' Kaddish and interpretation by Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center:
(All rise)

Yitgadal V'yit'kadash Shmei Rabah

May the Great Name, through our expanding awareness and our fuller action, lift Itself to become still higher and more holy;
May our names, along with all the names of all the beings in the universe, live within the Great Name;
May the names of all whom we can no longer touch but who have touched our hearts and lives, remain alight within our memories and in the Great Name;

May the names of all
who have died in violence and war
be kept alight in our sight and in the Great Name, with sorrow that we were not yet able
to shape a world in which they would have lived.
(all say: Ameyn)

B'alma di vra chi'rooteh v'yamlich malchuteh b'chayeichun, u'v'yomeichun, u'v'chayei d'chol beit yisrael, b'agalah u'vzman kariv, v'imru: --

May Your Great Name lift Itself
still higher and more holy
throughout the world that You have offered us,
a world of majestic peaceful order
that gives life to the Godwrestling folk
through time and through eternity ----

And let us say, Ameyn (all say: Ameyn)

Y'hei sh'mei rabbah me'vorach
l'olam almei almaya.

So therefore may the Great Name be blessed, through every Mystery and Mastery
of every universe.

Yitbarach, v'yishtabach, v'yitpa'ar, v'yitromam, v'yitnasei, v'yithadar, v'yit'aleh, v'yithalal -- Shmei di'kudshah, -- Brich hu, (All say: Brich Hu)

May the Great Name be blessed and celebrated,
Its beauty honored and raised high;
may It be lifted and carried,
may Its radiance be praised in all Its Holiness –-- Blessed be!

L'eylah min kol bir'chatah v'shir'atah tush'be'chatah v'nechematah, de'amiran be'alma, v'imru: Ameyn
(all say: Ameyn)

Even though we cannot give You enough blessing, enough song, enough praise,
enough consolation
to match what we wish to lay before You –

And though we know that today there is no way to console You when among us some who bear Your Image in our being are slaughtering others who bear Your Image in our being.

Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v'chayyim aleinu v'al kol Yisrael, v'imru Ameyn.

Still we beseech that from the unity of Your Great Name flow a great and joyful harmony and life for us and for all our family, the Godwrestling folk;
(all say: Ameyn)

Oseh Shalom bi'm'romav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol yisrael v'al kol yishmael v'al kol yoshvei tevel -- v'imru: Ameyn.

You who make harmony

in the ultimate reaches of the universe,

teach us to make harmony

within ourselves, among ourselves --

and peace for the Godwrestling folk,

the people Israel;

for our cousins the children of Ishmael; and for all who dwell upon this planet.


(all say: Ameyn)

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