Jewish prayers for the dead?
06/18/25 6:37pm
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The most common prayer that's used when a person dies is the “Kaddish,” which the immediate family recites. “Kaddish” means to sanctify, to make holy. Strangely, the Kaddish doesn't say anything about the deceased, or about people mourning, but it's a declaration of the importance of making God's name great in the world. That's what the Kaddish is.
It goes, “Yisgadal be yisgadash shemei rabba, may God's name be made great.” And the belief is that every human being holds a spark of God inside of them. In our job, in our mission, every person is to shine that light on the world and make the world a better place. So when God takes someone from this world, it's almost like a piece of God is missing from this world, although that's not really possible because God's everywhere, but it's like that light is removed, and the family members say the Kaddish to replace that beautiful light that that person carried, a godly light that that person carried inside of them. That’s the Kaddish.
For a parent, it's done for 11 months, every single day. For siblings, it could be done for 30 days, and different family members have different lengths of time they're supposed to say the Kaddish.
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It goes, “Yisgadal be yisgadash shemei rabba, may God's name be made great.” And the belief is that every human being holds a spark of God inside of them. In our job, in our mission, every person is to shine that light on the world and make the world a better place. So when God takes someone from this world, it's almost like a piece of God is missing from this world, although that's not really possible because God's everywhere, but it's like that light is removed, and the family members say the Kaddish to replace that beautiful light that that person carried, a godly light that that person carried inside of them. That’s the Kaddish.
For a parent, it's done for 11 months, every single day. For siblings, it could be done for 30 days, and different family members have different lengths of time they're supposed to say the Kaddish.
If you’re looking for a Jewish prayer for the dead, I recommend saying “Zichrono livracha.” It means “May their memory be a blessing.” You can also say “Yehi zichro baruch,” which means “May his memory be a blessing.” When someone passes away, we say their name and follow up with either phrase. Some people say “Baruch dayan haemet,” which means “Blessed is the Judge of Truth.”
Following a death, Jewish people observe a week-long period of mourning, known as Shiva. It usually takes place at the deceased’s home, where family and friends gather and talk about them. Kaddish is a prayer that’s recited during Shiva, which can bring strength to mourners. That’s what I love about Judaism—it’s all about community, bringing people together to connect and honor the deceased.
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Following a death, Jewish people observe a week-long period of mourning, known as Shiva. It usually takes place at the deceased’s home, where family and friends gather and talk about them. Kaddish is a prayer that’s recited during Shiva, which can bring strength to mourners. That’s what I love about Judaism—it’s all about community, bringing people together to connect and honor the deceased.
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