Kaddish

Kaddish (Aramaic, “holy”), in Judaism, an Aramaic prayer that glorifies God and asks for the speedy coming of his kingdom on earth. Originally recited at the conclusion of rabbinic scriptural exposition, the prayer now takes a variety of forms and serves several liturgical functions. A brief form, called half Kaddish, concludes each part of the worship service and is recited at the end of the Sabbath Torah-reading in the synagogue. A longer form, whole Kaddish, is recited at the end of the Tefillah, the major prayer section of each service. A third form, the rabbis' Kaddish, is recited after Talmud study. The best-known form of Kaddish is that recited by mourners at the conclusion of the worship service for the 11-month period of mourning and on the anniversary of the death. A fifth form, recited as part of the funeral service at the graveside, includes a petition for the resurrection of the dead. The medieval association of the Kaddish with mourners is based on a folk belief that this prayer is efficacious in releasing the souls of the dead from purgatory.