Tefillah Corner

Kaddish (Mourner's Kaddish)

קַדִּישׁ

An Aramaic prayer sanctifying God's name, recited by mourners.

8 lines

יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּאבְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ, וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹןוּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵןיְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּאיִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּאלְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא, דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵןיְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵןעֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

Yitgadal veyitkadash shemeh raba Be'alma di vera khir'uteh, veyamlikh malkhuteh bechayeikhon uvyomeikhon Uvchayei dekhol beit Yisrael, ba'agala uvizman kariv, ve'imru amen Yehei shemeh raba mevarakh le'alam ul'almei almaya Yitbarakh veyishtabach veyitpa'ar veyitromam veyitnasei veyithadar veyit'aleh veyithalal shemeh dekudsha berikh hu Le'ela min kol birkhata veshirata, tushbechata venechemata, da'amiran be'alma, ve'imru amen Yehei shelama raba min shemaya vechayim aleinu ve'al kol Yisrael, ve'imru amen Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu ve'al kol Yisrael, ve'imru amen

May His great name be magnified and sanctified. In the world that God created according to the divine will, and may God's kingship reign in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon; and say: Amen. May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity. Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, elevated and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be God, beyond every blessing and song, praise and consolation that is uttered in the world; and say: Amen. May great peace from heaven, and life, be upon us and upon all Israel; and say: Amen. May the One who makes peace in the heights make peace for us and for all Israel; and say: Amen.

Speed
When it's said, and why

The Kaddish is written mostly in Aramaic and is recited at set points in the service. The Mourner's Kaddish is said by those in mourning and on a yahrzeit. Notably, it never mentions death — it is entirely a praise of God's name. It requires a minyan (prayer quorum).

Variation: Ashkenazi and Sephardi versions differ slightly in a few added phrases; the opening lines are shared.

Practice saying it aloud

Optional — read the line out loud and see how close you get.

יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא

Quick check

What language is most of the Kaddish written in?

What does the Mourner's Kaddish talk about?

"Shemeh raba" means: