Chatzi Kaddish
| Chatzi Kaddish |
Mishkan T'filah, pages 312
Chanting the Chatzi Kaddish
There are many forms of the prayer called Kaddish. Perhaps the best known is the "Mourners' Kaddish," which we recite near the end of the service in remembrance of loved ones who have died. The Chatzi Kaddish (or "Half Kaddish") is much older than the Mourners' Kaddish. It may be one of the oldest prayers that Jews recite. It appears throughout traditional liturgy to mark the separation between sections of the service. In our Shabbat morning service, we recite the Chatzi Kaddish following the end of the introductory sections of the service and right before the Bar'chu, the "Call to Prayer."
The Chatzi Kaddish is in Aramaic, not Hebrew. In the time of the ancient rabbis, Aramaic was the common language spoken by most Jews. The presence of this Aramaic prayer in the prayerbook shows that the ancient rabbis recognized the importance of praying in the vernacular, the common language of the people. In our congregation, we do the same thing when we recite some of our prayers in English.
The Chatzi Kaddish always marks a moment of transition in the service. The Chatzi Kaddish before the Bar'chu serves to signal worshippers that we have concluded the "spiritual warmup" section of the service and we are about to move into the first major section of the service, called "The Shema and Its Blessings." We respond by standing in attention and setting a personal intention within our hearts for our prayers.
The Chatzi Kaddish is in Aramaic, not Hebrew. In the time of the ancient rabbis, Aramaic was the common language spoken by most Jews. The presence of this Aramaic prayer in the prayerbook shows that the ancient rabbis recognized the importance of praying in the vernacular, the common language of the people. In our congregation, we do the same thing when we recite some of our prayers in English.
The Chatzi Kaddish always marks a moment of transition in the service. The Chatzi Kaddish before the Bar'chu serves to signal worshippers that we have concluded the "spiritual warmup" section of the service and we are about to move into the first major section of the service, called "The Shema and Its Blessings." We respond by standing in attention and setting a personal intention within our hearts for our prayers.
