עברית
Prayer and Blessings
Is It Permissible to Recite Kaddish Continuously?
Question
My father passed away about two years ago, and I stopped saying Kaddish at the end of the mourning year. I was told at the synagogue that every year before the yahrzeit, they will tell me when to say Kaddish again. I would like to know if it is appropriate to act this way, or if I may say Kaddish at any opportunity throughout the year? Also, can I say Kaddish in a house of mourning that I am in? And is it permitted to say Kaddish in a yeshiva? Thank you very much!
Answer
On the anniversary of the passing (yahrzeit), it is incumbent upon the son to say Kaddish for the elevation of the soul of the father; this is part of the mitzvah of honoring one’s father and mother. During the rest of the year, it is optional for the son to say Kaddish wherever the siddur instructs to recite the orphan’s Kaddish. If there is no other orphan (one with a deceased parent) who is in the year of mourning, it is customary for someone without living parents to say Kaddish. In a house of mourning (beit avelim) during the seven days of shiva, it is not appropriate for someone other than the mourners to say Kaddish together with them, since all prayers said in the place where shiva is observed ascend for the merit of the deceased, and this should not be taken away from the mourners. Kaddish is recited standing, like the Amidah prayer; however, an elderly person or ill person who cannot stand may say Kaddish while seated. It is important to remember, as is explained in the holy books, that much more pleasure is caused to the father in the world of truth when the son sets fixed times to study Torah and learns whenever he can, far more than the effort the son makes to say Kaddish in his honor.
Wishing you success - Menashe Israel
