Faith
Is it permitted to say l'illui nishmat after the first year of death?
Question
Someone posted a status like this: There are people learning Torah, reciting Psalms, and saying l'illui nishmat, etc. And one needs to know an important halachic point: l'illui nishmat is said only in the first year... after a year has passed since the death... it is already forbidden to say l'illui nishmat... Why? It is written in the holy books that when a person says l'illui nishmat for someone who died, for example, two years ago... that soul is summoned to the Beit Din, and that person is startled and alarmed, as if, so to speak, What do you want from me? and they tell him, There is someone here who wants to elevate your soul. And once again he is judged... to see whether he is deserving of this or not.... and this causes great suffering to the deceased........ Only during the week of the memorial service... and in the first year do they mention the name of the deceased. He says that the source is in the Chida and the Arizal. Is that correct?
Answer
Peace and blessing,
There is a rabbi who publicly teaches this, but it is not correct according to halacha. As the great kabbalist the Ben Ish Chai wrote at length in his responsa Rav Pealim (vol. 4, siman 38), and he also proved this from the words of the Arizal. Likewise, the kabbalist Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya wrote in Yaskil Avdi (vol. 7, siman 44, question 11).
And so wrote Maran Hagaon Rabbi Chaim Ovadia Yosef shlit"a in his work Chazon Ovadia (Avelut, vol. 1, p. 353, section 6), that it is proper to say the hashkavah l'illui nishmat the deceased, even after 12 months from his passing.
With blessings,
Menashe Ben Porat
There is a rabbi who publicly teaches this, but it is not correct according to halacha. As the great kabbalist the Ben Ish Chai wrote at length in his responsa Rav Pealim (vol. 4, siman 38), and he also proved this from the words of the Arizal. Likewise, the kabbalist Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya wrote in Yaskil Avdi (vol. 7, siman 44, question 11).
And so wrote Maran Hagaon Rabbi Chaim Ovadia Yosef shlit"a in his work Chazon Ovadia (Avelut, vol. 1, p. 353, section 6), that it is proper to say the hashkavah l'illui nishmat the deceased, even after 12 months from his passing.
With blessings,
Menashe Ben Porat
