עברית
Halachot and Customs
Ending the Recitation of Kaddish After 11 Months
Question
Shalom Rav,
How long after the conclusion of 11 months of mourning for a father is one supposed to stop reciting Kaddish until the end of the year?
Thank you very much
Answer
Shalom Rav,
According to the custom of Ashkenazim, the mourner stops reciting Kaddish after 11 months (Rema, Yoreh De'ah, 394:4).
According to the custom of Sephardim, the mourner recites Kaddish for 12 months, but during the first week of the 12th month, they refrain from saying Kaddish for about a week. After that week, they return to saying Kaddish until the completion of the day marking the end of the year (Chazon Ovadia, Aveilut, Part 3, p. 360-361). However, the Kaddish said after studying Torah and Tehillim (Psalms), as well as after learning Mishnah, Gemara, and the sayings of the Sages, as well as the Kaddish for Rabbinic teachings, can be recited by the mourner during all 12 months (ibid, p. 359, note).
Best wishes,
Hillel Meirs
