Kaddish d’Rabbanan
Kaddish d’Rabbanan, the Rabbis’ Kaddish, is said with a minyan after learning Torah: after a class, after Mishnayot learned in memory of someone who has died, and in the prayers after passages from the Sages. Here it is in Hebrew, sound for sound in English letters, and in translation.
In Hebrew (Ashkenazi text)
- The one saying Kaddishיִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
- The one saying Kaddishבְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ, וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
- Everyoneיְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא.
- The one saying Kaddishיִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
- Congregationבְּרִיךְ הוּא.
- The one saying Kaddishלְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא, דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
- The one saying Kaddishעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל רַבָּנָן, וְעַל תַּלְמִידֵיהוֹן וְעַל כָּל תַּלְמִידֵי תַלְמִידֵיהוֹן, וְעַל כָּל מַאן דְּעָסְקִין בְּאוֹרַיְתָא, דִּי בְאַתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא הָדֵין וְדִי בְכָל אֲתַר וַאֲתַר, יְהֵא לְהוֹן וּלְכוֹן שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא, חִנָּא וְחִסְדָּא וְרַחֲמִין, וְחַיִּין אֲרִיכִין וּמְזוֹנֵי רְוִיחֵי, וּפֻרְקָנָא, מִן קֳדָם אֲבוּהוֹן דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
- The one saying Kaddishיְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
- The one saying Kaddishעֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
- Congregationאָמֵן.
Transliteration
- The one saying KaddishYitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba.
- CongregationAmen.
- The one saying KaddishB’alma di v’ra chirutei, v’yamlich malchutei b’chayeichon uv’yomeichon uv’chayei d’chol beit Yisrael, ba’agala uvizman kariv, v’imru: Amen.
- CongregationAmen.
- EveryoneY’hei sh’mei raba m’varach l’alam ul’almei almaya.
- The one saying KaddishYitbarach v’yishtabach v’yitpa’ar v’yitromam v’yitnasei v’yit’hadar v’yit’aleh v’yit’halal sh’mei d’kudsha b’rich hu.
- CongregationB’rich hu.
- The one saying KaddishL’eila min kol birchata v’shirata, tushb’chata v’nechemata, da’amiran b’alma, v’imru: Amen.
- CongregationAmen.
- The one saying KaddishAl Yisrael v’al rabanan, v’al talmideihon v’al kol talmidei talmideihon, v’al kol man d’askin b’oraita, di v’atra kadisha hadein v’di v’chol atar va’atar, y’hei l’hon ul’chon sh’lama raba, chinna v’chisda v’rachamin, v’chayin arichin um’zonei r’vichei, ufurkana, min kodam avuhon d’vishmaya v’ar’a, v’imru: Amen.
- CongregationAmen.
- The one saying KaddishY’hei sh’lama raba min sh’maya v’chayim aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru: Amen.
- CongregationAmen.
- The one saying KaddishOseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru: Amen.
- CongregationAmen.
What it says
Magnified and sanctified be His great name in the world He created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom 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 for ever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honoured, uplifted and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and songs, praises and consolations that are uttered in the world; and say: Amen.
For Israel and for our teachers, for their students and for all the students of their students, and for everyone who studies Torah, here in this holy place and in every place: may they and you have great peace, grace, kindness and mercy, long life, ample sustenance and redemption, from their Father in heaven and on earth; and say: Amen.
May there be great peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say: Amen.
May He who makes peace in His high places make peace for us and for all Israel; and say: Amen.
In Sephardi, Mizrahi and Hasidic prayer books
As in the Mourner’s Kaddish, Sephardi, Mizrahi and Hasidic prayer books add “וְיַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ” (v’yatzmach purkanei vikarev m’shichei, “and bring forth His redemption and bring near His anointed”) after “v’yamlich malchutei”, answered with Amen. In Sephardi and Mizrahi prayer books, where it is called Kaddish Al Yisrael, the added paragraph asks for less: “יְהֵא לָנָא וּלְהוֹן וּלְכוֹן חִנָּא וְחִסְדָּא וְרַחֲמֵי, מִן קֳדָם מָארֵי שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא” (y’hei lana ul’hon ul’chon chinna v’chisda v’rachamei, min kodam marei sh’maya v’ar’a, “may there be for us, for them and for you grace, kindness and mercy from the Master of heaven and earth”), without the great peace, long life, sustenance and redemption. A longer “y’hei sh’lama raba” and “עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא בְּרַחֲמָיו יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל” follow. Hasidic prayer books keep the Ashkenazi paragraph, with small differences of wording. Follow the prayer book of the synagogue you are in.
In the Ashkenazi text, during the Ten Days of Repentance, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, “l’eila min kol birchata” becomes “l’eila l’eila mikol birchata”, and many also say “oseh hashalom” for “oseh shalom”.
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When is Kaddish d’Rabbanan said?
It is said with a minyan after learning the Oral Torah (Mishnah, Talmud or midrash): after a class in synagogue, after Mishnayot learned in the person’s memory at the shiva, the shloshim or the azkara, and in the prayers themselves after passages of rabbinic teaching, such as the section on the Temple offerings in the morning and Bameh Madlikin on Friday night. Many end their learning with the mishnah “Rabbi Chananya ben Akashya says…”, the last in tractate Makkot, and then say the Kaddish.
Who says it?
In the prayers it is usually said by the mourners and by anyone marking a yahrzeit that day, like the Mourner’s Kaddish. But Kaddish d’Rabbanan also belongs to the learning: after a class or a session of Mishnayot, anyone who took part may say it. Customs differ from one community to another, so it is worth asking the synagogue.
Why does it need a minyan?
Like every Kaddish, it is a prayer of sanctification, said only in a minyan of ten: ten men, in Orthodox practice. Without a minyan the learning is still done in the person’s memory; only the Kaddish is left out.
How is it different from the Mourner’s Kaddish?
It is the Mourner’s Kaddish with one paragraph added before “y’hei sh’lama raba”: “Al Yisrael”, a prayer for the people of Israel, for our teachers, their students and their students’ students, and for everyone who studies Torah, here and everywhere, that they may have peace, grace, kindness and mercy, long life, sustenance and redemption. The rest is the same, apart from a few words that vary between prayer books: “kadisha” (holy) is said mainly in the Land of Israel, and some add “tovim” (a “good” life) and “b’rachamav” (“in His compassion”) in the last two lines.
Common questions
What is said after learning Mishnayot for someone who died?
With a minyan, Kaddish d’Rabbanan. Many also say a prayer for the soul, “Ana Hashem malei rachamim”, printed in prayer books and study booklets for mourners.
Can someone who is not a mourner say Kaddish d’Rabbanan?
Usually, yes: it is said for the learning as well as for the person who died, and whoever learned or taught may say it. Customs differ between communities; if your parents are living, ask your rabbi.
Is Kaddish d’Rabbanan said at the azkara?
Yes, if Mishnah is learned there and there is a minyan: Kaddish d’Rabbanan follows the learning, and the Mourner’s Kaddish follows El Malei Rachamim.