Siman 56

The greatness of its status and the greatness of its sanctity of the Kaddish has already been explained at the beginning of the previous siman. And this is our hope for the future, as the prophet said: "And I will be magnified, and I will be sanctified, and I will make Myself known... and they shall know that I am the Lord" – for this is the purpose of creation. And this verse was stated regarding the war of Gog and Magog, for then, instead of His name, may He be blessed, being profaned among the idolaters as it has been until now, His great name will then be magnified and sanctified. And this is its meaning: that "yehei shemeh rabba" in Aramaic is like "His great name" in Hebrew, and it is the name Havayah. And some say that "shemeh" is two words: "shem" Yud-Heh, because from the day the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, it is enough for the world to make use of the two letters of the name Yud-Heh. And the Name is not complete and the Throne is not complete until the seed of Amalek is wiped out, as it is written: "For there is a hand upon the throne of Yud-Heh, the Lord has a war with Amalek." And this is what we supplicate, that the name Yud-Heh shall be magnified and sanctified, and the entire name Havayah shall be in its completeness, as it is written: "On that day the Lord shall be one and His name one," and as it is brought at the end of the third chapter of Pesachim. And this is the name Yud-Heh "rabba," that it shall be further increased: the Vav and the second Heh.

"Be'alma di vera khir'utei" – in the world that He created according to His will. And the kaf of "khir'utei" is weak, according to the law of beged kefet following an ahavy letter. And some say that the kaf is dagesh, for "kir'utei" refers back to "yitgaddal veyitkaddash," that this should be according to His will, and it does not refer back to "di vera." And it is dagesh according to the law of a pause, as is known to the grammarians (the Gra). And proof for this interpretation is from the version "Al hakkol yitgaddal veyitkaddash" that we say on Shabbat and Yom Tov during the removal of the Sefer Torah, where we say there "kir'tzono ukhir'tzon kol yere'av," and it refers back to "yitgaddal veyitkaddash." And here too it is so (ibid.). "Veyamlikh malkhutei" – this is a prayer as it is written: "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth." And in the Sefard version they add "veyatzmakh purkanei viyikarev meshikhei," and some have the version "ketz meshikhei." However, in the saying of "veyamlikh malkhutei," it follows automatically that this is the coming of the Mashiah, as is understood.

"In your lifetimes… speedily and in a near time" – this is a prayer that we should merit to see this in our lives, and that it should be with haste. Because the birth pangs of the Messiah are difficult to endure, we therefore pray that this should be with haste. The term "agala" in Aramaic is like "mehera" in Hebrew, as is found in Berakhot (18b). "And in a near time," meaning: that it should be with haste and in a close time. "And say Amen. May His great name…" – for the shliach tzibbur commands that the congregation answer "Amen," and they answer "Amen." Meaning: would that it be so, that His great name be blessed forever and for all eternity; meaning: after we merit that His great name be magnified and sanctified, it shall remain blessed forever and for all eternity. And not like the First Temple and the Second Temple, after which His name, may He be blessed, was further profaned, but now His great name shall remain blessed forever and ever. And some have the version "and blessed." And this is according to the "some say" that "shemeh" consists of two words, but the main view is according to the first explanation. And this is what our teacher, the Rema, wrote in section 1, that one should not pause between "May His great name" and "blessed," and so it is proven in Sukkah (39a). And it appears to me that his intention is not that he should not pause such that he must say it in one breath, for we explicitly say there that we have no concern regarding that. Rather, his intention is that there should not be a thematic interruption before saying "blessed" afterward, but rather that he should draw them together (and with this, the difficulty of the Magen Avraham, subsection 2, is well settled). And it has already been explained at the beginning of siman 55 that one must answer "Amen, may His great name be blessed" with kavvanah and in a loud voice. And in "yitgadal" the dalet is with a tzeirei, and likewise the dalet of "veyitkadash." "Shemeh" is without a mappiq he. "Mevarakh" is with a kamatz under the bet and a patach under the resh. "Le'alam" is with a kamatz under the ayin. "And for all eternity," and some say "for all eternity" without a vav. And the main view is to say it with a vav, and such is the common custom.

Until where does one answer "Amen. Yehei shemeh rabba" – there are opinions regarding this. Some say that one should only answer until "almaya," and this is the opinion of the Tur. And so it is implied from the Rambam, see there. And the opinion of the Kabbalists is to also answer "yitbarach," and this is the opinion of our teacher, the Beit Yosef, who wrote in section 3: Those who answer only until "le'alam olmaya" are mistaken, for it is forbidden to separate between "almaya" and "yitbarach." Thus far his words, and his source is from the Midrash (see Beit Yosef). And there the intention is regarding an interruption of speech, as is clear to the one who looks there. And in any case, it appears that even in the answering one should not interrupt (Beit Yosef). And so wrote Rabbeinu Bahya in Parashat Shemot on the verse "and their cry rose up to God," and this is his wording: And one must join the word "almaya" to "yitbarach," and one should not interrupt between them at all just as... Thus far his words. And there are those who answer until "da'amiran be'alma" (Beit Yosef in the name of our teacher David Abudarham). And most of the world took as the primary view the words of our teacher, the Beit Yosef, that one answers until "yitbarach," and such is the custom (and the Gra wrote "until almaya"). However, all of this is if the sheliach tzibbur says word for word with moderation. But when he speaks with speed, and by the time the one answering reaches "yitbarach" the sheliach tzibbur is standing at the end of the Kaddish – the individual should say until "da'amiran be'alma." And so I have seen practiced.

The Rambam wrote that after the sheliach tzibbur says "yitbarach," they answer "amen." The Tur wrote that this is not the custom, see there. And certainly according to our custom, where they answer until "yitbarach," the answering of "amen" is certainly not relevant. And they say "yitbarach ve-yishtabach... ve-yitaleh ve-yithalal." Some say that one should not say "ve-yithalal," as there is no need to say more than seven praises corresponding to the seven heavens. From "yitbarach" until "ve-yitaleh" there are seven words, and those who say this count from "ve-yishtabach." The widespread custom is to say it. Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that one must have intent during the answering of the Kaddish, meaning that Kaddish requires intent to understand what one is saying, and to pay attention to this holy prayer. Without intent—it is nothing, and it is better that he should not say it. He further wrote that one should answer in a loud voice, and that one should run to exert effort in order to hear Kaddish, see there.

When the shaliach tzibbur says "Yitgadal veyitkadash shemeh raba," one responds "Amen." And so too after "veyakarev meshicheh," according to the custom of the Sephardim, one responds "Amen." And so too after "berich hu," one responds "Amen." The custom of Ashkenaz is to respond "Berich hu." And after "ve'imru amen," one responds "Amen." Our teacher, the Rema, wrote that one should not pause between "hu" and "le'ela min kol birchata," see there. For he holds that "berich hu" refers to what follows, meaning: "blessed is He above all blessings." But they disagreed with this, for "berich hu" refers to what precedes it, "kudsha berich hu," just as in the holy tongue they say "ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu." And so it is explained from the Rambam, who wrote "Amen" after "berich hu." And so is the simple custom. And "le'ela" refers to "yitbarach veyishtabach," that He should be blessed above all the blessings, songs, and praises that were ever said. And this "vanechamata" requires explanation. And it seems to me that the intent is that behold, the consolations with which the prophets consoled are also great, and for this we say that it should be above the consolations of the prophets. And our sages, of blessed memory, also said this, that all the prophets only prophesied for the days of the Mashiach. But for the World to Come—"no eye has seen..." And during the Ten Days of Repentance, one says "le'ela ule'ela." And then one says "mikol birchata," and not "min kol birchata." And the reason is because there is a count of how many words are in the Kaddish, and therefore when one word is added, one word must be subtracted.

The Tur and the Shulchan Aruch wrote that there are five bowings in Kaddish: when one says "Yitgadal" he bows, and likewise at "Yehei shemei rabba," and at "Yitbarach," and at "Berich hu," and when saying "Amen." The Tur wrote in the name of Rav Nachshon Gaon that four bowings are obligatory and one is optional. However, he considers the fifth bowing to be at "Oseh shalom," see there. There are those who hesitate regarding these bowings (the Gra), because one must not add to the bowings that the sages specified. It appears in my humble opinion that these are not actual bowings like the bowings of Shemoneh Esrei, but rather to stoop slightly, and so one should do. After he finishes the Kaddish he takes three steps, and afterward says "Oseh shalom..." and the custom is to bow a bit according to the words of Rav Nachshon that we brought.

And know that the world is accustomed to saying "half kaddish" and "whole kaddish." And there are those among the masses who think that this is truly a "half kaddish." And it is an error, for in truth the conclusion of the kaddish is only until "da'amiran be'alma." Rather, at the end of the prayer we add the prayer of "titkabel" and "yehe shelama rabba," because since peace is the pillar of the world—therefore after the conclusion of the prayer and we must go out into the air of the world, we request from Hashem, may He be blessed, that there should be peace among us. And we add "oseh shalom bimromav..." Even though it is one matter with "yehe shelama rabba," it seems to me that this is a different prayer. For at first we request that there be peace between us, and afterward we request that even if, Heaven forbid, some dispute should break out—the Holy One, blessed be He, should assist us to make peace just as He makes peace in His heights between two opposites, as the Tur wrote: "oseh shalom bimromav" refers to the angels who are fire and water, and one does not extinguish the other, see there. And for this we say that even if the dispute has reached a difference of opinions of two opposites, nevertheless He should assist us to make peace. And that which they call it "half kaddish" is merely a name.

Our teacher, the Rema, wrote that one should stand when responding to Kaddish and every devar she-bikdusha. Thus far his words. The Maharil did not hold accordingly. And so it is written in the kavanot and in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, that any Kaddish that finds one standing—he should stand until after "Amen yehei shemei raba." And when one is sitting—he does not need to stand (Magen Avraham subsection 4). Nevertheless, since we find that Eglon king of Moab stood upon hearing the word of Hashem—all the more so must we stand (ibid.). And it seems to me that the custom is that for the obligatory Kaddishim within the prayer service one should stand, and for other Kaddishim there is no obligation to stand. He further wrote that one who comes to the beit din and hears the congregation responding to Kaddish, he responds with them even though he did not hear the sheliach tzibbur say "Yitgadal." Thus far his words. That is to say: when he arrives at the time the congregation responds "Amen! Yehei shemei raba"—he responds with them. And it is obvious. He further wrote that when the sheliach tzibbur begins "Yitgadal"—one should say "And now, may the strength of... be magnified." Thus far his words. And we do not practice accordingly. And so there are those who say verses during "Titkabel" and during "Yehei shelama raba," and we do not practice accordingly. And the Ari, of blessed memory, commanded not to say them (as the Magen Avraham wrote in subsection 7, see there).