Friday, September 16, 2016

Mourner's Kaddish for Rena Moyers


Way back in 1980, Rena conducted the Friday Evening service in Hebrew and English for her own Bat Mitzvah.  She also chanted the Torah portion  for that week in Hebrew at both the Friday Evening and Saturday morning services.
Her Hebrew teacher and the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El (Endicott, NY) was Rabbi David Boros, proudly looking on  as she does the job flawlessly.
Today is the first Friday after the September 11, 2016 passing of our daughter Rena Moyers. Her name will be on the Shloshim (Hebrew: שלושים; "thirty") list, for those who have died in the past 30 days.

The congregation at Temple Shalom (Oxford and The Villages, FL) will say the Mourner's Kaddish, (קדיש, literally "holy"). The central theme of the Mourner's Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of  God's name. Mourners say  this prayer to show that despite the loss we still praise God. (In the spirit of "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Lord".)

I have reproduced the Mourner's Kaddish in Gender-neutral English, transliteration, and Hebrew/Aramaic later in this posting (just below the following photos). You may wish to join us in the praises and read the words as you remember Rena this week and celebrate her life.  

LEFT: Proud daddy Ira chants the Kiddush (prayer of thanks for wine) at Rena's Bat Mitzvah.
RIGHT: Hardly any Jewish event can be celebrated without refreshments, in this case a specially decorated cake:
"Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvah Rena Susan"
We also had a great reception for friends and family at our Apalachin, NY home.

LEFT: Under the tarp in front of our Apalachin, NY home, Ira and Vi standing (Vi with  her hands on the shoulders of her dad, Gilbert Stark). In the background you can see a softball game taking place on our one-acre front lawn.
RIGHT: The front of our home with tarps and picnic tables loaded with food.

THE MOURNER’S KADDISH


[Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish, English modified by Ira for gender neutrality]

English translation
Aramaic / Hebrew
1
May God’s great name be exalted and sanctified.
Yitgaddal veyitqaddash shmeh rabba
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא
2
in the world that was created according to God’s will.
Beʻalma di vra khir'uteh
בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ
3
May God’s kingdom be established
veyamlikh malkhuteh
וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ
4
and may God’s salvation blossom and be near.
[veyatzmaḥ purqaneh viqarev (qetz) meshiḥeh]
וְיַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב(קיץ) מְשִׁיחֵהּ
5
during your lifetime and during your days
beḥayekhon uvyomekhon
בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן
6
and during the lifetimes of all the house of Israel,
uvḥaye dekhol [bet] yisrael
וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל [בֵּית] יִשְׂרָאֵל
7
speedily and very soon! And say, Amen.
beʻagala uvizman qariv veʼimru amen
בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
The next two lines are recited by the congregation and then the leader:
8
May God’s great name be blessed
yehe shmeh rabba mevarakh
יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ
9
forever, and to all eternity!
leʻalam ulʻalme ʻalmaya
לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא
10
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted,
Yitbarakh veyishtabbaḥ veyitpaar veyitromam
יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם
11
extolled and honored, adored and lauded
veyitnasse veyithaddar veyitʻalleh veyithallal
וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל
12
be the name of the Holy One, blessed be God.
shmeh dequdsha berikh hu.
שְׁמֵהּ דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
13
above and beyond all the blessings,
leʻella (lʻella mikkol) min kol birkhata
לְעֵלָּא (לְעֵלָּא מִכָּל) מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא
14
hymns, praises and consolations
veshirata tushbeḥata veneḥemata
וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא
15
that are uttered in the world! And say, Amen.
daamiran beʻalma veʼimru amen
דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
16
May the prayers and supplications
Titqabbal tzelotehon uvaʻutehon
תִּתְקַבַּל צְלוֹתְהוֹן וּבָעוּתְהוֹן
17
of all Israel
d'khol bet yisrael
דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
18
be accepted by our Creator who is in Heaven; And say, Amen.
qodam avuhon di bishmayya, vʼimru amen
קֳדָם אֲבוּהוֹן דִּי בִשְׁמַיָּא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן



19May there be abundant peace from heaven,Yehe shelama rabba min shemayyaיְהֵא שְׁלָמָה רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא,
20[and] [good] life[ve]hayyim [tovim][וְ]חַיִּים [טוֹבִים]
21satisfaction, help, comfort, refuge,vesava vishuʻa veneḥama veshezavaוְשָֹבָע וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה וְשֵׁיזָבָה
22healing, redemption, forgiveness, atonement,urfuʼa ugʼulla usliha v'khapparaוּרְפוּאָה וּגְאֻלָּה וּסְלִיחָה וְכַפָּרָה,
23relief and salvationverevaḥ vehatzalaוְרֵוַח וְהַצָּלָה
24for us and for all God's people [upon us and upon all] Israel; and say, Amen.lanu ulkhol ʻammo [ʻalainu v'al kol] yisrael v'ʼimru amenלָנוּ וּלְכָל עַמּוֹ [עׇלֵינוּ וְעַל כׇּל] יִשְֹרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
25May The One who makes peace in high placesʻoseh shalom bimromavעוֹשֶֹה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו,
26grant [in his mercy] peace upon ushu [berakhamav] yaʻase shalom ʻalenuהוּא [בְּרַחֲמָיו] יַעֲשֶֹה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ,
27all Israel, and all who dwell on earth; and let us say: Amen.v'al kol isra'el, v'al kol yoshvei teiveil; v'imru: Amen.וְעַל כָּל יִשְֹרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן


[Further information adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish,]

  The opening words of this prayer are inspired by Ezekiel 38:23, a vision of God becoming great in the eyes of all the nations.

The central line of the Kaddish in Jewish tradition is the congregation's response: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא (Yehei shmëh rabba mevarakh lealam ulalmey almaya, "May God's great name be blessed for ever, and to all eternity"), a public declaration of the Creator's greatness and eternality.

This response is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew "ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד" (Blessed be God's name, whose glorious kingdom is forever), which is to be found in the Jerusalem Targum (יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרֵךְ לְעָלְמֵי עַלְמִין) (Genesis 49:2 and Deuteronomy 6:4), and is similar to the wording of Daniel 2:20.

The Kaddish ends with a supplication for peace ("Oseh Shalom..."), which is in Hebrew, and is somewhat similar to the Bible Job 25:2.

Along with the Shema and Amidah, the Kaddish is one of the most important and central elements in the Jewish liturgy.


Ira Glickstein


NOTE:  This is the fifth of our virtual  "Sitting Shiva", the traditional Jewish custom of relatives and friends devoting seven days to specially remembering the deceased.

September 11, 2016 - Rena passed away
1) September 12, 2016 - Rest In Peace Rena Moyers, Our Adult Child Who Passed Before We Did
2) September 13, 2016 - Mr.and Mrs. David and Rena Moyers - Their Wedding (and Drama Afterwards)
3) September 14, 2016 - Remembering Rena - Growing Up in Rural Upstate New York
4) September 15, 2016 - Remembering Rena - Education and Professional Life - Tale of Three Shirts
5) September 16, 2016 - Mourner's Kaddish for Rena Moyers
6) September 17, 2016 - Remembering Auntie Rena - Five Nieces and Nephews
7) September 18, 2016 - Remembering Rena - We Will Remember You FOREVER

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