Kaddish

I did yesterday's post in the car while my husband was driving 600 miles. Today we are burying his father. His father died when Daniel was just a little boy, and - contrary to Jewish tradition and his own wishes - he was cremated.

We had a quiet, intimate ceremony. We recited Psalm 23 in both Hebrew and English, and we said the Kaddish prayer. The Kaddish, traditionally said by mourners, does not speak of death. Here is a non-traditional translation that I just found, that uses the same translation for Israel that I used in my translation of the Shema:

Yitgadal v’yitkadash shemai raba . . .

Great and holy is Your great Name
in this world you created by your will!
May your true reign begin
in our lifetime,
in our days,
in the lives of all who Struggle—
swiftly—
soon!

Let your great Name be blessed
for all ages to come—
blessed, praised, glorified, exalted,
extolled, honored, lifted up, lauded
be the Name of the Holy One,
blessed be you,
far beyond all blessings
and hymns and praises and consolations
that are spoken in the world.

Let great peace descend on us from the heavens!
Let life be renewed for us and for all who Struggle!
You who make peace in the heavens,
make peace for us.

Make peace for all who Struggle.

As you can see, it’s not a prayer of mourning at all. It’s a mountain of praise. It’s thanksgiving and acceptance in the face of pain and death. It’s the rebellious act of clinging to life and shouting to the heavens in the face of despair and loss.