Y'hey sh'mey raba m'varah l'alam ul'almey alma-ya. (Mourners:)
Yit-barah v'yish-tabah v'yit-pa-ar v'yit-romam v'yit-na-sey v'yit-hadar v'yit-aleh v'yit-halal sh'mey d'kud-sha, b'rih hu, leyla* min kol bir-hata v'shi-rata tush-b'hata v'ne-hemata da-amiran b'alma, v imru amen.
Y'hey sh'lama raba min sh'ma-ya, v'ha-yim aleynu v'al kol yisrael, vimru amen.
Oseh shalom bim-romav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleynu v'al kol yisrael, v'imru amen.
* On Shabbat Shuvah add: ul'eyla.
English
Magnified and sanctified be God's great name in the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom soon, in our lifetime. Let us say: Amen.
May His great name be praised to all eternity.
Hallowed and honored, extolled and exalted, adored and acclaimed be the name of the Holy One, though He is above all the praises, hymns, and songs of adoration which men can utter. Let us say: Amen.
May God grant abundant peace and life to us and to all Israel. Let us say: Amen.
May He who ordains harmony in the universe grant peace to us and to all Israel. Let us say: Amen.
Mourner's Kaddish
Yahrtzeit: (lit., anniversary in the Yiddish language) is the anniversary of the Jewish-calendar date during which someone passed away. Children honor their parents memory and observe their parents Yahrtzeit dates by reciting the kaddish prayer in the synagogue during that day (beginning with the evening services through the afternoon services), giving extra charity, and doing additional learning. If one is in proximity to a loved one's resting place, it is customary to go there (besides on Shabbat or holidays) and recite prayers.
Making a donation to CBI in honor of your loved one for Yahrtzeit is a loving tribute to their memory.
Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) is a term widely used in traditional Jewish literature, to denote the spiritual reward of the righteous in the World to Come.
It is not to be confused with the Garden of Eden mentioned in the Creation (Genesis) as the dwelling place of Adam and Eve.
GEHINNON:
Gehinnon is one of the seven names given to the place designated for the punishment of sinners, once the soul has departed the body.
KADDISH:
Kaddish is a prayer for one's departed which is recited daily during the first year (11 months) after a person's passing. It has the ability to lift the soul out of Gehinnon and bring it to Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden).
On the day of the Yahrzeit, the Kaddish can cause the soul to rise to higher levels in Gan Eden itself. When a person leads the prayer in the synagogue on the Yahrzeit, it can elevate the soul even more than the Kaddish.
The Yahrzeit is a time of judgment for the deceased. Therefore, charity or any good deeds which are done on behalf of the departed can help him or her pass judgment and even be elevated. Some people have the custom to fast on the Yahrzeit. This brings atonement to his or her loved ones.
MISHNAH:
It is customary to study Mishnayot (Mishnah) as a source of merit for the souls of the departed. Allusion to this custom is found in the letters of the Hebrew word "Mishnah". The Hebrew letters which form the word "Mishnah" can also be used to form the word "Neshamah", or soul.
Earliest surviving work of Rabbinic literature, the six divisions of the Mishnah are mainly concerned with Halachah and include elements from compilations of the Oral Torah. Although not a legal code, since it cites different opinions on many subjects, the Mishnah is regarded as authoritative by later generations and has become the basis of the whole halachic tradition.
Four periods are set aside for the study of Mishnayos as a merit for the departed:
(a) The Shivah, or seven day mourning period during which time those visiting the mourners are expected to study mishnayot. Mourners themselves are prohibited from most forms of Torah study on their own during this period.
(b) The Sheloshim, the remainder of the 30 day mourning period commencing from the burial during which time the mourners themselves also may study.
(c) During the first year until the first Yahrzeit or anniversary of the death (as recorded in the Jewish calendar), and
(d) Each year on the Yahrzeit.
O.B.M.:
O.B.M. is an abbreviation for "Of Blessed Memory".
YAHRZEIT:
Yahrzeit is the yearly anniversary of the death of a father, mother, relative, or member of one's extended family such as grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters. There is a universal Jewish custom to light a special candle which burns for at least 24 hours on the day of the Yahrzeit. This is an act of great respect for the deceased.
YIZKOR:
Yizkor is the ancient custom of recalling the souls of the departed and contributing to charity in their memory. It is rooted in the fundamental Jewish belief in the eternity of the soul.
When physical life ends, only the body dies, but the soul ascends to the realm of the spirit where it regularly attains higher levels of purity and holiness. When life is over, the soul can no longer perform good deeds. But there is a way that the disembodied soul can derive new sources of merit.
History is a continuum.
If we, the living, give charity or do good deeds due to the lasting influence or in memory of a departed parent or other loved one, the merit is truly that of the soul in its spiritual realm. Moreover, G-d in His mercy, credits our deed to the departed one because he or she too would have done the same were it possible.
Even if the departed one was too poor to have made contributions to charity, the soul benefits nonetheless, because it may be assumed that he or she would have been charitable had sufficient means been available.
But mere intentions do nent can achieve this purpose.
Customarily, a Yizkor service is not obligatory for children with living parents.
