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A text of the Qaddish using feminine language for God and for the rabbis and their students. Inspired by Rabbi Debi Shoua Haim of the Reform congregation Kol HaNeshama in Jerusalem, who, in a conversation about feminine-language versions of liturgical texts, challenged me to write a feminine Qaddish variant.
| Source (Aramaic) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
תִּתְגַדַּל וְתִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁכִינְתָּא רַבְּתָא (קהל – אָמֵן) בְּבִרְיָתָא דִּילִידַת כִּרְעוּתָהּ וְתַשְׁלִיט שִׁלְטוֹנָהּ ספרדים וְתַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנָהּ וְתַבַּע לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי (קהל – אָמֵן) בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְּכׇל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲגַלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃ |
Magnified and sanctified be the great Presence (community: Amen!) in the creation that She bore per Her will. May Her rulership rule Sephardim: and Her salvation sprout and She hasten the world to come (community: Amen!) in your lives and in your days in the lives of all Israel, speedily and in a soon time, and say amen. |
(קהל – אָמֵן׃ תֶּהֱוֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא רַבְּתָא מְבָרָכָא לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא׃) |
(community: Amen! May the Great Presence be blessed forever and ever and ever!) |
תִּתְבָּרַךְ וְתִשְׁתַּבַּח וְתִתְפָּאַר וְתִתְרוֹמַם וְתִתְנַשֵּׂא וְתִתְהַדָּר וְתִתְעַלֶּה וְתִתְהַלָּל שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישְׁתָּא בְּרִיכָא הִיא (קהל – בְּרִיכָא הִיא) לְעֵֽלָּא מִן־כׇּל־בִּרְכָן[1] בעשרת ימי תשובה לְעֵֽלָּא לְעֵֽלָּא מִכׇּל־בִּרְכָן וְזִמְרִין תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחָמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃ (קהל – אָמֵן׃) סוף חצי קדיש |
Blessed and lauded and glorified and exalted and elevated and extolled and revered and praised be the blessed holy Presence (community: Blessed be She!) high above[2] During the ten days of repentance: “high, high above” all blessings and songs, lauds and consolations, that we say in this world, and say amen.(community: Amen!) End of the Ḥatsi Qaddish. |
לקדיש דְּרַבָּתָנָן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־רַבָּתָנָן וְעַל־תַּלְמִידְתֵּיהֵין וְעַל־תַּלְמִידְתֵּי תַּלְמִידְתֵּיהֵין וְעַל־כׇּל־מָאן דְּעוֹסְקָן בְּאוֹרַיְתָא דִּי בְאַתְרָא[3] בארץ ישראל יש מוסיפין: קַדִּישָׁא הָדֵין וְדִי בְכׇל־אֲתַר וַאֲתַר יְהֵא לְהֵין וּלְכוֹן שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא חִנָּא וְחִסְדָּא וְרַחֲמִין וְחַיִּין אֲרִיכִין וּמְזוֹנֵי רְוִיחֵי וּפֻרְקָנָא מִן־קֳדָם־אִמְהֵין דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃ (קהל – אָמֵן׃) |
For the Qaddish d-Rabbatanan: On Israel and on our rabbatas[4] A neologism, an Aramaic feminine form for “rabbis” and on their students[5] An Aramaic feminine form, as opposed to the masculine form used in the traditional text and on their students’ students and on all those who delve in Torah, whether in this[6] In Israel, some add “holy” place or in any place, let they and you have great peace, grace and kindness and compassion and long life and ample sustenance and salvation from before their Mother in heaven, and say amen. (community: Amen!) |
לקדיש שלם תִּתְקַבַּל צְלוֹתְהֵין וּבָעוּתְהֵין דְּכׇל־בְּנַת־יִשְׂרָאֵל קֳדָם־אִמְהֵין דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃ (קהל – אָמֵן׃) |
For the Qaddish Shalem: May the prayers and petitions of all the daughters of Israel be accepted from before their Mother in heaven, and say amen. (community: Amen!) |
אשכנזים יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן־שְׁמַיָא חַיִּים טוֹבִים עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: (קהל – אָמֵן׃) |
Ashkenazim: May great peace come from heaven, good life upon us and upon all Israel and upon all inhabitants of the world, and say amen. (community: Amen!) |
ספרדים יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן־שְׁמַיָא חַיִּים וְשָׁבָע וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה וְשֵׁיזָבָא וּרְפוּאָה וּגְאֻלָּה וּסְלִיחָה וְכַפָּרָה וְרֵֽוַח וְהַצָּלָה לָֽנוּ וּלְכׇל־עַמָּהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: (קהל – אָמֵן׃) |
Sephardim: May great peace come from heaven, life and satiety and salvation and consolation and refuge and healing and redemption and forgiveness and atonement and relief and rescue upon us and upon all Her people Israel and upon all inhabitants of the world, and say amen. (community: Amen!) |
מוֹצְאֵת שָׁלוֹם בְּעֵינָיו הִיא ספרדים בְּרַחֲמֶֽיהָ תּוֹצִיא שָׁלוֹם עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל־כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: |
May the Finder of Peace in Her eyes[7] A reference to Song of Songs 8:10, as a replacement for the reference to Job 25:2 in the traditional text Sephardim: in Her compassion bring out peace upon us and upon all Israel and upon all inhabitants of the world, and say amen. (community: Amen!) |
Notes
| 1 | בעשרת ימי תשובה לְעֵֽלָּא לְעֵֽלָּא מִכׇּל־בִּרְכָן |
|---|---|
| 2 | During the ten days of repentance: “high, high above” |
| 3 | בארץ ישראל יש מוסיפין: קַדִּישָׁא |
| 4 | A neologism, an Aramaic feminine form for “rabbis” |
| 5 | An Aramaic feminine form, as opposed to the masculine form used in the traditional text |
| 6 | In Israel, some add “holy” |
| 7 | A reference to Song of Songs 8:10, as a replacement for the reference to Job 25:2 in the traditional text |
“קדיש | Qaddish adaptation in Aramaic using feminine language — by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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