קדיש יתום | Mourner's Ḳaddish — a creative translation by Rabbi David Zaslow

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=35922

Date: 2021-02-28

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Categories: Mourning, Ḳaddish

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Aramaic, devotional interpretation, English Translation, interdependence, interpretive translation, Prayer by Proxy, prayers of orphans, קדיש יתום Mourner's Ḳaddish

Excerpt: A creative, interpretive translation of the the Mourner's Ḳaddish. . . .

Content:

Source (Aramaic)	Translation (English)
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא. (אָמֵן)‏ בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ,   בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃	Highest and Holiest is the incredible Name of God’s Unity. Amen. The Unity of body, heart, mind, and soul that exists in our world and which is continually created and made available by Divine will. May the awareness of God’s unity quickly become apparent in our lifetime, and in our days, and in the lifetime of all those who struggle with Reality. and let us say, Amen.
יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא:	May God’s great Name of INTERDEPENDENCE be blessed forever: in all ways, in all days.
יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, וְיִתְפָּאֵר, וְיִתְרוֹמֵם, וְיִתְנַשּׂא, וְיִתְהַדָּר, וְיִתְעַלֶּה, וְיִתְהַלָּל, שְׁמֵהּ דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.	Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, uplifted, adorned, held high, and hailed is the Name of the Holy One, Blessed Be.
לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא, דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃	The Holy One, the Only One, God, our God Who is at the same time beyond all blessings, songs, prayers, and comforting words which we can possibly speak in this dimension. And let us say, Amen.
יְהֵא שְׁלָמָה רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וְעַל כָּל יִשְֹרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃	May there be an incredible sense of wholeness, completion, peace, and life for us and for all those who wrestle with Reality. And let us say, Amen.
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן׃	May the One who sends this wholeness from the highest, deepest places — may the One send peace to me, to us, to Israel, to the whole world, and to the planet. And let us say Amen.

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Rabbi David Zaslow’s translation of the Mourner’s Ḳaddish was first published in the siddur he compiled and edited, Ivdu et Hashem b’Simḥah (1997, 2003). It was shared by the author in a comment to Reb Zalman’s translation of the Mourner’s Ḳaddish, here.

Source(s)

Siddur Ivdu et Hashem b’Simhah (Zaslow 1997, 2003) p.225

Siddur Ivdu et Hashem b’Simhah (Zaslow 1997, 2003) p.224

 

Contributor: David Zaslow (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: David Zaslow (translation)
  Bio: Rabbi David Zaslow (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1947) serves Ḥavurah Shir Ḥadash in Ashland, Oregon. He was ordained in 1995 by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi under the supervision and mentorship of Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfeld. In 2003 he completed his term as a Spiritual Advisor to ALEPH, the umbrella organization of the Jewish Renewal movement. Before his ordination he served as a rabbinic intern for the Jewish communities Crescent City, CA, Bend, OR, and Redding, CA. During his years as a poet-in-the-schools for the southern Oregon region, David Zaslow wrote and edited more than a dozen of books of poetry as well as two albums of children’s music for publishers like Good Apple; Harcourt Brace Javanovich; and Scott Foresman. In the late 1970s David, along with partner Steve Sacks, co-created what became the Peter Britt Jazz Festival by bringing jazz legends like Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Dizzie Gillespie, Woodie Herman, and dozens of other jazz greats to southern Oregon for the first time. Along with poet Lawson Inada, in 1988 he was awarded an American Book Award for educational materials for a project he co-produced featuring Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows to music composed by Patti McCoy.
  Website: https://rabbidavidzaslow.com
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/david-zaslow

Featured Image:

Title: ḲADDISH
Caption: "ḲADDISH" adapted by Aharon Varady from the cover art for Allen Ginsberg's "Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894-1956)"