Kaddish Yasom for the No-Mourner Minyan

Kaddish Yasom for the No-Mourner Minyan

There are many interludes towards the end of the weekday Shacharis prayer, after the tefillos (prayers) of Ashrei and Uva L’Tzion, when Kaddish Yasom (the Mourner’s Prayer) or Kaddish D’Rabbanan (the ”Rabbis’” Kaddish) is recited by a person with a chiyuv (obligation, e.g. within the first eleven months of a parent’s passing, or on the yahrtzeit—anniversary of their passing each year). So if there is no mourner in the minyan (prayer quorum) is there any point in another congregant reciting these Kaddeishim?

These are the reasons some use to argue against their recital: Unnecessary Kaddeishim may be halachically problematic; the Kaddeishim at the conclusion of davening are only a minhag (custom) and absent a chiyuv, may be unwarranted; they may be tircha d’tzibbura (an unnecessary onus on the congregation); and they may cause bittul melachah (wasting people’s work time).

However, the Rama writes in his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch that Kaddish should be said even when no mourner is present in order to elevate the souls of meisim d’kula alma (all the deceased people in the world). According to Kabbalah, reciting all these Kaddeishim uplift our davening and are necessary for the tefillos that we have just recited to achieve aliyas ha’olamos (ascent to the higher worlds).

We should therefore make every effort to have Kaddish recited by another congregant. The compelling reasons in favor of this minhag override the concerns of tircha d’tzibbura and bittul melachah, especially since members of the minyan generally take all Kaddeishim into account timewise. In the absence of a person with a chiyuv, Kaddish Yasom may be recited by any person who has lost both parents. Kaddish D’Rabbanan may be recited even by someone with two living parents.

https://halacha2go.com?number=681

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.