Daily Chidush: The Power Of Saying Kaddish (17 mins)

0:57That the family, especially the children, can do for the parent is to say Kaddish. Now, what's the power of Kaddish? In essence, anyone that studies the Kaddish, I mean, when you read the Kaddish, it's in a very foreign language. Even though it's in Hebrew letters, it's in Aramaic, and it's very difficult for most people to understand. So you need to study it, and you see that each one of those words is actually describing another... adjective of significance of Hashem Yitbarach giving Him another higher level, another compliment. However, the Kaddish is separated into three different parts: complimenting the nation, complimenting Hashem Yitbarach, and so on. But what's the point of saying it? Hashem knows where He stands; Hashem knows who His people are. What's the point of us saying it, and why specifically for someone who has passed away? So our sages explain that when a person comes to the world, the Gemara in Masechet Chagigah says the ultimate purpose of why Hashem created the world is for Himself. In essence, for Him to derive benefit from it, but in reality, for us, because His benefit is to provide good. He is good, so therefore He creates good, and...

2:22But the point of us, of His creation, is to sanctify His name. As the Gemara says, anyone who comes into the world and doesn't try to find a way to sanctify Hashem's name every day, it would have been better if they had not come into the world at all. To that extent, these are very, very scary words spoken by the sages, showing us the impact. of just saying Amen, just saying Kaddish, just praying, just laying Tefillin, just doing a mitzvah, just keeping Shabbat, just anything is really not just. It's a big deal. Why? Because every single one of these commandments, every single one of these praises, every single one of these mitzvot is a way for us to sanctify Hashem's name, which in essence is fulfilling our purpose. In this world... giving us a reason... to even exist... So... when a person is alive... usually the reason why they do anyone a favor...

3:31in reality, it is because they expect something in return. Sometimes it is because they expect money in return, sometimes because they expect honor in return. Sometimes, it feels good in their heart. They don't do it for money or for honor from people, but it still gives them a benefit; it gives them a good feeling in their heart. So there is still, in essence, an intrinsic benefit to doing good for other people who are alive. But when you do good for someone who has passed on... That is the ultimate level of chesed. Why? Because that person that passed away can't give you anything in return. So when the children say Kaddish for their parents, after they pass away, they're doing the ultimate chesed. But at the same token, we need to understand that just like you're praising the name of Hashem, it's obviously giving Hashem glory. It's giving Hashem a greater aspect, giving other people a greater understanding of the significance of Hashem Yitbarach. It's obviously giving Hashem glory. It's giving Hashem a greater aspect, giving other people a greater understanding of the significance of Hashem Yitbarach. At the same time, we have to understand that it all depends on where it comes from. Now, one of the things we had in the korbanot, in the sacrifices, one of the laws we had in the sacrifices of Beit HaMikdash,

4:44is that the sacrifice, the animal that we brought to the Beit HaMikdash, had to be a perfect animal. This we learned in last week's parasha, Parashat Ki Teitzei, and also other places in the Torah, where it talks about the different laws of the korbanot, the sacrifices. One of the main things that it says is that the animal cannot be a ba'al mum; it cannot be a An animal that's imperfect, that has an imperfection, has some type of deformity, such as missing a leg, missing an ear, having a split lip, and so on. This later on, after the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, Hashem told the prophet that your prayers will replace your sacrifices. Your sacrifices. So in essence, our prayers are now in place of our sacrifices. And just like our sacrifices had to be perfect, so do our prayers. So when someone is saying Kaddish, when someone is trying to sanctify Hashem's name, if they truly understand the significance of uttering Hashem's name and sanctifying His name, they would also want to understand that it must also come from a perfect place.

6:00Rabbi Yehuda Petaya, Zekher Tzadik v'Kadosh Livracha, had a book where he wrote different things about various spirits of people that had passed on. These spirits would come to him in his dreams and so on, sharing what was happening in the afterlife. He documented many times how these neshamot (souls) would reach out to him. These neshamot would come to him, and they would tell him, "Please get someone to say Kaddish for me. It helps me. It helps me in Shamayim. It helps me in Gehinnom. Get me out of Gehinnom. It helps me reach a higher level. It helps me. It helps me." They would beg him to find people to say Kaddish. Thus, we already have evidence, both today and in previous generations, that these neshamot continue to exist beyond this life. This life is neither the beginning nor the end. chesed for their loved ones who have passed, they must also ensure that their own spiritual state is pure and sincere. It's not just about the act of saying Kaddish; it's about the sincerity and the personal effort to improve oneself and follow Hashem's commandments. This way, the Kaddish becomes a meaningful act that truly aids the neshama of the departed.

7:22then that is the ultimate form of Kaddish. which He mentions many times throughout all of the Torah. In this week's parasha, Parashat Ki Tavo, He mentions the obligation of keeping the mitzvot 13 times, just to give us a reminder that you're expected and commanded to keep the mitzvot as a man by the age of 13. If we don't, the parasha is full of punishments outlining what happens if we don't. Nonetheless, if someone... wants to do the ultimate Kaddish, they cannot be a ba'al mum; they cannot be deformed. They have to try their best to perfect their neshama by doing teshuva, by starting to keep the mitzvot, by taking Hashem seriously, by learning His Torah, by working on our character traits, by learning Mussar, which is going to develop us and perfect our neshama and make us the best version of ourselves.

8:41That not only helps us, but it helps our Kaddish. And that Kaddish helps our father, helps our mother, helps those people much, much more than a Kaddish from someone who's not keeping mitzvot. Because when someone does not keep mitzvot, their Kaddish, their overall prayer, is a ba'al mum. It's a deformed prayer. It's like saying a compliment right after you've said a curse. It's like giving a kiss right after you gave a smack. It doesn't work. It's dirty. It's not looking good. And some say when someone does not keep Shabbat, because the Shulchan Aruch judges them as an idol worshiper, our book of laws judges them as an idol worshiper. The Rambam says they're an idol worshiper. judge them as an idol worshiper. Our book of laws judges them as an idol worshiper. The Rambam says they're an idol worshiper. They're not actually idol worshipers; rather, they're putting their Judaism on suspension. They're essentially considered a ba'al mum at that moment because they're violating the significant covenant between Am Yisrael and Hashem Yitbarach of keeping Shabbat. Then what happens is that there is actually a machloket - a debate - about whether people are even allowed to...

9:53to say "amen" to their Kaddish. Why? Because you can't say "amen" to a prayer of an idol worshiper. And even though, per se, they're not idol worshipping—they're not going to worship Buddha or JC Penny or any of these foolish idols—by violating Shabbat, in heaven, they are judged as an idol worshiper. So here... you'll notice that in the Knesset, there's usually never only one person saying Kaddish. There's usually multiple people saying Kaddish. And the reason why is because the rabbis of these shuls are smart. They know that sometimes someone says Kaddish, but in reality, they're a baal mum. They don't keep Shabbat. They don't keep mitzvot. So really, we can't say amen to their prayer. It's not even helping anyone. It's actually potentially even hurting the shem shamayim. because they left behind someone who is not keeping mitzvot. So let's connect them with someone else who is keeping mitzvot. When everyone is saying amen, in reality, they're saying amen to the righteous person who is keeping mitzvot, not the one who is not keeping mitzvot. Usually, you'll see multiple people saying Kaddish. The most important part here is not to be offended.

11:07but what's being said is that by seeing this as a perfectly normal deal, just like anyone who wants to advance in the business world, If they want to eventually become an entrepreneur, they want to be a business owner, they want to be a manager, they want to be a CEO, they want to be someone successful. They're going to have employees, they're going to have assistants, they're going to have customers, they're going to have different people that help them, they're going to delegate their work. But in order to be a true success, you have to have a system. You have to have a system in place that's full of different rules of what's acceptable and what's unacceptable. The world has rules. Whether you like it or not, you have to comply with those rules. Whether you like the traffic laws or not, you still have to comply with them, or else you risk getting a fine, getting arrested, and so on. Whether you like it or not, marriage has rules; otherwise, there's divorce. Whether you like it or not, business has rules; otherwise, there are problems with the government, problems with customers, and problems with all types of different entities that could go against you if you don't follow these rules.

12:12So if there are rules in the mundane, in the regular world, of course there are rules with our Creator above. The One who created everything. The One who said words and created the world with them. He gave us rules. You want to say a prayer? I want your prayer, He's telling you. I want your prayer, Adam. I want your prayer, whoever you are out there. I want your prayer. I want you to fulfill your mission in the world and sanctify My name. But there's a simple condition that comes with it. Before you think about this prayer, also think about, am I doing my best? Are you adhering to the mitzvot that have been given to us? Before you think about this prayer, also consider: Am I doing my best? Am I truly striving to be righteous with Hashem? Am I observing Shabbat, or do I need to start doing that? Am I laying tefillin, or do I need to begin practicing it? Am I doing my utmost to keep the kosher laws, or am I treating them as if it's one big joke? ...do what He says because it's convenient for us, then what ends up happening is that the mitzvot become very heavy. The mitzvot become like a burden on us. That's a mum, a deformity. So when we say this Kaddish to help the neshamah that just left this world and went to the world of eternity, we're not helping them. Why? Because all we're doing is reminding them.

13:22don't do what he says because we don't feel like it, and we only do what he says because it's convenient for us. Then what ends up happening is that the mitzvot become very heavy. The mitzvot become somewhat like a burden on us. That's a mumah. That's a deformity. So when we say this Kaddish to help the neshamah that just left this world and went to the world of eternity, we're not helping them. Why? Because all we're doing is reminding them Hashem, that not only are they up there and they forgot to tell us a few things, but we're down here and we still haven't reminded ourselves of what we need to do. So anyone that is going to do teshuva, they're going to fulfill all these things in the best possible way that they can. And they're going to sanctify Hashem's name and help the neshamah that left this world much, much more than just saying simple prayers or just donating money or just, you know, saying a few Tehillim. Why? Because they're doing teshuvah. They're getting close to Hashem because...

14:37Of one reason or another, they heard a lecture, someone passed away, or they realized that there is a bigger purpose to the world than just money or all these other things. Something led them to get closer to Hashem. That's the point. That's what Hashem wants you to do. And sometimes Hashem is going to give you tests because He wants you to get to that point. So, if you really want to honor your father, honor your mother, or honor anyone that's passed on, you need to do teshuva because it not only helps them, it helps you. May Hashem bless all of us to get closer and closer to Him. You need to do teshuvah because it not only helps them, it helps you. May Hashem bless all of us to get closer and closer to Him. Especially now, at the time of Elul, we're only a couple of weeks away from Judgment Day, before Rosh Hashanah, when Hashem decides whether we will live or die, whether we will be rich or poor, whether we will get married or not, whether we will have children or not. Everything that happens to us will be judged on Rosh Hashanah. This is a month of Teshuvah. This is a time of Teshuvah. So anyone that really wants to take things seriously, wants to take Hashem seriously, right now is the time. There are so many disasters around the world, so many sicknesses, diseases, natural disasters, all these different things that are happening in the world. Hashem is navigating all of it. Every single thing that's happening in the world, Hashem is pressing the buttons. Please, take Him seriously. Answer His messages.

16:06Answer him. Sanctify His name every day. And I promise you, from experience, I know for sure, no one in the history of mankind has ever lost by sanctifying Hashem's name.