Just heard an interesting edition of Heart and Soul about the Mourner's Kaddish which gave me a greater appreciation of why it is said and the significance of the words. Those of you who have a spare half hour can listen to the BBC programme by clicking on the link below. I venture to say that those who do listen will develop a greater awareness of the significance of the prayer. Perhaps, they might even stop to respond to the mourner's words, instead of talking or making preparations to hurriedly return home from shul.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p006hrrr/Heart_And_Soul_The_Mourner_s_Kaddish/
Rabbi Akiva was strolling through a cemetery when he saw a naked man, black as charcoal, carrying much wood and hurrying like a horse.
"Stop!" the rabbi ordered him. And the man stopped.
"What is with you?" demanded Rabbi Akiva, "What is this harsh labor of yours? If you are a slave and your master is so harsh, then I will free you. And if you are poor, let me make you wealthy."
The man answered, "Please, rabbi, do not delay me! My supervisors may become very angered if I am late!"
Rabbi Akiva responded, "Who are you and what do you do?"
The man replied, "I am dead. Every day, they send me to chop wood upon which they burn me every night."
Rabbi Akiva asked, "And when you were in this world, what was your work?"
"I was a tax collector," the man answered. "I would favor the wealthy and persecute the poor."
"So," asked the rabbi, "have you heard anything from your supervisors about any way you could be redeemed from your punishment?"
"Yes," the man replied. "I heard from them, but it is something that could never happen. They said that if I had a son and if that son would stand among the congregation and say kaddish and the congregation would answer, "Amen! Y'hay shmai rabba m'vorach!"—then they could acquit me from my punishment."
Continue reading: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/514617/jewish/Rabbi-Akiva-and-the-Orphan.htm
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