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The Funeral and Burial
The Funeral ProcessionAfter the eulogies, the funeral procession moves from the funeral home to the gravesite. It is a great mitzva to accompany the dead and join the funeral procession.
During the funeral procession, the rabbi or members of the hevra kadisha recite psalms and other verses. In some communities, the procession pauses for the mourners to recite the Kaddish again. Below is the wording of the Kaddish according to the different communities.
Further reading: For more details on the Kaddish recited throughout the year of mourning, see the chapter on Kaddish, p. 500.
Ashkenazim say:
האבלים: יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא.
Mourner: Yitgadal veyitkadash shemeh raba
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ, וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ, (המתפללים בנוסח ספרד מוסיפים: וְיַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנֵהּ, וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ.
Mourner: be’alma di vera khiruteh, veyamlikh malkhuteh (some add: veyatzmaĥ purkaneh vikarev meshiĥeh
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.)
Congregation: Amen.)
האבלים: בְּחַיֵּכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְּכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: beĥayeikhon uvyomeikhon, uvĥayey dekhol beit Yisrael, ba’agala uvizman kariv, ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
ומיד מצטרפים גם האבלים: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא.
Congregation and mourner: Yehe shemeh rabba mevarakh le’alam ul’a’lemei a’lemaya.
האבלים: יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא, בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
Mourner: Yitbarakh veyishtabaĥ veyitpa’ar veyitromam veyitnaseh veyit’hadar veyitaleh veyit’hallal shemeh dekudsha berikh hu.
הקהל עונה: בְּרִיךְ הוּא או אָמֵן.
Congregation: Berikh hu or: Amen.
האבלים: לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל (בעשרת ימי תשובה: לְעֵלָּא לְעֵלָּא מִכָּל) בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא, דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: le’ela min kol (during the Ten Days of Repentance: le’ela ul’ela mikol) birkhata veshirata tushbeĥata veneĥemata, da’amiran be’a’lema ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא, וְחַיִּים טוֹבִים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: Yehe shelama raba min shemaya veĥayim (some add: tovim) aleinu ve’al kol Yisrael, ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים (פוסעים שלוש פסיעות לאחור ואומרים): עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם (בעשרת ימי תשובה: הַשָּׁלוֹם) בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner takes three steps backward and says: Oseh shalom (in the Ten Days of Repentance: hashalom) bimromav, hu (some add: veraĥamav) ya’aseh shalom aleinu, ve’al kol Yisrael, ve’imru amen. Congregation: Amen.
Mourner: “May His great name be exalted and sanctified,”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “in the world He created according to His will, and may He establish His kingdom”
(those who pray in Nusah Sefarad add: “bring forth His redemption, and hasten the coming of His messiah,”
Congregation: “Amen.”)
Mourner: “in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Congregation and mourner: “May His great name be blessed forever and for all time.”
Mourner: “Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honored, uplifted and lauded, be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,”
Congregation: “Blessed be He,” or “Amen.”
Mourner: “beyond (during the Ten Days of Repentance: far beyond) all the blessings, songs, praises, and consolations that are spoken in the world, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “May there be abundant peace from Heaven and life, for us and all Israel, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner takes three steps backward and says: “May He who makes peace in His high place make peace for us and all Israel, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Sephardim say:
האבלים: יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא.
Mourner: Yitgadal veyitkadash shemeh raba
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִּרְעוּתֵהּ, וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ, וְיַצְמַח פֻּרְקָנֵהּ, וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ.
Mourner: be’alma di vera khiruteh, veyamlikh malkhuteh veyatzmaĥ purkaneh vikarev meshiĥeh
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: בְּחַיֵּכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְּכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: beĥayeikhon uvyomeikhon, uvĥayey dekhol beit Yisrael, ba’agala uvizman kariv, ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא
Mourner: Yehe shemeh rabba mevarakh le’alam ul’a’lemei a’lemaya.
יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא, בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
Mourner: Yitbarakh veyishtabaĥ veyitpa’ar veyitromam veyitnaseh veyit’hadar veyitaleh veyit’hallal shemeh dekudsha berikh hu,
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא, שִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: le’ela min kol birkhata veshirata tushbeĥata veneĥemata, da’amiran be’a’lema ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים: יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא. חַיִּים וְשָׂבָע, וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה, וְשֵׁיזָבָא וּרְפוּאָה, וּגְאֻלָּה וּסְלִיחָה וְכַפָּרָה, וְרֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה. לָנוּ וּלְכָל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner: Yehe shelama raba min shemaya ĥayim vesava vishu’a veneĥama veshezava urfu’a ugula u’seliĥa vekhapara verevaĥ vehatzala, lanu ulkhol amo Yisrael, ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
האבלים (פוסעים שלוש פסיעות לאחור ואומרים): עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא בְּרַחֲמָיו יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Mourner takes three steps backward and says: Oseh shalom bimromav, hu beraĥamav ya’aseh shalom aleinu, ve’al kol Yisrael, ve’imru amen.
הקהל עונה: אָמֵן.
Congregation: Amen.
Mourner: “May His great name be exalted and sanctified,”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “in the world He created according to His will, and may He establish His kingdom, bring forth His redemption, and hasten the coming of His messiah,”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Congregation and mourner: “May His great name be blessed forever and for all time.”
Mourner: “Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honored, uplifted and lauded, be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “beyond all the blessings, songs, praises, and consolations that are spoken in the world, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner: “May there be abundant peace from Heaven, life and contentment, salvation and consolation, and help and healing, and redemption and forgiveness and atonement, and relief and deliverance, for us and for all His nation Israel, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
Mourner takes three steps backward and says: “May He who makes peace in His high place in His mercy make peace for us and all Israel, and all His people Israel, and say: Amen.”
Congregation: “Amen.”
There are several customs regarding the number of times that the funeral procession stops in order to recite Kaddish.
In some communities, particularly in Israel, it is customary that if the deceased is a man, his children do not walk after his bier. This practice is designed to spare the soul of the deceased from certain heavenly accusations, but it is not necessary in the case of a woman. In places where this is the custom, in many instances the children walk in front of the bier and arrive at the burial plot before the deceased. In this manner, they do not accompany the deceased but are still present at the burial. Alternatively, in some instances the children do not attend the burial at all, and come to the grave only after the burial has finished.