[Avodah] The Singular Way Of Saying Kaddish

[Chana Luntz]

> Ben Waxman: < The minhag for hundreds of years has been for anyone to
> say kaddish, so I don't if you can say that the "correct way" is for
> one person only to say it.>

And RSM replied:

> Please do not say "hundreds of years."  This is a (mistaken) custom
> that is less than 200 years old.  The Mishna Brurah does not mention
> it, and instead gives the rules for who says kaddish if there is more
> than one person, meaning that IF you went according to the MB (which no
> one does, of course), there would be only one person saying kaddish.

Hold on, I detect some Ashkenocentric assertions here.  The custom (whether
one regards it as mistaken or not) is only less than 200 years old *in
Ashkenaz*.  It appears generally acknowledged (see eg Chatam Sofer chelek
Orech Chaim siman 309 - who did not approve of introducing it) that this was
always the case amongst the Sephardim.  Rav Ya'akov Emden (who did approve
of it) IIRC records having seen it amongst the Sephardim when his father was
Rav in Turkey. But I agree that in Ashkenaz it appears to have made its
appearance late. Pischei Teshuva on Yoreh De'ah 376 s.k. 6 cites the
existence of this view and it is also mentioned in the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh
26:18 as being a way of avoiding machlokus, but I am not aware of anyone
earlier.

> Rabbi Seth Mandel

SHavuah Tov

Chana