[Avodah] Fighting To Be Chazan?

[Prof. Levine]

At 06:57 AM 8/25/2011, R. Ben Waxman wrote:


>The below only works if you assume that saying Kaddish is a magic formula.
>You either say it or you don't.

Saying Kaddish is most certainly not a magic formula.  Please see 
footnote 70 on page 367 of what I posted from the sefer Mourning in 
Halacha  at 
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/areivim/mourning_kaddish_amud.pdf 
In particular, note the paragraph beginning "But [the answer is] that 
the principal benefit of Kaddish for the deceased is not in the fact 
that the person recites the words, "  This paragraph explains clearly 
how saying kaddish by one person gives merit to a deceased parent and 
how the congregation also receives merit by answering when kaddish is 
recited by one person.

This situation that we see today in many shuls, namely that many 
people say kaddish at the same and often not in unison, is result of 
the fact that people have the mistaken idea that saying Kaddish is 
indeed a magic formula.  I can only wonder why rabbonim do not 
explain to their congregations what Kaddish really is and why this is 
not taught in yeshivas.  YL



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