[Avodah] Amen

[Joseph Kaplan]

“ I put together a shiur on when to answer amen when aveilim are saying kaddish at different speeds. ... especially when it?s so asynchronous that it?s not even toch kdei dibbur? If you only answer once, is it the first or last? What about if toch kdei ? answer the first or the last?”

I answer only once and I answer to the last/slowest because I think the speedsters are simply being rude. It’s really not difficult to modulate your speed to the slowest reciter — who often is unable to say it faster — so all are saying it  in unison and all who are not saying it can answer appropriately. It was simply infuriating to me when I was saying Kaddish when a few would hurry off at their own speed making Kaddish a jumbled mess rather than a dignified recitation of a meaningful prayer. And it’s still infuriating to me as a responder now. I’m not talking halacha — I’m talking simple derech eretz. Or perhaps I am talking halacha. 

Joseph Kaplan

Sent from my iPhone