Sunday, November 11, 2018

tefilla - Why does the congregation interrupt the chazzan in the middle of sentences of Kaddish?


At one or two points in "Kaddish", the congregation interrupts the chazzan in the middle of a sentence:



Chazzan: יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא / May His great name be exalted and sanctified


Congregation: !אָמֵן / Amen!


Chazzan: בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ / in the world which He created according to His will.




and



Chazzan: יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרומַם וְיִתְנַשּא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא / Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honoured, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,


Congregation (Some traditions): !בְּרִיךְ הוּא / Blessed be He!


Congregation (Some traditions): !אָמֵן / Amen!


לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא / above and beyond all the blessings, hymns, praises and consolations that are uttered in the world.



Translations from Wikipedia


It seems strange to me to interject these responses in the middle of a sentence, instead of or in addition to at the end of the sentence. Most of the time, when we say "Amen," it's at the end of a blessing.



Why do we interrupt like this in Kaddish?




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