סִדּוּר · Siddur

Yizkor – Prayer for the Souls of the Departed

Yizkor – Prayer for the Souls of the Departed is part of the Festival Prayers (Shalosh Regalim) service of the traditional weekday siddur. The full Hebrew text with English translation appears below; open it in the free interactive siddur to follow along.

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The prayers to memorialize the souls of one's dearly departed is done during these four major Festivals: 1. Pesach – on the 8th day of Pesach; or on the last day in Israel. 2. Shavout – on the last day outside of Israel 3. Yom Kippur 4. Shemini Atzeret This memorial service is inserted during the daytime Torah reading service. It is the custom for these prayers to only be said in the presence of those who are saying this memorial. People whose parents are still living should leave the room. Those who are observing the first year of mourning should attend this memorial service, however without reciting the prayers themselves. It is said at the following specified points: WEEKDAYS Immediately after the Torah reading service. SHABBAT After the prayers of "יְקוּם פֻּרְקָן" and "מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ" after the Haftarah reading. One who is not able to pray in the presence of a minyan may say it at home if necessary. The prayer for the fatherless is as follows:

יִזְכּוֹר אֱלֹהִים נִשְׁמַת אַבָּי מוֹרִי בֶּן שֶׁהָלַךְ לְעוֹלָמוֹ, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁבְּלִי נֶדֶר אֶתֵּן צְדָקָה בַּעֲדוֹ, וּבִשְׂכַר זֶה תְּהֵא נַפְשׁוֹ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים, עִם נִשְׁמַת אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, וְעִם שְׁאָר צַדִּיקִים וְצַדְקָנִיּוֹת שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

May God remember the soul of my father, my teacher (Mention his Hebrew name and that of his mother) who has gone to his [supernal] world, because I will—without obligating myself with a vow—donate charity for his sake. In this merit, may his soul be bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden; and let us say, Amen.

The prayer for the motherless is as follows:

יִזְכּוֹר אֱלֹהִים נִשְׁמַת אִמִּי מוֹרָתִי בַּת שֶׁהָלְכָה לְעוֹלָמָה, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁבְּלִי נֶדֶר אֶתֵּן צְדָקָה בַּעֲדָהּ, בִשְׂכַר זֶה תְּהֵא נַפְשָׁהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים, עִם נִשְׁמַת אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, וְעִם שְׁאָר צַדִּיקִים וְצַדְקָנִיּוֹת שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

May God remember the soul of my mother, my teacher (Mention her Hebrew name and that of her mother) who has gone to her [supernal] world, because I will—without obligating myself with a vow—donate charity for her sake. In this merit, may her soul be bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden; and let us say, Amen.

אָב הָרַחֲמִים שׁוֹכֵן מְרוֹמִים, בְּרַחֲמָיו הָעֲצוּמִים, הוּא יִפְקוֹד בְּרַחֲמִים, הַחֲסִידִים וְהַיְשָׁרִים וְהַתְּמִימִים, קְהִלּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁמָּסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם עַל קְדֻשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, הַנֶּאֱהָבִים וְהַנְּעִימִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם, וּבְמוֹתָם לֹא נִפְרָדוּ. מִנְּשָׁרִים קַלּוּ, וּמֵאֲרָיוֹת גָּבֵרוּ, לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנָם וְחֵפֶץ צוּרָם. יִזְכְּרֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה, עִם שְׁאָר צַדִּיקֵי עוֹלָם, וְיִנְקוֹ נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדָיו הַשָּׁפוּךְ. כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים: הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, כִּי דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם, וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו, וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ: וְעַל יְדֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ הַנְּבִיאִים כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר: וְנִקֵּיתִי דָּמָם לֹא נִקֵּיתִי, וַײָ שׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן: וּבְכִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר: לָמָּה יאֹמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, יִוָּדַע בַּגּוֹיִם לְעֵינֵינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדֶיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ: וְאוֹמֵר, כִּי דֹרֵשׁ דָּמִים אוֹתָם זָכָר, לֹא שָׁכַח צַעֲקַת עֲנָוִים: וְאוֹמֵר, יָדִין בַּגּוֹיִם מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת מָחַץ רֹאשׁ עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה. מִנַּחַל בַּדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּה, עַל כֵּן יָרִים רֹאשׁ:

May the All-Merciful Father who dwells in the supernal heights, in His profound compassion, remember with mercy the pious, the upright and the perfect ones, the holy communities who gave their lives for the sanctification of the Divine Name. They were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and [even] in their death were not parted [from Him]; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions to carry out the will of their Maker and the desire of their Creator. May our God remember them with favor together with the other righteous of the world, and avenge the spilled blood of His servants, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, the man of God: O nations, sing the praises of His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants, bring retribution upon His foes, and placate His land—His people. upon His foes, and placate His land—His people. And by Your servants the Prophets it is written as follows: I will cleanse [the nations of their wrongdoings,] but for the [shedding of Jewish] blood I will not cleanse them; the Lord dwells in Zion. And in the Holy Writings it is said: Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations, before our eyes, the retribution of the spilled blood of Your servants. And it is said: For the Avenger of bloodshed is mindful of them; He does not forget the cry of the downtrodden. Further it is said: He will render judgment upon the nations, and they will be filled with corpses; He will crush heads over a vast area. He will drink from the stream on the way; therefore [Israel] will hold its head high.

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