Y Not I

My grandmother died on August 1. Going through the process has made me consider the Kaddish more than I have in the past. The Kaddish is a traditional Jewish prayer, part of the liturgy. It is traditional recited at funerals and has become associated as a prayer for the dead, even though it makes no mention of the dead or death. As a matter of fact it is a pretty uplifting prayer. Here it is in English:

Glorified and sanctified be His great name in the world which is created according to His will. May He cause the reign of His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the life of all the House of Israel, speedily, yes soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and forever eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is high above, far above all blessings and hymns and praises and consolations which are spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be great peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in the heavenly realms, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

As I think on my grandmother and what she meant to me, I feel confident that God has taken care of her. She had a strong love for God. I am not sure she knew how to separate the traditions of her traditional Jewish upbringing with that of a faith in Yeshua, but she exhibited a strong faith nonetheless. She would bring newsletters and calendars from my Messianic congregations back to her Rabbi and show them how her grandchildren serve God. Whether the Rabbi understood what a pray, healing and infilling of the Holy Spirit service even was, my grandmother was there to serve that congregation and to serve God, by her service to the congregation and community and in her defense of the faith in Yeshua. That speaks something that I do not know if I realized before her passing. I would always look at her and think she has a foot in both doors, but yet now I can see clearer that she exhibited a strong and very real faith in Yeshua.

She was a wonderful grandmother and a wonderful person. Very sweet and loving, warm and inviting, always with a good word on her lips. She always encouraged me to be a mensch. I will leave it to God and others to judge whether I was successful in that endeavor, however the greater point is the encouragement she offered to me in that. She had a way of bringing peace to a situation, and even after things like divorce in the family she remained friendly with the other side of the family.

It is encouraging that even though she is missed, to know the joy she has brought to me. I consider her ways and the pleasure she took in me as a child and basically all children, but especially her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. When I see my children enjoying themselves and growing and making me kvell, I know my grandmother is also kvelling as well.

So each time I stand when the Kaddish is recited at synagogue in memory of my grandmother, I can know that it is God that is in control and that it is He who is bringing His kingdom very soon.

He that bears witness of these matters says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Amen. Yes, come, Master (Revelation 22:20)

Here is a tribute video that was created for my grandmother.