Question: Should a Sefardi who is saying Kaddish in an Ashkenazi shul recite the Kaddish nusach for Sefardim or the nusach of the Ashkenazi shul? The same question applies in the reverse case – an Ashkenazi davening in a Sefardi shul?
Short Answer: Although many Acharonim require the individual reciting Kaddish to use the nusach of the shul, there are other Acharonim who hold that any nusach may be recited. Rav Elyashiv zt”l noted that while the individual should ideally follow the nusach of the shul, the minhag today has developed that people do not care what nusach is recited, and thus the individual often recites whatever nusach he wants.
Explanation:
I. The Proper Nusach
The Nit’ei Gavriel (Aveilus 2:42:5-7) lists numerous nuscha’os for Kaddish. Ashkenazim do not say the phrase “v’yatzmach pirkanei,” while the Rambam and the Arizal included this phrase. Others say “v’kareiv keitz m’shichei.”
Notably, Ashkenazim and Sefardim have many differences, with Sefardim adding in many extra phrases in the Kaddish. The question is whether a person who is saying Kaddish in a shul that davens a different nusach should follow his own nusach or the nusach of the shul?
II. The Shul’s Nusach
The Nit’ei Gavriel (ibid. 41:9) says it is “obvious” that the individual should follow the nusach of the shul, and not his own nusach, because he is no different from a chazan. Just as the Magen Avraham (Orach Chayim 124:1) rules that a chazan must daven in the nusach of the shul, so too a person saying Kaddish must recite it in the nusach of the shul.
Similarly, the Avnei Yishfe (1:14:4) cites the Magen Avraham concerning a chazan to support his ruling that the individual should follow the nusach of the shul, and not his own nusach. He elaborates that since the individual saying Kaddish is like an emissary of the congregation, he must be sure not to overstep the bounds of his mission; i.e., he should not recite extra words or a different nusach.
Moreover, the sefer Y’dei Kohen (p. 59) cites Rav Nissim Kareliz shlita, who heard from the son of the Chofetz Chaim that the Chofetz Chaim personally ruled that the individual should follow the nusach of the shul, and not his own nusach. Indeed, the sefer Shilhi D’Kayta (Rav S. B. Genut shlita, siman 91) cites both Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l and Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita as ruling that the individual should follow the nusach of the shul, and not his own nusach,
Finally, the Ohr L’Tzion (2:5:11) cites various Acharonim who rule that the individual should follow the nusach of the shul, and not his own nusach, because otherwise it is a problem of “lo sisgod’du” – when there are two conflicting or competing opinions in one place.
III. Own Nusach
Nevertheless, the Ohr L’Tzion (ibid) concludes that there is no problem of “lo sisgod’du,” and therefore a Sefardi should recite his own nusach of the Kaddish even when davening in an Ashkenazi shul. He notes that there is a machlokes between the Rambam and the Rosh whether “lo sisgod’du” applies to two individuals (Rosh) or only to two conflicting courts (Rambam). Because Sefardim follow the Rambam, and Ashkenazim follow the Rosh, the Ohr L’Tzion suggests that a Sefardi should recite his own nusach of the Kaddish even when davening in an Ashkenazi shul, but an Ashkenazi should follow the nusach of the shul he is davening in. [Notably, he does acknowledge that if the Ashkenazi shul is makpid that the Sefardi should say Kaddish with the shul’s nusach, then the Sefardi should oblige].
Similarly, the Mishnas Yosef (10:30) cites the Eishel Avraham of Buchach that there is no “lo sisgod’du” by conflicting minhagim, but rather only applies by conflicting issues of isur and heter (forbidden and permitted). Accordingly, the Mishnas Yosef concludes that there is no “lo sisgod’du” problem for an individual to recite his own nusach of Kaddish in a shul davening a different nusach. Indeed, he cites a story where the grandson of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zt”l was complaining to Rav Sonnenfeld about a certain Sefardi individual who was reciting a Sefardi Kaddish in an Ashkenazi shul. Rav Sonnenfeld responded “v’yatzmach pirkanei is not a curse.” In other words, what is so bad if the extra words of “v’yatzmach pirkanei” are recited in an Ashkenazi shul?
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita was also asked this question: whether an individual may recite his own nusach of Kaddish in a shul of a different nusach, and Rav Chaim responded that it is not a problem of “lo sisgod’du” because all our shuls nowadays have both Sefardim and Ashkenazim davening there. See L’Binyamin Amar (p. 119). This makes sense in light of a different story about Rav Chaim’s uncle, the Chazon Ish. Rav Yisroel Grossman (Lev Yisrael, p. 78) recounts that he once recited “v’yatzmach pirkanei” in the shul of the Chazon Ish and the Chazon Ish did not reprimand him.
IV. The Final Word
The sefer Y’dei Kohen (p. 60) concludes by citing Rav Elyashiv zt”l that although the individual should ideally follow the nusach of the shul, the minhag today is clearly not that way. The minhag has developed that people do not care what nusach is recited and thus the individual often recites whatever nusach he wants.
Indeed, the Mishnas Yosef (ibid) notes that the whole point of “lo sisgod’du” is so that we don’t have warring factions in klal Yisrael. Thus, it would be a shame if we ended up fighting over this very issue (whether a different nusach for Kaddish is “lo sisgod’du”).
Next Week’s Topic: Should the person reciting Kaddish recite the words of “Y’hei shmei rabbah” out loud together with the congregation?
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is Assistant to the Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and a practicing litigation attorney. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..