May One Recite Kaddish Silently?

One who recites Kaddish should do so loudly enough for the entire congregation to hear him. If, however, one is incapable of reciting Kaddish loudly, he may nevertheless recite Kaddish – as long as others in the congregation are reciting Kaddish loudly at the same time. This is the ruling of the Petah Ha'debir (Rav Haim Pontromoli, Turkey, d. 1873), and of the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in his Rav Pe'alim. The Ben Ish Hai adds that the practice in Bet El – a yeshiva of Kabbalists in Jerusalem – was that the Hazzan recited Kaddish aloud with the deep kabbalistic intentions, and those who did know these intentions recited Kaddish silently along with the Hazzan. This way, they could be considered to recite Kaddish with these deep intentions. Nevertheless, the Ben Ish Hai writes that as a general rule, congregants reciting Kaddish should do so in a loud voice. The Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939), by contrast, maintained that this practice is valid, though he added that the congregants who silently recite Kaddish should stand at a distance from the Hazzan, and that they should recite Kaddish loudly enough for two or three people near them to hear. By contrast, the Binyan Sion (Rav Yaakov Ettlinger, Germany, 1798-1871) ruled that one may not recite Kaddish silently. As for the final Halacha, one who cannot recite Kaddish loudly may recite it quietly, though he should try to ensure that at least two or three people near him can hear his recitation. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Jerusalem, 1924-1998) ruled similarly regarding the case where many people recite Kaddish, and because they do not recite it in unison, the recitation is chaotic and none of them can be heard. While this situation is, of course, undesirable, and the people reciting Kaddish should strive to do so in unison, nevertheless, if the recitation is chaotic, one is nevertheless permitted to recite Kaddish with the others, even though he will not be heard. Summary: One who recites Kaddish must do so in a loud voice, so that he can be heard by everyone in the synagogue. If one cannot recite Kaddish loudly, he may recite it quietly, though he should try to ensure that at least two or three people near him can hear his recitation.