Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house;¹ may they continue to praise You, Selah.² Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus; fortunate is the people for whom Adonoy is their God.³ A praise by David! I will exalt You, my God, the King, and bless Your Name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You⁴ and extol Your Name forever and ever. Adonoy is great and highly extolled, and His greatness is unfathomable. One generation to another will praise Your works, and Your mighty acts they will declare. The splendor of Your glorious majesty, and the words⁵ of Your wonders I will speak. Of Your awesome might, they⁶ will speak, and Your greatness I will recount. Mention of Your bountifulness they will express, and in Your righteousness joyfully exult. Adonoy is gracious and merciful,⁷ slow to anger and great in kindliness. Adonoy is good to all, His mercy encompasses all His works. All Your works will thank You, Adonoy, and Your pious ones will bless You.⁸ Of the honor of Your kingship, they will speak, and Your might they will declare. To reveal to men His mighty acts, and the glorious splendor of His kingship. Your kingship is the kingship for all times, and Your dominion is in every generation. Adonoy supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food at its proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being. Adonoy is just in all His ways and benevolent in all His deeds.⁹ Adonoy is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.¹⁰ by those who call upon Him in truth, who truly mean to have God enter into their lives.—S.R. Hirsch The will of those who fear Him, He fulfills; He hears their cry and delivers them.¹¹ all who cry unto Him in truth. He answers those who fear Him, who subject their desires to His will.—Siach Yitzchok Adonoy watches over all those who love Him, and will destroy all the wicked. Praise of Adonoy, my mouth will declare and all flesh will bless His holy Name forever and ever. And we will bless God from now forever. Praise God.¹² the word הללויה is not connected to the preceding verse.

footnotes: ¹ This verse referred to the Kohanim and the Levites who served (dwelt) in the Holy Temple (Your House); it is at all times applicable to scholars and devout men who study and pray in houses of worship and study. ² Psalms 84:5. ³ Psalms 144:15. ⁴ According to Rav S.R. Hirsch, David here declares, “I will dedicate myself to serve You and to fulfill Your will in loyal obedience,” for in serving God, man causes His Name to be blessed. ⁵ Not simply נפלאתיך—a report of Your wonders—but דברי נפלאתיך the “words”—the lessons that Your wonders teach.—S.R. Hirsch ⁶ People in general will speak of God’s wondrous might in punishing the wicked (Sodom, Egypt, etc.) while David will proclaim that God’s greatness is measured more by His kindliness than by His awesomeness.—Siach Yitzchok ⁷ He is gracious in bestowing reward and merciful in punishment.—Siach Yitzchok ⁸ Your works, which are the cause of your being thanked by sensitive people; similarly, cause your pious ones to bless You.—based on S.R. Hirsch. ⁹ The penalties for transgressions are just, but God is gracious in the actual punishment inflicted on the sinner.—Siddur HaGra ¹⁰ He is near to all who call upon Him, but His nearness can be perceived only ¹¹ While God hears ¹² Psalms 115:18. You should pause between עולם and הללויה. Similarly, in all the Psalms,

The Half-Kaddish is recited by the Chazzan

Exalted and sanctified¹. One should be very careful to emphasize the letter gimel (ג) when saying the word “Yisgadal (יִתְגַּדַּל),” in order that it not be heard as “Yiskadal (יִתְקַּדַל),” from the word קְדָל which means neck.—Mishnah Berurah 56:2 be His great Name

footnotes: ¹ These opening words refer to the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, through Ezekiel (38:23) “And I will thus exalt Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of the many nations, and they will know that I am Adonoy.”—Levush, Siddur HaGra

in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom.² In your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future³— and say Amein.

footnotes: ² May His sovereignty be revealed. ³ We pray that the redemption will come speedily and that the process of the redemption itself will not be prolonged.—Siddur HaGra

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled⁵ be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

footnotes: ⁵ The ten expressions of praise in the Kaddish refer to the ten utterances by which God created the world. (See Maseches Avos 5:1.)

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns,⁶in the name of the Vilna Gaon 56:14. praises and consolations⁷ which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

footnotes: ⁶ May God be praised and exalted far beyond all the blessings, hymns and praises that are uttered.—Mishnah Berurah ⁷ Consolations are uttered because God is in mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile of His people.