jewish Mourner's Guide

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Remembrance

Short Memorial Prayer (Sephardim)


הַמְרַחֵם עַל כָּל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו
הוּא יָחוֹס וְיַחְמוֹל וִירַחֵם
עַל נֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁל

Merciful to all of His creations,
He will have pity, compassion and mercy
upon the spirit and the soul of

‏ יש מוסיפים׃
‏[‏הנפְטָר/הנפטֶרֶת בשם טוב מן העולם‏]‏

some add:
[the departed with good name from this world]

(Jewish name of the deceased)

            לאיש/לאשה
‏ פלוני בן פלונית/פלונית בת פלונית

for a man: son of (name of his mother)
for a woman: daughter of (name of her mother)

Among Sephardim the Jewish name of the deceased is usually followed by the Jewish
name of his or her mother (sometimes, father, depending on local custom). If these
are not known, non-Jewish names are used. Some insert the family name as well.

רוּחַ יְיָ תְּנִיחֶנּוּ / תְּנִיחֶנָּה
בְגַן עֵדֶן׃

May the spirit of the Lord give him/her rest
in paradise.

‏ יש מוסיפים׃
‏[‏הוּא / הִיא וְכָל בְּנֵי / בנות יִשְׂרָאֵל
הַשּׁוֹכְבִים / הַשּׁוֹכְבוֹת עִמּוֹ / עִמָּהּ
בִּכְלַל הָרַחֲמִים וְהַסְּלִיחוֹת

some add:
[He/she and all sons/daughters of Israel,
who slumber with him/her,
are included in mercy and forgiveness

וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן
‏-‏ וְנאמַר אָמֵן׃

הקהל׃אָמֵן‏]‏

and so may it be
- and let’s say to it, Amen.

congregation responds:Amen]

According to Arizal / האר"י הקדוש — Rabbi Isaac Luria, the famous Kabbalist of sixteenth-century Safed / צפת, in the Land of Israel, this short version of the Hashkavah / תפילת השכבה memorial prayer is much better for the soul of the deceased than the original, longer version described in the next two sections:

Memorial Prayer for a Man (Sephardim)
Memorial Prayer for a Woman (Sephardim)

After either version of the Hashkavah, some have a custom to recite the second part of the Tzidduk HaDin / צידוק הדין prayer that starts with the verses from Isaiah 25:8.