Qaddish

The kaddish prayer is, in addition to the shema' and the shemoneh esreh, one of the central prayers of rabbinic Judaism. Andreas Lehnardt's study provides a comprehensive description of the early development and the history of the reception of this prayer in its various versions. He focuses on the textual, linguistic and formal analysis of the prayer, dealing with the oldest obtainable textual proof of the kaddish (for example from the Cairo Genizah), the earliest references to the prayer in rabbinic literature (Targum, Talmud and Midrash) as well as allusions to kaddish in Hekhalot literature and in the wide range of geonic responsa literature. At the end of the volume there is a detailed index of manuscripts and literature.