Yizkor Yom kippur

What is the custom of Hazkarat Neshamot?

Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah, the seventh of Passover, and Shavuot, to mention the souls of loved ones who passed away.

The prayer for Hazkarat Neshamot:

The prayer of Hazkarat Neshamot for someone whose father passed away:

“May God remember the soul of my father, my teacher [father’s name] who has gone to his [supernal] world, because I will — without obligating myself with a vow — donate charity for his sake. In this merit, may his soul be bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden; and let us say, Amen.”

A person whose mother has passed away says:

“May God remember the soul of my mother, my teacher [mother’s name] who has gone to her [supernal] world, because I will — without obligating myself with a vow — donate charity for her sake.  In this merit, may her soul be bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden; and let us say, Amen.”

The El Male Rachamim prayer

After Hazkarat Neshamot, the El Male Rachamim prayer is said, and in some Jewish communities the Av Harachamim prayer is said as well

The meaning of the Yizkor prayer

Yizkor, from the Hebrew word for “memory”, in this prayer we ask God to remember those loved ones who passed from this world.

When we say the Hazkarat Neshamot prayer, we strengthen the connection and honor our loved ones who passed from this world.

The main component of the Yizkor prayer is our commitment to give charity after the holiday in honor and for the ascension of the deceased’s soul.

By giving to charity, we perform a positive action in this corporeal world, which the deceased is no longer able to do, and we pray for their soul to be bound up in the bound of everlasting life.