Returning from my travel of last week I was reminded of how saying kaddish can and often does bring out the best in people. Within a twenty four hour period three individuals reached out to enhance my saying of kaddish.

First was a friend whom I had contacted to see if he could say kaddish for me last Wednesday at both mincha and maariv since my return from Denver conflicted with the times of minyanim both in Denver and at home. He gladly accepted the responsibility and said kaddish for me.

Second, was the friend who literally immediately upon reading my last blog post emailed me offering to pick me up at the airport and drive me to maariv in the hopes that by so doing he would cut my commute time just enough for me to say kaddish at the 10 pm maariv at the yeshiva. Though I declined since the timing was just not possible the offer itself was quite incredible.

On the following morning another friend offered to help make a second minyan for me on the final day of my saying kaddish to ensure that I would be able to be the chazzan (lead the service) that day. He recalled that when he was a mourner it was important to him to lead the service on that final day and wanted to enable me to do the same in case there were other mourners present that day with priority over me.

While saying kaddish is the personal obligation of a son to a parent it is time and again made possible through the generosity and kindness of others.