In the prayer service, whenever there is a change between prayers, a break or movement, a special prayer called a kaddish (“sanctification” of the name of God) is recited in order to bring unity.

Whenever there is a separation in the prayers—or for that matter a “break” in life itself—we recite the Kaddish and declare, “Magnified and sanctified may His great name be…” Thus, we ensure that His name, the Source of all, is brought together in harmony, and a healing on all levels of existence takes place.

The essential four-letter name of God—spelled in Hebrew yud-hei-vav-hei—can be viewed as containing two parts. The first yud-hei, whose numerical equivalent is 15, represents the spiritual transcendence; the second vav-hei, whose numerical equivalent is 11, represents the physical immediate. This separation is the root cause of all dissension and separations, death included.

By reciting the Kaddish, “yisgadal veyiskadesh,” which contains eleven letters, we reunify the name and inspire a total reunification of the entire world.