Why Kaddish on a Yahrzeit?
This explanation leaves us in turn with another problem: If Kaddish is not recited after the passage of eleven months because from that time the soul ascends to a level from which spiritual energy cannot be drawn down by mere speech, why is Kaddish recited on a yahrzeit? (Incidentally, there exists an opinion that Kaddish should not be recited on a yahrzeit,[1177] but this view has not been accepted throughout all the dispersed communities of Israel.) There is a well-known [and paradoxical] difference[1178] between the festivals in general and Purim (and likewise Chanukah). Work is forbidden on all the other festivals because the level of Divinity that is elicited on those days cannot become manifest in mere weekday activities. On Purim (and likewise Chanukah), by contrast, the light that is elicited is so sublime, so utterly transcending any bounds, that it can be drawn down and become manifest even in weekday activities. The same line of thinking may be applied to our paradox. On the
