El Malei Rachamim Transliteration

The Prayer and Its Purpose

El Malei Rachamim — "God, Full of Compassion" — is the central memorial prayer in Ashkenazi Jewish tradition. It is chanted by the rabbi or cantor at the graveside, during the funeral service, at yizkor (memorial) services, and on the yahrzeit (anniversary of death).

Unlike the Mourners Kaddish, which makes no mention of the deceased, El Malei Rachamim names the departed directly and pleads for the soul's peaceful rest "upon the wings of the Divine Presence." It is deeply personal — the deceased's Hebrew name and their father's Hebrew name are inserted into the text.

Full Transliteration: Male Version

El malei rachamim, shochen bamromim, hamtzei menuchah nechonah al kanfei haShechinah, bema'alot kedoshim utehorim kezohar harakia mazhirim, et nishmat [NAME] ben [FATHER'S NAME] shehalach le'olamo, ba'avur shenadvu tzedakah be'ad hazkarat nishmato. BeGan Eden tehei menuchato. Lachen ba'al harachamim yastirehu beseter knafav le'olamim, veyitzror bitzror hachayim et nishmato. Adonai hu nachalato, veyanuach beshalom al mishkavo. Venomar: Amen.

Full Transliteration: Female Version

El malei rachamim, shochen bamromim, hamtzei menuchah nechonah al kanfei haShechinah, bema'alot kedoshim utehorim kezohar harakia mazhirim, et nishmat [NAME] bat [FATHER'S NAME] shehalchah le'olamah, ba'avur shenadvu tzedakah be'ad hazkarat nishmatah. BeGan Eden tehei menuchatah. Lachen ba'al harachamim yastireha beseter knafav le'olamim, veyitzror bitzror hachayim et nishmatah. Adonai hu nachalatah, vetanuach beshalom al mishkavah. Venomar: Amen.

The differences between the male and female versions are grammatical — Hebrew is a gendered language, so pronouns, verb endings, and possessive suffixes shift to match the deceased.

English Translation

"O God, full of compassion, Who dwells on high, grant true rest upon the wings of the Divine Presence, in the exalted spheres of the holy and pure, who shine as the resplendence of the firmament, to the soul of [NAME] son/daughter of [FATHER'S NAME] who has gone to their eternal world, for charity has been donated in remembrance of their soul. May their place of rest be in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, may the All-Merciful One shelter them with the cover of His wings forever, and bind their soul in the bond of life. The Lord is their heritage; may they rest in peace upon their resting-place. And let us say: Amen."

When El Malei Rachamim Is Recited

The prayer is chanted at specific moments throughout the Jewish mourning calendar:

• At the funeral — by the officiating rabbi, either in the chapel or at the graveside
• During yizkor services — four times a year: on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, the last day of Passover, and the second day of Shavuot
• On the yahrzeit — the Hebrew calendar anniversary of death, each year
• At the unveiling — when the headstone is dedicated, typically 11 to 12 months after burial

The Sephardic equivalent is the Hashkabah, which carries the same purpose but uses different liturgical language and is chanted in a distinct melodic tradition.

What Attendees Should Know

El Malei Rachamim is typically chanted by the rabbi or cantor alone — it is not a congregational prayer. Attendees stand in silence during the chanting. You do not need to follow along or recite it.

If you are the mourner and the rabbi asks for the deceased's Hebrew name and their father's Hebrew name before the service, this is why — these names are woven directly into the prayer text.

The Jewish Orthodox Funeral & Shiva Guide includes the full text of El Malei Rachamim alongside the Mourners Kaddish, key Psalms, and the complete sequence of prayers used at each stage of the funeral and mourning period.