Why Kaddish Cannot Be Said Once Pesukei De’zimrah Has Begun

Hi,

I was at the airport and we didn’t yet have a minyan, so we started Pesukei De’zimrah since we didn’t want to get late for the flight. Then, when we were in the middle of Pesukei De’zimrah, we finally had a minyan, and since I am a chiyuv, I wanted to recite the Kaddish, and they told me that it is not allowed. Is that true, and if it is, what is the reason for it?

Thank you for your question.

Yes, we do not recite the Kaddish that is said before Baruch She’amar in the middle of Pesukei De’zimrah, and I will explain why, and also through this explanation w'ןhavewill have a better understanding and appreciation of the reason why we say Kaddish at these specific places during the tefillah.

It is brought in the Be’er Heitev siman 53 se’if katan 3 as follows:

באר היטב אורח חיים סימן נג
 חבורה שאומרים תהלים בבה"כ ואירע שלא היה מנין קודם ברוך שאמר אסור לומר קדיש בתוך פסוקי דזמרה תשובת פני יהושע חלק א"ח סימן ה' וע"ל סימן נ"א ס"ק ג' מש"ש בשם מקור ברוך

Be’er Heitev, Orach Chaim, siman 53:
A group that says Tehillim in the Beis HaKnesses, and there was no minyan before Baruch She’amar, it is forbidden to say Kaddish in the middle of Pesukei De’zimra.
See Teshuvas Pnei Yehoshua, chelek Orach Chaim siman 5, and above in siman 51 se’if katan 3, where he quotes this in the name of Mekor Baruch.

Hagaon Harav Amrom Fried shlit”a explains the reason for this is that since at the start of Pesukei De’zimrah, before Hodu, there wasn’t a minyan, therefore the congregation is exempt from saying the Kaddish. So even if later a minyan arrives, one does not need to say this Kaddish.

Hagaon Harav Fried adds that we find another reason for this halacha brought by the Siddur Beis Oved (the laws of Pesukei De’zimrah ot 3), that since saying this Kaddish is miderabbanan, we therefore do not interrupt Pesukei De’zimrah for saying the Kaddish.

We find that the Chida (Kesher Gadol siman 7 se’if 35–36) writes that it is a part of the tefillah and important that Kaddish DeRabbanan should be recited before Hodu, therefore one may interrupt the Pesukei De’zimrah to recite this Kaddish. However, if the people have already said Baruch She’amar, then it is considered as having accomplished the reason for saying Kaddish by saying Baruch She’amar, and therefore one does not need to say the Kaddish DeRabbanan after Baruch She’amar, even according to this opinion. I would like to explain this by quoting the Shut Rav Pe’alim

שו"ת רב פעלים חלק ב - אורח חיים סימן יד

הנה הקדישים שנתקנו בתפלה נתבאר טעמייהו בדברי רבינו האר"י זלה"ה בשער הכונות, דמן התחלת העקידה עד ברוך שאמר הוא בעולם העשיה, ומשם עד יוצר אור הוא עולם היצירה, ומשם עד תפלת י"ח הוא עולם הבריאה, ותפלת י"ח בעולם האצילות, ואח"ז יורדים מעילא לתתא, ומן אשרי עד תפלה לדוד הוא עולם הבריאה, ומשם עד אין קדוש כה' הוא בעולם היצירה, ומשם עד עלינו לשבח הוא עולם העשיה, ולכן תקנו קדיש בכל שינוי עולם ועולם כדי להעלות על ידו העולמות למעלה ממדרגתם, כגון העשיה ביצירה, והיצירה בבריאה,

The Kaddeishim that were instituted throughout the tefillah are explained by Rabbeinu Ha’Ari z”l in Sha’ar HaKavanos. From the beginning of the Parshah of the Akeidah until Baruch She’amar is Olam Ha’Asiyah. From there until Yotzer Or is Olam Ha’Yetzirah. From there until Tefillas Shemoneh Esrei is Olam Ha’Beriah. And Shemoneh Esrei itself is Olam Ha’Atzilus.
Afterward, we “descend” from above to below: From Ashrei until Tefillah Le’David is Olam Ha’Beriah. From there until Ein Kadosh KaHashem is Olam Ha’Yetzirah. And from there until Aleinu Leshabe’ach is Olam Ha’Asiyah.
Therefore, a Kaddish was instituted at the start of each level from one Olam to the next, in order that through the Kaddish we are able to ascend to the higher levels: for example, Asiyah to Yetzirah, and Yetzirah to Beriah.

So according to this we can understand that once we have already said Baruch She’amar, we are already in Olam Ha’Asiyah, and so we do not say the Kaddish anymore.

Wishing you all the best.