In Kadish one answers Amen followed by ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ He needs to make sure and pause after answering Amen and then continue with ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ The Amen is for what was said previously on the last line in the Kadish, and the ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ is the next line going forward. So again, one must be careful and refrain from saying, ‘Amen Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ because it seems as if they are attached but they are not. The proper way to answer is, ‘Amen [pause] Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’
It is incumbent upon the Chazan during the Kadish to say the part of ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ slow enough in order to give the congregation enough time to say all the 28 words of the text until ‘Diameran BeAlma’. In the event the Chazan or reader says it too quickly and they say ‘Berich Hu’, so that fellow who is not yet up to them would not answer Amen. The fellow may not interrupt his recitation of ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ He may not pause for an Amen, so therefore he would miss the Amen if the Chazan or reader is ahead. That is why the Chazan should say it a little slower, in order to give the congregants a chance to finish answering so they can answer Amen of Berich Hu.
The question was asked about a Sephardi who is praying with Ashkenazim. Ashkenazim have a different text of the Kadish. The Shear HaKavanot written by Rav Chayim Vital on the teachings of the Arizal, talks about how important our text is, and that one should not change from the text of the Kadish even when he is praying with the Ashkenazim. The Sephardi may change the text and say as the Ashkenazim do when it comes ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ However, the Sephardi should say the first part of the Kadish, the Chatzi Kadish according to the Sephardi custom. Again, for both cases we are talking about when a Sephardi is praying with an Ashkenazi Minyan.
When a Sephardi is praying with an Ashkenaz Minyan, how can he then say the ‘Yihe Shime Raba Mevarach etc.’ aloud, if keeping to the Sephardic way? According to the Halacha, the Sephardi simply should say it low. He would still be fulfilling the Mitzvah. And there are others who are saying it aloud anyway. So in a case where a Sephardi is praying with an Ashkenaz Minyan, he should say our version of the Kadish and he can say it a little lower so he doesn’t get confused or confuse other people. But normally, when praying in a Minyan, Lechatchila, the Kadish should be said out loud in order to be able to answer Amen.
