According to Jewish tradition, as the soul (neshama) returns to Hashem and finds its place in the World of Spirit, good deeds and prayer assist the neshama in its upward journey. It is the neshama’s credit that the surviving family is inspired to perform these mitzvot and recite these prayers, due to the values they taught in their lifetime. 

 

The primary example of this is the daily Kaddish, which declares our faith in Hashem and His great name. Other popular mitzvot undertaken are giving tzedaka in their memory, and for Torah to be studied in their merit. Strikingly, the Kaddish, while serving as the Mourner’s Prayer, does not make any mention of death or grief. Instead, it extols the greatness of G-d and affirms G-d’s unity and omnipotence in Heaven and Earth. Rather than focus on what has been lost, it focuses on the absolute truth as the soul now understands it above, and facilitates the congregation to respond and also affirm this truth. Our sages teach us that this is why Kaddish is a tremendous merit and source of elevation for the soul.