The
evening service of
Yom Kippur is named after this declaration
By Rabbi Louis Jacobs
For many Jews, the essence of the Yom Kippur
service takes place at the very beginning of the
holiday, at the evening service that ushers in Yom
Kippur. It is called Kol Nidre, the name derived
from the first major piece of the Yom Kippur
prayers, dramatically chanted at the evening
service. All the Torahs are taken out, the entire
congregation stands, and the cantor chants this
formula three times. While most people think that
Kol nidre is a prayer, it is actually a legal
formula, as described in this article. Reprinted
with permission from
The
Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by
Oxford University Press.
'All vows,' the opening words of the
declaration, largely in Aramaic, at the beginning of
the evening service on Yom Kippur in which all vows
that will be uttered in the coming year are declared
null and void. The declaration applies only to
religious vows and has no effect on oaths taken in a
court of law. If a person makes a vow, say, to deny
himself wine for a certain period, perhaps as a,
penance, he must keep his promise, which is thought
of as a promise to God. But this applies only if the
vow is uttered with full intent. A person's
declaration beforehand that all vows he will take in
the year ahead are null and void means that any vow
he will make is held to be without sufficient
intention and hence without binding power.
Because it was falsely assumed that Kol Nidre
does apply to oaths taken in the court, Jews were
suspected of unreliability in this matter and in a
number of countries the infamous More Judaica, a
special humiliating form of oath, was introduced
when a Jew had to swear in court. Zechariah Frankel
and others in 19th‑century Germany exposed the
falsehood and explained the true meaning of Kol
Nidre.
In the Middle Ages a number of rabbinic
authorities were opposed to the Kol Nidre on the
grounds that its effectiveness to nullify vows was
very questionable. Yet the Kol Nidre is still
recited in the majority of congregations, the night
of Yom Kippur being referred to as 'Kol Nidre
Night.' There is no doubt that it is the famous
traditional melody, with its note of remorse,
contrition, hope, and triumph, that has saved the
Kol Nidre. The usual practice is for the reader to
chant the formula three times, raising his voice
each time. An interpretation given to the Kol Nidre
is that the congregation declares, by implication,
at the beginning of Yom Kippur: 'See, O Lord, what
miserable sinners we are. We make promises to live
better lives each year and yet always fall far short
of keeping them. Therefore, help us, O Lord, and
pardon us for our shortcomings.'
Louis Jacobs, a British rabbi and theologian,
currently serves as rabbi of the New London
Synagogue. He is the author of numerous books
including Jewish Values, Beyond Reasonable Doubt,
and Hasidic Prayer.
Reprinted from
The
Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by
Oxford University Press. © Louis Jacobs, 1995.
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