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. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. No
part of this material may be stored, transmitted, retransmitted, lent, or
reproduced in any form or medium without the permission of Oxford University
Press.
