THE KOL NIDRE
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By : Joseph Jacobs Max Schloessinger Cyrus Adler Francis L. Cohen
Prayer recited in the synagogue at the beginning of the evening
service on the Day of Atonement; the name is taken from the
opening words. The "Kol Nidre" has had a very eventful history,
both in itself and in its influence on the legal status of
the Jews.
Introduced into the liturgy despite the opposition of rabbinic
authorities, repeatedly attacked in the course of time by
many halakists, and in the nineteenth century expunged from
the prayer-book by many communities of western Europe, it
has often been employed by Christians to sup****t their
assertion that the oath of a Jew can not be trusted.
Form of Prayer.
Before sunset on the eve of the Day of Atonement, when the
congregation has gathered in the synagogue, the Ark is opened
and two rabbis, or two leading men in the community, take from
it two Torah-scrolls.
Then they take their places, one on each side of the ?azzan,
and the three recite in concert a formula beginning with the
words, which runs as follows:
"In the tribunal of heaven and the tribunal of earth, by the
permission of God -- blessed be He -- and by the permission of this
holy congregation, we hold it lawful to pray with the transgressors."
Thereupon the cantor chants the Aramaic prayer beginning with the words
"Kol Nidre,"
with its marvelously plaintive and touching melody, and,
gradually increasing in volume from pianissimo to fortissimo,
repeats three times the following words:
"All vows , obligations, oaths, and anathemas, whether called
'?onam,' '?onas,' or by any other name, which we may vow, or swear,
or pledge, or whereby we may be bound, from this Day of Atonement until
the next (whose happy coming we await), we do repent.
May they be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, and void, and made of
no
effect; they shall not bind us nor have power over us. The vows shall not
be
reckoned vows; the obligations shall not be obligatory; nor the oaths be
oaths."
The leader and the congregation then say together: (Num. xv. 26).
"And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of
Israel, and the
stranger that sojourneth among them, seeing all the people were in
ignorance"
This also is repeated three times. The ?azzan then closes with the
benediction, :
"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast
preserved us and hast brought
us to enjoy this season."
In many congregations Num. xiv. 19-20 is recited before
this benediction. After it the Torah-scrolls are replaced,
and the customary evening service begins.
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