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Rabbanit Sally Mayer

Embracing

Vulnerability

ol Nidrei. The mention Yiftach makes his infamous neder said, ‘I will surely do good for you,
of these famous words to sacrifice the first thing that and I will make your descendants
Kimmediately brings to mind comes out of his house (Judges 11) if like the sand of the shore…’”
the powerful and haunting melody. G-d helps him in the battle against
We can’t imagine beginning Yom Amon. In the Rosh Hashanah Why does Ya’akov not make another
Kippur any other way. haftarah, we see that Chana makes vow?
a neder – if G-d grants her a son,
Why do we begin Yom Kippur she will give him to G-d. In the Perhaps he has learned something
with Kol Nidrei? If you asked those story of Yonah, read on Yom Kippur crucial in his many years away from
unfamiliar with our liturgy how we afternoon, he implies that he made a home, with the challenges of raising
begin our Day of Atonement, would neder to G-d in order to get himself a family, and managing a very crafty
they not suggest that we begin by out of the fish that had swallowed father-in-law/employer. Ya’akov has
disavowing our sins? By declaring him (Yonah 2:10). learned that he has nothing to offer
that we will be better Jews and G-d. He is deeply humbled by all
better people this coming year? In all of these cases, the protagonist that G-d has done for him, and he
With an appeal to G-d’s mercy, is telling G-d – I have something to realizes that he deserves no more.
through the 13 attributes of mercy? offer You. If You help me, I will do So he throws himself at G-d’s mercy
Why begin with the annulment of something for you in return. On and movingly cries for help.
vows? the one hand, this is an impressive As Yom Kippur begins, and we
gesture. We are not asking G-d
The first time we encounter a neder to simply save us, but rather face the final judgment for our year
(vow) is when Ya’akov makes one as offering something in return. Upon ahead, Kol Nidrei comes to tell us
he runs away from Esav after buying reflection though, how can we – forget the neder method. We are
the birthright from him (Genesis possibly have anything to offer G-d? overwhelmed by our great needs,
28). Ya’akov is alone in the darkness, and, admitting our lack of merits,
running for his life, and he begs 22 years later, when Ya’akov is on his let us undo all the vows. We have
G-d – if You take care of me, and way back and about to encounter nothing to offer, we are humbled
bring me home safely, I will make Esav again, we find a contrast to by G-d’s kindness to us. We cry out
this place into a place of worship for the neder he made when he was and beg for His mercy in granting
You, and I will give You a tenth of running away. When he hears that us life, peace and tranquility. We
everything I have. The neder here is Esav is approaching with 400 men, embrace our own vulnerability
a deal – if You do this for me, I’ll do Ya’akov is once again terrified. He and recognize that םי ִ ׁש ָ ר ְ כּו םי ִּ ל ַ ד ְּ כ
ְ
this for You. turns to G-d, and poignantly begs ך ֵּ ת ְ ל ַ ּ ד ּונ ְ ק ַ פ ָ ּ ד – we knock at Your door
(Genesis 32): cognizant of being poor in merits,
Again, we find a neder when the and we ask for mercy as we commit
Canaanite King of Arad attacks “I am humbled by all of the kindness ourselves to improve next year,
Bnei Yisrael in the desert (Numbers and all of the truth You have done B’ezrat Hashem.
21) and takes captives. The Jewish for me, for I crossed this Jordan with
people respond with a vow – if G-d my stick, and now I have become
helps us in the war, we will sanctify two camps. Save me, please, from Rabbanit Sally Mayer serves as Rosh
the cities we capture. G-d hears my brother, from Esav, for I fear Midrasha at Midreshet Lindenbaum’s
our vow and with His help, we are him, lest he come and kill me, the Overseas Program and teaches Talmud
victorious. mother with the children. And You and Halacha

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