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Yamim Noraim Tefillot

KOL NIDREI

The Journey We Started Together

Rebbetzin Abby Lerner

ach year we enter a packed are set to, the opposite of the sanctity these famous words in response to
shul, a little out of breath, of this moment. Moshe’s prayer for the Jewish people
a little too full, somewhat after the sin of the Golden Calf. Rabbi
Eover-hydrated, and we find Yom Kippur is Matan Torah – a re-enact- Yochanan teaches that G-d himself
our seats. Everyone is in white sneak- ment of the tragic, failed first attempt was cloaked in a tallit as a Ba’al Tefillah
ers looking somewhat strange with on the 17th of Tammuz. G-d says to as He taught Moshe the 13 Attributes
our finest Shabbat attire, all the men Moshe: “They have made themselves a of Mercy, to teach us that when the
in tallitot. A hush falls over the crowd molten calf, prostrated themselves to it Jewish people sin, the Ba’al Tefillah,
and we can’t believe that this is really and sacrificed to it and they said, ‘This similarly cloaked, should recite the 13
it. The Torahs have left the aron and are is your god, oh Israel who brought you Attributes to achieve atonement for
lying before us, also clothed in white. out of the land of Egypt.’” (Shemot 32:8) them (Rosh Hashanah 17b).
What is G-d’s response to this? “And
ה ָח ְמׂ ִש ב ֵל י ֵר ׁש ִי ְלּו קי ּ ִדּ ַצ ַל ַע ֻר ָז רֹוא, “Light is now [Moshe] desist from Me. Let My On Kol Nidrei night, G-d and the
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planted for the righteous and hap- anger flare up against them and I shall Jewish people are all wear-
piness for those who are upright of annihilate them; and I shall make you ing tallitot. The Scrolls
heart.” Perhaps, at this moment, we a great nation.” (Ibid 32:10). are lying before us as
really are tzadikim – at least for these we prepare again to
ֹד
א
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fleeting seconds on this holiest of days. ל ֵחַי אל ...ה ָע ֻב ְ ׁש ע ַב ָּׁש ִה ֹוֽ ’ה ַל ר ֶד ֶנ ר ּ ִי י ִּ כ ׁשי ִא receive the Torah,
ֹור ָב ְ ּ ד, “When a man makes a promise
ֶ
ל ׁש ה ָבי ׁשי ִּב ל ָה ָּק ַה ת ַע ּ ַד ל ַע ְו םֹוק ּ מ ַה ת ַע ּ ַד ל ַע to Hashem or swears... he may not this time in purity.
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ָ
ָ
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ל ֵּל ּ פ ְת ִה ְל ןי ִרי ּ ת ַמ ּונ ָא ,ה ּ ט ַמ ל ׁש ה ָבי ׁשי ִבּו ה ָל ְע ַמ profane his words” (Bamidbar 30:3). G-d and the Jewish
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םי ִנ ָי ְר ַב ֲע ָה ם ִע, “With the consent of the Our words are sacred. Rabbi Yehuda people are all reciting
Almighty, and consent of this congre- explains that the words “he may not the ancient formula
gation, in a convocation of the heavenly profane his words” imply that while of Hatarat Nedarim
court, and a convocation of the lower the speaker himself may not reverse his together. Kol Nidrei… For-
court, we hereby grant permission to unwise oath by himself, others can help give us the folly of our words.
pray with transgressors.” Our shul has him do so. This is the basis for the laws “And Hashem said, ‘I forgive them
solemnly been turned into a heavenly of “Hatarat Nedarim,” the annulment of as you requested.’” G-d walks back his Jews Praying in
and earthly courtroom as we invite all vows (Chagiga 10a). promise to destroy the Jewish people. the Synagogue
sinners to join the service where we We, Klal Yisrael, retract our shout to the on Yom Kippur
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will all be judged. וי ָקל ֱא ’ה י ֵנ ּ פ ת ֶא ה ׁשֹמ ל ַח ְי ַו, “And Moshe Golden Calf, “This is your god.” The by Polish Jewish
sought the face of Hashem, his G-d.” final, glorious spoken words of Yom artist Maurycy
And then… “Kol Nidrei.” The haunting (Shemot 32:11) In the wake of the Kippur are “םי ִקל ֱא ָה אּוה 'ה.” Kol Nidrei has Gottlieb, 1878
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melody, the repetition, the gradual Golden Calf and G-d’s desire to anni- manifested its magical powers to set
crescendo as more and more people hilate the Jewish people, Moshe turns Klal Yisrael and G-d back on the journey
join in more loudly and with greater to G-d and, with the same word used we started together.
confidence. You don’t want it to end to describe the reversal of nedarim,
– this magical, spiritual, communal beseeches Him until the promise to
moment. You look down at the words, annihilate is undone (Brachot 32a). This Rebbetzin Abby Lerner serves as the first
at the Aramaic text, at the English was an act of Hatarat Nedarim; Hashem National Director of Conversion Services for
translation. What does this mean? The “reconsidered” what He had said He Geirus Policies and Standards, a network of
glory of the light of the tzadikim, the would do. conversion courts. Previously, she taught at
pathos of the sinners of history united Yeshiva University High School for Girls and
over time – and now these words? They Throughout the Yom Kippur prayers, served as the Rebbetzin of the Young Israel of
seem cold, dry, legal, meaningless – a we recite, over and over again, the 13 Great Neck in New York. She and her husband
contradiction to the very melody they Attributes of Mercy. G-d proclaimed recently made Aliyah.
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