”כל נדרי ואסרי וחרמי...כלהון יהון שרן...”
“All vows, prohibitions, oaths...they should all be undone...”
Kol Nidrei is for all practical purposes Hatoras Nedarim, the annulment of vows. The holiest day of the year, Yo m Hakippurim, is about to begin. One puts on his Kittel and his Talis for Kol Nidrei. Sifrei Torah are taken out of the Aron Kodesh, and the Chazan is flanked by Yidin holding the Sifrei Torah. The hallowed tune, sung from generation to generation, with which the Chazan sings Kol Nidrei is supposed to help bring one to tears. Why does Yom Hakippurim begin with Kol Nidrei – annulling vows? Why would saying Kol Nidrei bring one to tears, or to thoughts of Teshuva – when it does not seem to be a Tefilah, but rather a technical process of annulling one’s vows? There is a Minhag in Klal Yisroel for one to do Hatoras Nedarim on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Why is there a need for Hatoras Nedarim before Yo m Hakippurim, when presumably everyone already annulled their vows on Erev Rosh Hashanah?
Hakodosh Boruch Hu made an oath to our forefather Avrohom Avinu that we would receive Eretz Yisroel and be Zoche to the eternal Bais Hamikdash. We need to show Hakodosh Boruch Hu that we take our oaths seriously, so that He too should take it seriously, and be Zoche to the building of the eternal Bais Hamikdash. We say Kol Nidrei before Yo m Hakippurim begins to show that we are serious about our oaths, and beseech Hakodosh Boruch Hu for Him to fulfill His oath, so that we be Zoche to the Geulah Shlaima. (קהלת יעקב)
The Koach of speech is great, and it is with that power that we are Mispalel to Hashem to forgive us for all of our sins, and to make us pure. The Luchos that Moshe brought down were like the marriage contract between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Moshe broke them in order to save us from the sin of the Eigel. However, it is not that we no longer wanted to get married, it was just temporary, because we sinned. We sought an atonement for our sins, so that we could start fresh, and get married to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. We want to show Hashem that we take our vows seriously, and those that we transgressed should be annulled, for we want Hashem to heed His vow that He made to our forefather, Avrohom Avinu. Know that this is not just a technical procedure. Rather, we say Kol Nidrei beseeching Hashem that He annul our iniquities of the past, so that we can begin anew, and strengthen our bond with Him. We must cry out to Hashem as this holy day is about to begin, and beseech Him that we really love Him and want to be pure – we want a new start, and we will try with all of our might to make the future a better one in our Avodas Hashem. When you hear that hallowed hymn, which has been sung for generations, it should be Me’orer us to do a complete Teshuva as we beseech Hakodosh Boruch Hu for a fresh start. May we all be Zoche to have our iniquities of the past annulled, and begin a new marriage – a Gemar Chasima Tovah.
- RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
