Kol Nidrei

The Kol Nidrei prayer

The prayer that begins Yom Kippur is “Kol Nidrei”, this prayer is the symbol of the prayers of Yom Kippur. Famous cantors in the Jewish world have contributed to “Kol Nidrei”.

The meaning of the prayer: According to Judaism, a man who says something that implies a promise, as in, “I will do so and so”, if the person did not say “no vow”, then he must keep his word, and cannot go against it.

Throughout the year, it happens that we make mistakes and make various promises.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, we make it known that all the vows we mistakenly took are canceled, and will not count as vows.

Wise men decreed that the prayer should be said at the very start of Yom Kippur, because it is another stage in being pure for the start of the holy day.

The Kol Nidrei prayer – the wording of the prayer and its meaning

All vows, and prohibitions, and oaths, and consecrations, and konams and konasi are synonymous terms – all the vows and prohibitions and bans

That we may vow, or swear, or consecrate, or prohibit upon ourselves – vows I make or prohibitions I impose on my soul 

From the previous Day of Atonement until this Day of Atonement that will come for our benefit – throughout the year, from the current Yom Kippur until the next one.

Regarding all of them, we repudiate them

All of them are undone

Abandoned, cancelled, null and void

Not in force, and not in effect – not approved and do not exist

Our vows are no longer vows, and our prohibitions are no longer prohibitions, and our oaths are no longer oaths

The time the prayer is said

Ideally, the best time to say the Kol Nidrei prayer is before sunset, since we must not break vows or oaths on Sabbath or a holy day. But it is ok if the prayer continues into the holy day.

Standing next to the cantor

We make sure that two important people from the audience are standing near the cantor when this prayer is said.

Permission to pray with transgressors

Before we begin with the Kol Nidrei prayer, it is customary to say:

“According to the opinion of the place and the opinion of the public in the yeshiva of the heavens and the yeshiva of earth, we allow praying with the transgressors”.

Chazal have said “any public fast that does not include the transgressors of Israel is not a fast”, and thus we find in the incense offering, that the galbanum’s smell was bad, and yet it is still counted among the incense offerings.

That is why, in the opening of the Yom Kippur prayers, the first thing we do is permit praying with transgressors, on Yom Kippur all the people of Israel pray together, both religious and secular people, because on this day the point of Judaism is discovered in each and every Jew.

The Shehecheyanu blessing

At the end of the Kol Nidrei prayer, we say the Shehecheyanu blessing as we do in all holy days when saying Kiddush.

Donating through the website

We remind you that the custom of Kapparot can be done through Kapparot online here in the secured website.

the donations are tax deductible in accordance with Section 46.