[HANASHIR:7034] a new perspective on the Kol Nidre - reaching for the stars

[Ros Schwartz <rs4...>]

[ Not, strictly speaking, a musical posting, I apologise in advance. 
But Kol Nidre is a song, and I thought you might be interested.  And the
list has been quiet lately. ]


Just wanted to share a lovely new perspective on the Kol Nidre that I
learned this Yom Kippur, from our new cantor.  Started with a reminder
that Kol Nidre absolves us not only from promises that we have made in
the past year, but also those we are about to make in the coming year. 
Why?  Why bother to make these promises, if they are already null and
void?

... because:  this absolution makes it safe to reach for the stars.  To
set the most outrageous and extravagant goals, knowing in advance that
if we fail to reach them it is already ok.   To promise that this year
we will be perfect, we will correct all of our flaws, we will get
everything right the first time.  So that - in the safety of aiming for
what we cannot possibly achieve - we can perhaps nevertheless achieve
more than we ever thought we could.

So, as I pray through Yom Kippur day, in harmony with of thinking about
what a flawed and fallible person I am, I can also think about what a
perfect person I could become.  Knowing that that goal will bring me
closer to where I want to be ... and it is also ok, even when I don't
get there.

- Ros

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