[HANASHIR:7035] Re: a new perspective on the Kol Nidre - reaching for the stars

[Andy Curry <acurry...>]

Ros,

Your cantor has a good interpretation.  It's certainly better than the one
which says that Kol Nidre is for cases in which we are forced to pledge
allegiance to other gods (which interpretation makes Kol Nidre completely
irrelevant for our time).

It's a shame that most machzorim do not provide an accurate translation of
Kol Nidre.  The text of it does not address vows that we HAVE made, but
only those vows we may make in the coming year.

A notable anthropologist, whose name I can not remember, studied the Yom
Kipur ritual as well as others from other traditions.  He suggested that
Yom Kipur can be thought of as a resurrection or, if you will, reenlistment
in the covenant.  First, we prepare ourselves as for burial and/or wedding
(ritual washing, kittel, tallit - the only time of the year a tallit is
worn at night).  Then, we take the sifrei Torah out of the aron kodesh and
do NOT read from them (again, the only time this occurs) in order to recite
a legal statement invalidating in advance any "nidre/nedarim" we might
make.  The fact that we are making an "oath on the Bible" to invalidate
future oaths suggests that we are deliberately breaking the covenant of our
ancestors.  For what are our vows?  They are our half of the Covenant.

Then, for the remainder of Yom Kippur, our purpose is to reach a state of
purity and resolve sufficient to reenlist, to be resurrected, to renew our
marriage with the God of Israel.  During N'ila, we demand of God, "Open the
gates!"  "Let us [back] in!"

Obviously, this interpretation is just one of many, and trying to explain
meanings of rituals is like trying to explain music.  But it resonates for me.

Wishing all a sweet zman simchatenu, as well as peace in the City of Peace,

Andy

At 09:38 PM 10/9/00 -0400, you wrote:
>[ 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
>

Andy Curry, Kansas City
acurry (at) san-carlos(dot)rms(dot)slb(dot)com

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