Kol Nidre
Schönberg, Arnold
Rabbi:
The Kabalah tells a legend: At the beginning God Said: «Let there
be light.» Out of space a flame burst out. God crushed that light
to atoms. Myriads of sparks are hidden in our world, but not all of us
behold them. The selfglorious, who walks arrogantly upright, will
never perceive one; but the meek and modest, eyes downcast, he sees
it: «A light is sown for the pious.»
Bishivoh shel maloh uvishivoh shel matoh.
In the name of God:
We solemnly proclaim that every transgressor, be it that he was
unfaithful to our people because of fear, or misled by false
doctrines af any kind, out of weakness or greed: we give him leave
to be one with us in prayer tonight. A light is sown for the
pious, a light is sown for the repenting sinner.
All vows, oaths, promises and plights of any kind, wherewith we
pledged ourselves counter to our inherited faith in God, Who is
One, Everlasting, Unseen, Unfathomable, we declare these null
and void.
We repent that these obligations have estranged us from the
sacred task we are chosen for.
Chorus:
We repent.
Rabbi:
We shall strive from this Day of Atonement till the next to
avoid such and similar obligations, so that the Yom Kippur
to follow may come us to for good.
Chorus:
All vows, oaths, promises and plights of any kind, wherewith we
pledged ourselves counter to our inherited faith in God, Who is
One, Everlasting, Unseen, Unfathomable, we declare these null
and void.
We repent that these obligations have estranged us from the
sacred task we are chosen for.
We shall strive from this Day of Atonement till the next to
avoid such and similar obligations, so that the Yom Kippur
to follow may come us to for good.
Rabbi:
Whatever binds us to falsehood may be absolved, released,
annulled, made void and of no power.
Chorus:
Falsehood absolved, released, annulled, made void and of
no power.
Hence all such vows shall be no vows, and all such bonds
shall be no bonds, all such oaths shall be no oaths.
We repent. Null and void be our vows. We repent them. A
light is sown for the sinner.
Rabbi:
We give him leave to be one with us in prayer tonight.
Chorus:
We repent.