What is the Kol Nidrei prayer?
A special prayer recited at the onset of Yom Kippur to annul vows
Source: Shulchan Aruch OC 619
In detail
Kol Nidrei, meaning “All Vows,” is an Aramaic declaration concerning vows, recited at the opening of Yom Kippur. Shulchan Aruch records the custom of saying it and then Shehecheyanu without a cup of wine (OC 619:1). It is not a substitute for confession or repentance, and its emotional melody should not obscure its subject: the seriousness of commitments made in speech.
It is recited on the evening before the 10th of Tishrei. The Rema specifies beginning while it is still daylight and continuing the melodies into the evening (Rema, OC 619:1). Arriving only at nightfall can therefore mean missing it.
In the Ashkenazi practice recorded by the Rema:
- Kol Nidrei is said three times, with the voice raised each time (Rema, OC 619:1).
- The congregation follows its established melodies and liturgical custom rather than changing them arbitrarily (Rema, OC 619:1).
Ashkenazi and Sephardi prayer books can differ in wording and melody. The past-vow and future-vow formulations reflect a real discussion, not merely translation choices; Mishnah Berurah explains it in 619:2. Follow the congregation’s text.
A Beit Din may ask whether this declaration cancels debts or permits dishonest promises. It does neither: monetary duties remain binding, and vows involving another person have specific annulment rules (Shulchan Aruch, YD 228:20). A common mistake is treating Kol Nidrei as blanket permission to disregard commitments. An actual vow requires individual rabbinic assessment.
Full study guide: Jewish Holidays
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