The Kol Nidre is the holiest Jewish prayer and is recited several times on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It means "all vows" and is a flat statement that no promise of any kind will be kept for the coming year. It is also sung by the cantor in synagogue, accompanied on the violin and goes like this:

 

"All vows, obligations, oaths or anathemas, pledges of all names, which we have vowed, sworn, devoted, or bound ourselves to, from this day of atonement, until the next day of atonement (whose arrival we hope for in happiness) we repent, aforehand, of them all, they shall all be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, void and made of no effect; they shall not be binding, nor have any power; the vows shall not be reckoned as vows, the obligations shall not be obligatory, nor the oaths considered as oaths."

 

"The Jazz Singer," the first talkie with Al Jolsen, describes the great devotion that Jews have for this "prayer." Jolsen plays a cantor's son who tries to break away from Jewish tradition but who in the end is drawn back to it, finally agreeing to sing the Kol Nidre on the great day. It is ironic that Hollywood's first motion picture with sound should have dealt with this explosive subject, even if the words were sung in Hebrew.

 

Can any person or people with this mentality be trusted? The Kol Nidre mentality is the underlying cause for all the anti-Jewish reaction by normal people down through the ages. Have we ever heard a renunciation of this "prayer" by any Jew - orthodox, reform or otherwise? In fact, how many of us are even aware of this subversive practice, this license to lie, which is glorified in a holy ritual every year?

 

Every Jew in a position of power, from Paul Wolfowitz to your judge, doctor or teacher, should be questioned on this subject. Jewish judges should be asked to recuse themselves on this grounds automatically. Only in this positive but defensive manner can we at this late date begin to take charge of our lives by denouncing the lie of "anti-Semitism" and confronting those whose practices are based on deception.

 

Remember the motto of Israel's elite organization, the Mossad: "By way of deception thou shalt make war."

 

 

Comment

From Name Withheld
12-1-03

 

In fairness, there is an obscure version of the Kol Nidre (there are a number of variants on the text) which also seeks forgiveness and nullification of coerced obligations for the coming year. This is no longer commonly used, though it is quoted in the 100 year old version of the "Jewish Encyclopedia" as part of a lengthy scholarly discussion of the Kol Nidre.

 

Actually, many Reform congregations do not recite the Kol Nidre because it is considered anachronistic and because it MIGHT be misconstrued.

 

However, the Kol Nidre is specifically about contracts of a religious nature and NOT about business or other contracts with other men. If it were what Campbell and others commenting on your site say, would it not also negate obligations between Jews?

 

Obligations between Jews may be settled by a rabbinnic court, or Bet Din; obligations between Jews and Gentiles must be handled by civil courts. The Talmud states: "The law of the land is The Law." In other words, in all civil and crimnal matters (matters of a non-religious nature) the ruling of a civil court is final and as binding as if it were the Torah itself.

 

The Kol Nidre has NO EFFECT upon temporal obligations nor upon the rulings of a court of law.
 

 

Comment

From Sam Lock

12-1-3

 

The last comment by "name withheld" counter-commenting to Barbara Cohen, is a flat-out lie and therefore "name withheld" is a liar until he proves otherwise.

 

He states, "...The Kol Nidre does NOT do what Mr. Campbell libelously claims. Rather, it is a sort of contract between man the individual and God asking God's forgiveness for obligations made UNKNOWINGLY or UNDER COERCION during the PREVIOUS (not forthcoming) year."

 

Jeff, I must copy a part out of the quoted Kol Nidre by Barbara Cohen, acually, the entire thing, so I may not be labeled a liar.

 

"All vows, obligations, oaths, anathemas, whether called 'konam,' 'konas,' or by any other name, which we may vow, or swear, or pledge, or whereby we may be bound, from this Day of Atonement unto the next, (whose happy coming we await), we do repent. May they be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, and void and made of no effect; they shall not bind us nor have power over us. The vows shall not be reckoned vows; the obligations shall not be obligatory; nor the oaths be oaths."

 

"...from this day of Atonement UNTO THE NEXT..." does not refer to the PRIOR year, now does it class?

 

Is this guy just baiting us or lying to us? Jeff, this is a great lesson in 'sources of information and how can you really rely on it.'

 

"Name withheld"...for obvious reasons.

 

 

 

Comment

From Barbara Cohen

New York, NY

12-1-3

 

Dear Jeff,

 

Regarding your article today: The Kol Nidre http://rense.com/general45/kol.htm

your readers can find a much more details at the enclosed article.

 

http://abbc.com/quotes/q701-750.htm

 

KOL NIDRE 703

 

The Bible teaches: "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:11-12)

 

One of the most useful devices provided the Jews to offset Moses' laws against swearing falsely, is found in the Talmud Book of Nedarim (Vows), and is put into practice yearly on the Day of Atonement in every synagogue across the world as the "Kol Nidre" (all Vows prayer).

 

The text of the Kol Nidre is found in "The Jewish Encyclopedia" and published by Funk and Wagnalls Co., The History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day, page 539. This is a typical Talmudic situation: Knowingly, in advance, every shred or TRUTH is to be cast away, with religious support. A Scriptural verse of no relevance whatsoever is used for justification.

 

Christian Americans and non-Christians have been drenched with propaganda concerning "brotherhood" between Christian, non-Christians and Jews. Such propaganda could never be effective if the true nature of Talmudic Judaism were known!

 

KOL NIDRE: It is the prologue of the Day of Atonement services in the synagogues. It is recited three times by the standing congregation in concert with chanting rabbis at the alter. After the recital of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer the Day of Atonement religious ceremonies follow immediately. The Day of Atonement religious observances are the highest holy days of the "Jews" and are celebrated as such throughout the world. The official translation into English of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer is as follows:

 

"All vows, obligations, oaths, anathemas, whether called 'konam,' 'konas,' or by any other name, which we may vow, or swear, or pledge, or whereby we may be bound, from this Day of Atonement unto the next, (whose happy coming we await), we do repent. May they be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, and void and made of no effect; they shall not bind us nor have power over us. The vows shall not be reckoned vows; the obligations shall not be obligatory; nor the oaths be oaths." (emphasis added)

 

The implications, inferences and innuendoes of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer are referred to in the Talmud in the Book of Nedarim, 23a-23b as follows:

 

"And he who desires that none of his vows made during the year shall be valid, let him stand at the beginning of the year and declare, every vow which I make in the future shall be null (1). (His Vows are then invalid) providing that he remembers this at the time of the vow." (emphasis in original) A footnote (1) relates: "(1)...The Law of Revocation in advance was not made public." (Emphasis in original text)

 

The greatest study of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer was made by Theodor Reik, a pupil of the [I]nfamous Jewish Dr. Sigmund Freud. The analysis of the historic, religious and psychological background of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer by Professor Reik presents the Talmud in its true perspective. This study is contained in "The Ritual, Psycho-Analytical Studies." In the chapter on the Talmud, page 163, he states: "The text was to the effect that all oaths which believers take between one Day of Atonement and the next Day of Atonement are declared invalid." (emphasis added)

 

The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia confirms that the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer has no spiritual value as might be believed because it is recited in synagogues on the Day of Atonement as the prologue of the religious ceremonies which follow it. The secular significance of the "Kol Nidre" (All Vows) prayer is forcefully indicated by the analysis in Vol. VI, page 441:

 

"The Kol Nidre has nothing whatever to do with the actual idea of the Day of Atonement...it attained to extraordinary solemnity and popularity by reason of the fact that it was the first prayer recited on this holiest of days."

 

On the Chicago Illinois Television Station, on the Day of Atonement in 1992, the announcer said in effect: "Synagogues and temples throughout the city were crowded yesterday as the 24 hour fast began. As Rabbis called on the Jewish people to join the fast, to sound the Kol Nidre, the traditional melody used at the start of Yom Kippur, as a gesture of goodwill."

 

That Christians accepted this as a true statement, without any question at all, is amazing. For THE "Kol Nidre" Prayer is a "License" for the Jews to deceive and cheat Christians and non-Jews for the next year, as they have obtained forgiveness in advance from "their" god to lie, cheat, steal and deceive.

 

 

 

Comment

From Name Withheld

12-1-3

 

 

Jeff - Time and again slanders against my faith are repeated on this site, although I still like the site and read it daily, knowing that you are not the originator of the slander and also observing that pretty much everyone gets equal time, which is what free speech is all about.

 

But the attack on the Kol Nidre by J. B. Campbell is just too much. The Kol Nidre is not a prayer. It is recited three times on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year, in order to be sure that all have heard and recited it. The Kol Nidre does NOT do what Mr. Campbell libelously claims. Rather, it is a sort of contract between man the individual and God asking God's forgiveness for obligations made UNKNOWINGLY or UNDER COERCION during the PREVIOUS (not forthcoming) year. It ONLY affects promises made to God and not promises or obligations made to other men. In other words, it is a plea for forgiveness to God for offenses made to him. It does not negate any obligations made to other men and only asks God's pardon for unknowingly offending Him or for having offended Him because another (say a Christian or a Moslem) forced one to do so.

 

Campbell's statements are made out of either extreme ignorance or extreme hatred (or both), but they are lies and rubbish. If a Jew said such horrible and false things about a sacred Christian practice there would be hell to pay but I guess it's okay if it is the other way around.

 

Many thanks for helping to set the record straight.

 

 

Update

From J B Campbell

JBC@wealthkeeper.net

To: Jonathan Grossman

 

On 14.12.2003 6:22 PM, Jonathan Grossman wrote:

 

Read your Kol Nidre article. You are quite the nut. Funny to read and of course only an anti-Semite like Rense would print it. Good luck spreading your propaganda. It makes for good comedy.

 

 

I thought the rabbi objecting under the name "Name Withheld" was very funny. Did you read my Rense piece on "anti-Semitism," since you're slinging around that slimy weapon? As I asked Dershowitiz, do you have one drop of Semitic blood in your body? What is your attitude toward the actual Semites? (That would be the Arabs.)

 

The syndicated lawyer and talk show host, Bill Handel or Handle, back in '92 had a one-time special on KFI in LA called, "Why Do You Hate Jews?" The first hour was given to the anti-Jews and I got on. I said, "Because you are the most notorious liars on Earth."

 

"Oh? What lies do we tell?"

 

"Well, everything you say could be a lie. You are authorized to lie by your rabbis."

 

"Authorized to lie by our rabbis... How does that work?"

 

"What is your holiest prayer?"

 

"Umm - I don't know!"

 

"Isn't it the Kol Nidre?"

 

"You know, Bruce - I've had five years of Hebrew school and three years of law school and I just can't remember how the Kol Nidre goes."

 

"I can recite it for you if you like..."

 

"Okay."

 

And I did. On KFI, 50,000 watts across Southern California. Bill about croaked. I said, "Bill, this is why people hate Jews. Get it? And another thing - you called that Gentile gal a minute ago a Shiksa."

 

"Yeah? So?"

 

"In your lingo, shiksa means dirty, unclean, non-Kosher piece of meat. Like "goyim." That means cattle. You're the cowboys and we're the cows - right?"

 

"Aw, Bruce! I don't think so!"

 

"You don't think so?"

 

"No, I don't think so..."

 

"Do you deny it?" He wouldn't deny it - just Jewish equivocating. Anyway, the anti-Jew calls were so heavy that we got another hour. And the last two hours were for Jews only. You know - the last word. But it worked out okay. The first Jewish call was from a rabbi.

 

"Bill! What that fellow said about the Kol Nidre! He was wrong, Bill!"

 

"I know he was, Rabbi. Can you tell us how wrong?"

 

"Oh, Bill! The Kol Nidre is between you and God - not the way he made it sound! Now, let's say that you have sworn not to come within a mile of a chocolate mousse. You can't keep this promise to God, so the Kol Nidre lets you off the hook with God! You see, Bill? Nothing like what he said!"

 

"Uh, huh... Okay - thanks, Rabbi."

 

Talk about comedy. People all over Los Angeles were laughing. Jews were slapping their foreheads at this moron for telling such a fantastic whopper

 

http://www.rense.com/general45/kol.htm