All These Vows

Description

The most memorable prayer of the Jewish New Year—what it means, why we sing it, and the secret of its magical appeal.

Through a series of lively commentaries, over thirty contributors—men and women, scholars and rabbis, artists and poets, spanning three continents and all major Jewish denominations—examine Kol Nidre's theology, usage, and deeply personal impact. They trace the actual history of the prayer and attempts through the ages to emend it, downplay it and even do away with it—all in vain. They explore why Kol Nidre remains an annual liturgical highlight that is regularly attended even by Jews who disbelieve everything the prayer says.

Prayers of Awe
An exciting new series that examines the High Holy Day liturgy to enrich the praying experience of everyone—whether experienced worshipers or guests who encounter Jewish prayer for the very first time.

Acknowledgments ix

PART I KOL NIDRE AND HISTORY
Morality, Meaning, and the Ritual Search for the Sacred 3
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
The Heavenly Assembly 22
Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler
What's in a Bowl? Babylonian Magic Spells and the Origins of Kol Nidre 26
Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD
Sermons and History: The "Marrano" Connection to Kol Nidre 31
Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD
The Magic of the Moment: Kol Nidre in Progressive Judaism 39
Dr. Annette M. Boeckler
The Music of Kol Nidre 67
Dr. Mark Kligman

PART II KOL NIDRE AND JEWISH LAW
Kol Nidre: A Halakhic History and Analysis 73
Dr. Eliezer Diamond
Choice, Commitment, Cancellation: Vows and Oaths in Jewish Law 80
Rabbi Daniel Landes

PART III KOL NIDRE: TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY 87
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

PART IV KOL NIDRE AND THE TESTIMONY OF PRAYERBOOK EDITORS
Kol Nidre from Union Prayer Book to Gates of Repentance 99
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
Memories of the Past, Guidelines for the Future 109
Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD
What If Cleverness Is Foolishness and Righteousness an Illusion? 114
Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD
Words of Wisdom or Legalese? 119
Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD
Two Torah Scrolls and Kol Nidre: The Earthly Court Below 123
Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD

PART V KOL NIDRE AND INTERPRETATIONS FOR TODAY
At Least Credit Me with Being Compassionate 129
Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD
Filling the Void 133
Dr. Erica Brown
Words Mean Everything, Words Mean Nothing —Both Are True 137
Rabbi Ruth Durchslag, PsyD
"Woe Is Me That I Have Sworn": The Power to Annul God's Vows 142
Rachel Farbiarz and Ruth Messinger
The Tyranny of Perfection 146
Rabbi Edward Feinstein
Disruption, Disorientation, and Restarting:
The Kol Nidre Road to Return 150
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
Lifting the Curtain: The Theatrical Kol Nidre 155
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur
“It’s Rather Hard to Understand”: Approaching God through Sound, Not Translation 159
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
The Sound and Pageantry: Willingness, Aspiration, and Discernment 163
Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar
Is Kol Nidre Typical? 168
Dr. Reuven Kimelman
All Bets Are Off 174
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
The Room with No Back, Only Forward 178
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Imagining Nothing 182
Liz Lerman
A Vote of No Confidence 187
Catherine Madsen
Over-Promise, Under-Deliver … and Then Forgive 191
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
Courting Inversion: Kol Nidre as Legal Drama 194
Rabbi Aaron Panken, PhD
The Kol Nidre Mirror to Our Soul 200
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Release beyond Words: Kol Nidre Even on a Violin 205
Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin
Night Vision: A Gift of Sacred Uncertainty 209
Rabbi David Stern
Ritualizing Kol Nidre: The Power of Three 214
Dr. Ellen M. Umansky
All Vows? No! Then, Which Vows? 218
Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD
How Is Kol Nidre Like a Dodgers Game? 224
Dr. Ron Wolfson
We Are the Image of God That God Leaves Behind for History to Know 228
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
The Oath, or My Family Story 232
Dr. Wendy Zierler

Notes 237
Glossary 255

Sujets

• Rituals
• Holidays
• Jewish
• Philosophie et théologie
• Yom Kipur
• Jews
• Rosh Hashanah
• Jewish philosophy
• Yom Kippur
• Theology
• Jewish holiday
• Judaism
• Religion
• Kol Nidre
• Practice
• Yom Kippour

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 01 août 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580234955
• Langue: English

Extrait

ALL THESE VOWS
Kol Nidre
Other Jewish Lights Books by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman
My People s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers,
Modern Commentaries , Vols. 1-10
My People s Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts
Modern Commentaries , Vols. 1 2
(coedited with David Arnow, PhD)
The Art of Public Prayer: Not for Clergy Only , 2nd Ed.
(A book from SkyLight Paths, Jewish Lights sister imprint)
Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life
Israel-A Spiritual Travel Guide:
A Companion for the Modern Jewish Pilgrim
The Way Into Jewish Prayer
What You Will See Inside a Synagogue
(coauthored with Dr. Ron Wolfson)
Also in the Prayers of Awe Series
Who by Fire, Who by Water -Un taneh Tokef
PRAYERS OF AWE
ALL THESE VOWS
Kol Nidre
Edited by
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
All These Vows-Kol Nidre
2011 Hardcover Edition, First Printing 2011 by Lawrence A. Hoffman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information regarding permission to reprint material from this book, please mail or fax your request in writing to Jewish Lights Publishing, Permission Department, at the address / fax number listed below, or e-mail your request to [e-mail] .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
All these vows: Kol Nidre / edited by Lawrence A. Hoffman.
p. cm. - (Prayers of awe; v. 2)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-58023-430-6 (hardcover)
1. Kol nidrei 2. Yom Kippur-Liturgy. 3. Judaism-Liturgy. 4. Vows (Jewish law)
I. Hoffman, Lawrence A., 1942-
BM670.K6A77 2011 296.4 532-dc23
2011025799
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Manufactured in the United States of America
Jacket Design: Tim Holtz
Jacket Art: Kasia Biel/ Fotolia.com
Published by Jewish Lights Publishing
A Division of LongHill Partners, Inc.
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.jewishlights.com
Contents
Acknowledgments
P ART I K OL N IDRE AND H ISTORY
Morality, Meaning, and the Ritual Search for the Sacred
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
The Heavenly Assembly
Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler
What s in a Bowl? Babylonian Magic Spells and the Origins of Kol Nidre
Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD
Sermons and History: The Marrano Connection to Kol Nidre
Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD
The Magic of the Moment: Kol Nidre in Progressive Judaism
Dr. Annette M. Boeckler
The Music of Kol Nidre
Dr. Mark Kligman
P ART II K OL N IDRE AND J EWISH L AW
Kol Nidre : A Halakhic History and Analysis
Dr. Eliezer Diamond
Choice, Commitment, Cancellation: Vows and Oaths in Jewish Law
Rabbi Daniel Landes
P ART III K OL N IDRE : T RANSLATION AND C OMMENTARY
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
A. Preamble
B. Preparation
C. Introduction
D. The Request
E. The Response
F. Postscript
P ART IV K OL N IDRE AND THE T ESTIMONY OF P RAYER -B OOK E DITORS
Kol Nidre from Union Prayer Book to Gates of Repentance
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
Memories of the Past, Guidelines for the Future
Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD
What If Cleverness Is Foolishness and Righteousness an Illusion?
Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD
Words of Wisdom or Legalese?
Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD
Two Torah Scrolls and Kol Nidre : The Earthly Court Below
Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD
P ART V K OL N IDRE AND I NTERPRETATIONS FOR T ODAY
At Least Credit Me with Being Compassionate
Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD
Filling the Void
Dr. Erica Brown
Words Mean Everything, Words Mean Nothing-Both Are True
Rabbi Ruth Durchslag, PsyD
Woe Is Me That I Have Sworn : The Power to Annul God s Vows
Rachel Farbiarz and Ruth Messinger
The Tyranny of Perfection
Rabbi Edward Feinstein
Disruption, Disorientation, and Restarting: The Kol Nidre Road to Return
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
Lifting the Curtain: The Theatrical Kol Nidre
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur
It s Rather Hard to Understand : Approaching God through Sound, Not Translation
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
The Sound and Pageantry: Willingness, Aspiration, and Discernment
Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar
Is Kol Nidre Typical?
Dr. Reuven Kimelman
All Bets Are Off
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
The Room with No Back, Only Forward
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Imagining Nothing
Liz Lerman
A Vote of No Confidence
Catherine Madsen
Over-Promise, Under-Deliver and Then Forgive
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
Courting Inversion: Kol Nidre as Legal Drama
Rabbi Aaron Panken, PhD
The Kol Nidre Mirror to Our Soul
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Release beyond Words: Kol Nidre Even on a Violin
Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin
Night Vision: A Gift of Sacred Uncertainty
Rabbi David Stern
Ritualizing Kol Nidre : The Power of Three
Dr. Ellen M. Umansky
All Vows? No! Then, Which Vows?
Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD
How Is Kol Nidre Like a Dodgers Game?
Dr. Ron Wolfson
We Are the Image of God That God Leaves Behind for History to Know
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
The Oath, or My Family Story
Dr. Wendy Zierler
Notes
Glossary
About Jewish Lights
Copyright
Acknowledgments
A cknowledgments begin with the many High Holy Day worshipers for whom Kol Nidre has proved important. To these worshipers in general, I add the many colleagues, artists, composers, poets, philosophers, theologians, and critics who added more technical voices to the conversation. Many of them are included here. To them-to all the contributors whose commentaries found their way into this volume-I am grateful.
Whenever I finish editing a volume, I am struck by how much I owe to all the others included in it, but that is especially the case here. Midway through the volume, I had to undergo eye surgery; as a result, I misplaced files, misdirected emails, and delayed the book enormously. I was overwhelmed by the patience and understanding that I received from everyone. I cannot adequately express how grateful I am for the support accorded me during those long hard months.
The support came also from my extraordinary publisher, Stuart M. Matlins, founder of Jewish Lights, and from Emily Wichland, vice president of Editorial and Production at Jewish Lights. My profound thanks go to them both. Stuart continues to demonstrate his extraordinary commitment to Jewish literacy, spirituality, and renewal. Emily continues to amaze me in all she does: her abundant wisdom, skill, patience, and perseverance are precisely what an author most desires. For her copyediting and proofreading, my thanks go again to Debra Corman. I happily include as well all the others at Jewish Lights, especially Tim Holtz, director of Production, who designed the cover for this book and typeset the English text.
Authors rely on other authors who have come before, and from time to time, particular books stand out as guides without which one s own work would not have been possible. In this case, I relied to an extraordinary degree on the work of Moshe Benovitz, whose Kol Nidre: Studies in the Development of Rabbinic Votive Institutions , Brown Judaism Studies, 315 (Scholars Press, 1998) informed every aspect of how I understand the halakhic implications of the various vows and oaths included in Kol Nidre . I record my debt to him in my own essay on the subject, but wish here, as well, to acknowledge his extraordinary accomplishment. The overall history of Kol Nidre is widely known by now, but credit goes to Stuart Weinberg Gershon for supplying it early on in a readily readable format that is widely cited by others here as well ( Kol Nidre: Its Origin, Development and Significance [Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson, 1994]). My thanks go also to Marc Saperstein, who made many valuable suggestions that have been incorporated into this book; and to Eliezer Diamond, Alyssa Gray, Charles Middleburgh, and Dvora Weisberg with whom I consulted regarding the translation.
P ART I
Kol Nidre and History
Morality, Meaning, and the Ritual Search for the Sacred
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
I t is hard for us to appreciate how seriously people took oaths in the days when they thought the universe was a moral, not a scientific, thing. We assume a universe run by mathematical principles with which there is no bargaining: E = MC 2 , for example, is simply true, whether we like it that way or not. Periodic hurricanes devastate the Caribbean because it lies in the path of tropical storms, not because the Haitians who live there deserve punishment. Bad things sometimes happen to good people because that is just the way the world is. The laws of nature are not whimsical. No guru, shaman, sage, or sorcerer can compel the universe to be other than what it is.
Understanding all of this, we try whenever possible to enlist science in our own defense. We wear seat belts, wash our hands, wear sunscreen, and eliminate transfats from our diet. All species scramble to be on the cutting edge of evolutionary success. We have added scientific knowledge to our defensive weaponry.
Our ancestors made do with a smaller arsenal. It was not simply that they didn t know as much as we do. They were ignorant of what would even count as proper knowing, in that they thought the world responded to moral rather than mathematical necessity. They lived in fear of forces beyond themselves who might punish moral failure by redirecting nature to cause them harm.
They were not unscientific, in the sense of not understanding cause and effect. They just had the list of causes wrong. No less than we, they employed what knowledge they had to ward off disaster. But for them, that knowledge included sacrifice and, later, prayer, that they judged sufficient to change the natural course of things. They also fasted to atone for sin, not as a matter of moral improvement or spiritual disci