Tefillah Corner

Kol Nidre

כָּל נִדְרֵי

The Aramaic declaration that opens Yom Kippur evening.

7 lines

כָּל נִדְרֵי וֶאֱסָרֵי וּשְׁבוּעֵיוַחֲרָמֵי וְקוֹנָמֵי וְכִנּוּיֵי וְקִנּוּסֵידְּאִנְדַּרְנָא וּדְאִשְׁתַּבַּעְנָא וּדְאַחֲרִימְנָא וְדַאֲסַרְנָא עַל נַפְשָׁתָנָאמִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָהבְּכֻלְּהוֹן אִחֲרַטְנָא בְהוֹן, כֻּלְּהוֹן יְהוֹן שָׁרָן, שְׁבִיקִין, שְׁבִיתִין, בְּטֵלִין וּמְבֻטָּלִיןלָא שְׁרִירִין וְלָא קַיָּמִין. נִדְרָנָא לָא נִדְרֵי, וֶאֱסָרָנָא לָא אֱסָרֵי, וּשְׁבוּעָתָנָא לָא שְׁבוּעוֹתוְנִסְלַח לְכָל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם, כִּי לְכָל הָעָם בִּשְׁגָגָה

Kol nidrei ve'esarei ushvu'ei Vacharamei vekonamei vekhinuyei vekinusei De'indarna ud'ishtaba'na ud'acharimna veda'asarna al nafshatana Miyom Kippurim zeh ad yom Kippurim haba aleinu letovah Bekhulhon icharatna vehon, kulhon yehon sharan, shevikin, shevitin, betelin umvutalin La sheririn vela kayamin. Nidrana la nidrei, ve'esarana la esarei, ushvu'atana la shevu'ot Venislach lekhol adat benei Yisrael velager hagar betokham, ki lekhol ha'am bishgagah

All vows, prohibitions, and oaths. and bans and vows of abstinence and substitute terms and penalties, which we may vow, swear, ban, or bind upon ourselves — from this Yom Kippur until the next Yom Kippur, may it come to us for good — regarding all of them we regret them: may they all be released, abandoned, cancelled, null and void, without force or standing. Our vows are not vows, our bans are not bans, and our oaths are not oaths. And it shall be forgiven to the whole congregation of Israel and to the stranger dwelling among them, for all the people acted unwittingly.

Speed
When it's said, and why

Kol Nidre is chanted three times at dusk as Yom Kippur begins, before the evening service. It is a legal formula annulling certain unfulfilled vows made to God. Its haunting melody is among the most recognized in Jewish music.

Variation: Ashkenazi versions look forward to vows of the coming year; many Sephardi versions look back at the year that passed.

Practice saying it aloud

Optional — read the line out loud and see how close you get.

כָּל נִדְרֵי וֶאֱסָרֵי וּשְׁבוּעֵי

Quick check

When is Kol Nidre chanted?

What kind of text is Kol Nidre?

"Nidrei" means: