tagged: vows • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

התרת נדרים | Hatarat Nedarim: The Release of Vows, by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:16:57 +0000

Almost everyone who is Jewish knows that Kol Nidre is about releasing vows and has participated in the ceremony. Few know the parallel ritual done in small groups before Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally, right before Rosh Hashanah one performs this simple ritual with three friends, each in turn becoming the petitioner, while the other three act as the beit din, the judges in a court. The ritual is a wonderful way to enter the holidays as well as to prepare oneself for what will happen on Yom Kippur.

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	Petitioner: My friends, I ask the three of you to serve as judges in the court that is empowered to release one from vows. Will you please serve for me in this capacity?
	The judges: Yes, we are prepared to hear you.
	Petitioner: What follows is not intended to void promises I made to other people from which only they can release me.
	In the last year I have from time to time made vows, sometimes speaking them out loud or had an intention, a resolution to change something in my actions, behavior and attitude in my mind. Some of these are in relation to myself, my body, my mind, and my soul. Some of these deal with the way in which I conduct myself in relation to other people. And most of all, there are those that deal with my relation to God.
	Sometimes I took on a practice or a custom and did it at least three times and have since either willingly or unwillingly abandoned it and I know that this, too, has the power of a vow.
	Many times when I ask for prayers for some people whether they are prayers for healing, for blessing or for the repose of souls departed, in which the formula includes, “Because I shall contribute to tsedakah” and I may have forgotten to do that or not been aware, I ask you to release me from that, too.
	All these I regret and I ask you to recognize my regret and release me from all those vows.
	The judges: Hearing your regret, we release you. All is forgiven, all is released, and may it be that in the same way that we here below release you from these vows and obligations, so may you be released from the court above from the same.
	Petitioner: As I stand here and I am aware of my fickle nature in matters of vows, promises and resolutions, I hereby declare that for the coming year, should I again offer such vows, promises and resolutions, they should have no effect and not become binding on me. At this moment I regret any of these and do not wish them to be valid.
	The judges: We have heard your declaration and consider it licit and legal.
	May you be blessed with a good year, inscribed in the book of life and sealed for good.

Reb Zalman’s Hatarat Nedarim in English first appeared at Reb Dovid Seidenberg’s neohasid.org. We are grateful to Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi for contributing his work with a CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported license. Reb Zalman was the first contributor of a copyrighted work, his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yedaber Pi, with a free-culture license and with the help of the Open Siddur Project.

Daily Prayer Against Temptation, by Marcus Heinrich Bresslau (1852)

Marcus Heinrich Bresslau — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 00:10:50 +0000

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	Deeply penetrated with the prayer addressed to Thee, all kind Father, my spirit soars up unto Thee, on the wings of devotion, to offer unto Thee, instead of the morning sacrifice, a vow, emanating from the depths of my heart. May the powers which Thou lent me, be devoted only to that lofty purpose, which I have to attain here beneath as a citizen of the world, and as an Israelite.
	May the most beauteous ornament of women, CHASTITY, be always my ornament; the most precious decoration of a wife, FIDELITY, be ever my decoration; and the most sacred duty of the Israelite, to love a neighbour like oneself,^[1] Cf. Leviticus 19:18. shall ever be most effectively discharged by me.
	With a warm, benevolent heart, I will rejoice with the joyful; with the intensest sympathy I will endeavour to comfort those that are mourning, assist the needy, support the sufferer, and help to lift up those that are humbled down; the hurt and the injury inflicted on me I will neither requite nor perpetuate in my memory; with forbearance and indulgence I will meet those who molest my honour; from slander and calumny I will keep aloof, so that the whole of my conduct bear the impress of unfeigned piety and unostentatious philanthropy.
	When even gloomy care softly steals into my heart, when the companion of my pilgrimage—HOPE—threatens to leave me, I will look up unto Thee, my Father, and with filial attachment ask Thee, that Thou mayest light up the dark night of my sorrow, that Thou mayest speedily dry the tears of thy suffering and devoted handmaiden.
	And lastly, I vow unto thee, in the most sacred feelings of my heart, that I will remain faithful unto the religion of my fathers, to the evening of my life, may it arrive early or late, and that as a true Israelite I will seek to approach the goal, where the palm branch of reward yet awaits me.
	O, may this vow be graciously received by Thee, Heavenly Father, and be acceptable unto Thee, as a worthy sacrifice; like as Thou hast taught through the mouth of Thy prophet Samuel, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken, than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22) Assist me now, all-powerful God, in the carrying out of my resolution, so that I may boldly resist the temptations which would lead me astray from the path of virtue; and that I may not render myself unworthy of Thy paternal love. Amen.

“Daily Prayer Against Temptation” by Marcus Heinrich Bresslau was first published in his תחנות בנות ישראל Devotions for the Daughters of Israel (1852), p. 12-13. We have tagged this prayer as problematic due to its prescriptive statements as to the proper conduct of women, especially Bresslau’s statement “with forbearance and indulgence I will meet those who molest my honour.”

In his preface to Devotions, Bresslau is clear that his prayers in English were adapted from traditional teḥinot that had earlier been published in France, Germany, and Poland. If you know of a specific prayer that may have served as the basis for this one, please leave a comment or contact us.

Source(s)

Notes

Notes
1	Cf. Leviticus 19:18.

A Personal Vow to Accept upon Oneself the Way of Non-violence on Yom Kippur, by Rabbi Brant Rosen

Brant Rosen — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 20:21:36 +0000

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	I believe that the practice of Judaism and the practice of all religions is for the sake of peace. Therefore, I, _say your name_, for the sake of peace and for the purpose of fulfilling “hashomer aḥi anoḥi” (“I am responsible for safeguarding the life and well-being of my sister and brother”), disavow the use of any form of physical, emotional, verbal, spiritual or economic violence toward myself and others, and hereby accept upon myself the way of non-violence/shmirat shalom. I do this of my own free will and full realization of the commitment I herewith assume.
	As a Shomer/et Shalom I, _say your name_ offer my diligence, devotion and dedication to the following principles and practices of Shmirat Shalom.
	I choose to live by the principle that the study of Torah is intended to cultivate peace. I will study Torah as a Shomer/et Shalom.
	I choose to live by the principle that prayer is intended to cultivate peace. I will practice prayer as a Shomer/et Shalom.
	I choose to live by the principle that the Sabbath and Holy Days are intended to cultivate peace. I will practice Shabbat and Holy Days as a Shomer/et Shalom.
	I choose to live by the principle that our capacity for love and nonviolence is necessary for peace. I will practice love and nonviolence for all people as a Shomer/et Shalom. As a Shomer/et Shalom, I am a conscientious objector to war.
	I choose to live by the principle that the earth and all that is in it is sacred. I will practice environmental stewardship as a Shomer/et Shalom.
	By offering this intention I, _say your name_, accept the privileges and responsibilities of a steward of active nonviolence, a Shomer/et Shalom. May peace prevail upon the earth quickly and in our day.
	Amen.

Rabbi Brant Rosen’s “A Vow for Yom Kippur” was first published on his blog on 8 October 2008.