619 - תריט סדר ליל יום הכיפורים ובו י"ח סעיפים

619 - Order of the Night of Yom Kippur - 18 Subsections

1 On the night of Yom Kippur, the practice is that before they pray, they permit all the transgressors. And these are those who transgress the decrees and the bans of the congregation — they permit them, so that we will be able to pray with them as one union.

For the Sages said: "Any public fast in which there are none of the transgressors of Israel is not a fast. For behold the galbanum has a foul odor, and Scripture counted it among the spices of the incense."

And how do they permit them?

The greatest of the congregation joins two men with himself, so that they will be emissaries of the entire congregation to permit them.

And if the greatest of the congregation is the chazan (permanently appointed in the city) — he need not join any person with himself to permit them. Because it is known that he is the emissary of the congregation, and behold this is as though the entire congregation permitted them.

And he should say in this language: "In the Court on High and in the court below, with the consent of the Omnipresent and with the consent of the congregation, we permit praying with the transgressors."

That is to say, that the courts agree to join the consent of the Omnipresent to the consent of the congregation, to permit them.

And he should not say at the beginning: "with the consent of the Omnipresent and with the consent of the congregation," and afterward: "In the Court on High," etc.

2 And afterward the chazan says: "Kol Nidrei," etc.

And he should say: "From this Yom Kippur until the Yom Kippur that comes upon us for good," etc.

And the practice is so — in order to make a stipulation regarding all the vows that they will vow in the coming year, that they should be void. Because people are not careful with vows, and they transgress: "He shall not break his word" (Bamidbar 30:3). Therefore they nullify them at the outset, before they take effect. For the stipulation is effective to nullify the vow so that it should not take effect at all. As is written in Yoreh Deah siman 211.

(And see there all the laws of the nullification of a vow.)

And therefore he must say: "Icharatna vehon," etc. That is to say: all the vows that I will vow in the coming year, I regret them from now, and I stipulate concerning them that they should be void.

3 And also the entire congregation should say: "Kol Nidrei," etc., in an undertone together with the chazan.

(And see in Yoreh Deah there: that he must say it in a somewhat loud voice, in such a manner that it will be heard by those standing beside him.)

So that each and every one should stipulate for himself concerning his vows that he will vow in the coming year. For the stipulation of the chazan is not effective for others. And therefore it was instituted in the language of the singular: "D'indarna," or "Di n'darna," or "D'nadarna," or "D'ishtabana," or "D'acharimna," etc. That is to say, whatever I will vow and swear and place under a ban and forbid of my property, whether upon my own soul or upon other souls, from this Yom Kippur until the Yom Kippur, etc.

(And he should not say: "Di nadarna," with a kamatz beneath the first nun. Because its meaning is that I have already vowed.)

4 And the practice is to begin Kol Nidrei while it is still day. For vows are not released on Shabbos and Yom Tov. And even though we do not release the vows of the past, but rather we nullify the vows of the future — nevertheless it resembles somewhat the release of vows. And there is cause for concern lest they err to say: "Vows are released on Shabbos and Yom Tov."

And for this reason the practice is to station two men beside the chazan at the time that he says: "Kol Nidrei" — so that they should not err to say that vows are released by an individual.

5 And the practice is that the chazan says it three times. And each time he raises the voice more than at first. Because in this manner it is heard with awe and with fear. And he continues with the melodies until night, in order to pray Maariv at its proper time.

6 And afterward the chazan says three times: "And it shall be forgiven," etc. And the congregation say three times: "And the Lord said," etc.

And a person should not deviate from the custom of the city. Even in the piyutim or in the melodies that they sing there — so that he should not confuse the mind of the congregation.

7 And afterward the chazan says: "Shehecheyanu" without a cup. Because Yom Kippur is a thing that comes from time to time, and one must recite the blessing: "Shehecheyanu" as on all the festivals.

Except that it is impossible to recite the blessing over a cup while it is still day, because since he has recited the blessing: "Who has brought us to this time," behold he has accepted Yom Kippur upon himself, and it is forbidden for him to drink from the cup. And it is likewise impossible to recite the blessing over the cup and give from it to a child, for the reason explained in siman 556. See there.

8 And by law it would have been proper that the entire congregation fulfill their obligation with the blessing of the chazan, and that each and every one should not recite the blessing for himself, because in the multitude of people is the glory of the King. As is written in siman 298.

Except that nowadays, for the most part, the chazan does not intend at all to discharge others — therefore let each and every one recite the blessing for himself in an undertone.

And he should be careful to conclude before the chazan concludes, so that he will be able to answer Amen after the blessing of the chazan.

And the same law applies to the blessing of Hallel. And the same law applies to the blessing of the lulav, which is in the synagogue.

9 On the night of Yom Kippur and on the day following it, they say "Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed" in a loud voice.

Because they said in the Midrash: when Moshe ascended on high he heard the ministering angels who were praising the Holy One, blessed be He: "Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed," and he brought it down to Israel, and he commanded them to say it silently.

A parable of a man who stole a fine object from within the palace of a king and gave it to his wife, and said to her: "Do not adorn yourself with it except in private, within your house."

Therefore the whole year we say it in an undertone, but on Yom Kippur, when we are like the angels, as is written in siman 610, we say it in a loud voice, in public.

10 If it falls on Shabbos, they say "Vayechulu" after the Maariv prayer. And the chazan says the one blessing that is an abridgment of the seven. And he concludes: "Who sanctifies the Shabbos," and he does not mention Yom Kippur in this blessing, for the reason explained in siman 268.

And they do not say Kabbalas Shabbos. But "Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbos" should be said before Barchu.

11 And they do not say "Avinu Malkeinu" when it falls on Shabbos. Apart from at the Ne'ilah prayer. As will be explained in siman 623. But the rest of the selichos and the supplications they say just as when it falls on a weekday.

12 They do not say "B'ahavah mikra kodesh," even when it falls on Shabbos. But the first "b'ahavah" they do say, even on a weekday.

13 And the practice is that they do not say "Our God and God of our fathers, be pleased with our rest," when it falls on Shabbos — since it is a day of affliction, we do not have so much desire in our rest, and how shall we pray that the Holy One, blessed be He, should be pleased with our rest?! For it is not a complete rest.

But they do say: "And grant us as an inheritance, with love and with favor, Your holy Shabbos," etc. — for this is a request concerning all the Shabbosos of the year that are not Yom Kippur.

And afterward they say: "And purify our heart to serve You in truth, for You are the Forgiver," etc. That is to say, that through the forgiveness our heart is purified.

(And not as is written in some machzorim in the prayer of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: "And purify our heart," etc., before "And grant us as an inheritance," etc. For how is it fitting to say afterward: "for You are the Forgiver," etc., or: "for You are the God of truth"?)

14 At all the prayers of Yom Kippur — one must station two men beside the chazan, one at his right and one at his left, as at every public fast. As is written in siman 566. See there.

And nowadays the practice is not at all to station two men beside the chazan at any public fast. For the reason explained there. And therefore on Yom Kippur too, one need not station them.

And therefore the practice is that immediately after Barchu — the men who stood beside the chazan at the time of the saying of Kol Nidrei depart from him.

15 There are those who practice to stand on their feet the entire day and the entire night. That is, all the time that they are awake at night — they do not sit. But nevertheless they must sleep at night — so that they will be able to pray during the day with concentration and will not doze during their prayer.

16 And if they have become weak — they may lean upon some object.

And one who stood one time the entire Yom Kippur and it was his intention to practice so forever — if he wishes to change his practice — he requires a release, like a vow. As is written in Yoreh Deah siman 215.

17 Women should not stand the entire Yom Kippur — because there is no benefit in their standing. For the essential reason for the standing is in order to be like the angels, who are called "those who stand," and this is not applicable to women. As is written in siman 610.

18 Even though the whole year it is forbidden to sleep in the synagogue — nevertheless on the night of Yom Kippur — the practice is to sleep in the synagogue. Because they say there songs and praises most of the night. And there are those who sleep there in order to guard the candles.

And there is no apprehension of a prohibition here — since it is a need of the synagogue. As explained in siman 151.

But they should be careful to sleep in the west, far from the ark, or in the women's synagogue, if there are no women there.

But those who do not wish to say songs and praises there — should not sleep in the synagogue at all.

And the chazanim who lead the prayers during the day — should not stay awake the whole night. Because they lose their voice when they do not sleep at night.

And even every person — it is good for him that he not stay awake the whole night, as is written above.

And it is good to say before sleep the first four psalms of Tehillim, for they are a protection against a seminal emission.

And it is also good to be careful that he not wrap himself in pillows and cushions, so that he should not come to a state of heat.

And in any case he should be careful not to cover his feet. An allusion to the matter: "And she uncovered his feet" (Rus 3:7), of Boaz. So that he should not come to a state of heat.