Kol Nidrei: Break Us Free | Rabbi Nachum Binder

Yom Kippur night. Across the globe, in בתי כנסיות and בתי מדרשות, multitudes of Yidden stand, dressed in white, draped in their Talleisim, as the Chazan begins that age-old melody of Kol Nidrei. What is it about Kol Nidrei that evokes such emotion in the Neshama of every Yid? The Sefarim Hakedoshim teach us that as we enter the day of Yom Hakippurim, as we enter the day that the Ribono shel Olam draws us so close to Him, we have to begin that day by doing our part. Any time a person does an Aveira, the person is developing a connection between himself and the Yetzer Hara, and entering the Kodesh Hakodashim of Yom Kippur, we proclaim: כל נדרי ואסרי, those commitments and that bond that we have to the Yetzer Hara, we want to break free, we want to release ourselves. But we preface Kol Nidrei with the pasuk of because in order for one to truly want to release themselves from the Yetzer Hara, they have to realize and recognize that true אור, true Simcha, is only by the Tzaddik, by the Oved Hashem. But in many Machzorim, there's another pasuk that's mentioned. Our eyes shed rivers of tears, because our eyes have not been perfect. Our eyes have seen things that they are not supposed to see. And the reason for this is, is because that greatest grip the Yetzer Hara has on us, the biggest bond that's forged between a person and his Yetzer Hara is through his eyes. And in order for one to truly appreciate אור זרוע לצדיק, he first has to realize the danger of what his eyes can do to him, and how important it is to be Shomer Einayim. But heiliger Bashefer, in תשפ”ו, as we enter this Yom Kippur, You have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, who, day in and day out, look away, who, day in and day out, proclaim Vayimaen, who don't wait for Yom Kippur to say פלגי מים ירדו עיני על לא שמרו תורתך. So as we enter this holy day of Yom Kippur, we turn to You, Tatte, we beg and we plead, Release us from our Yetzer Hara. Free us from the Nisyonos of today's day and age. Fight for us. Be Mekabel our Tefillos. Help us overcome our personal struggles and live a life that's closer to You. Heiliger Bashefer, Bentsh us, amongst all of Klal Yisroel, to a גמר חתימה טובה לחיים טובים ולשלום.