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It is explained in the Talmud and in Halachic works that the
absolution, annulment or invalidation of vows or oaths applies only
to those which one has imposed upon oneself, as for example, "I will
eat" or "I will not eat"; "I will sleep" or "I will not sleep," and
the like. But for that which one vows or swears to his fellow or if
someone places him under oath, regardless of that person's
nationality or religion, no annulment, invalidation, or absolution is
ever possible.
On Erev Rosh HaShanah, before midday, preferably in the presence of
a quorum of ten, [the following is said]:
Listen my masters, expert judges!
Any vow, oath or prohibition, even a prohibition to derive benefit,
which I have imposed upon myself or upon others, by any expression of
prohibition, or any utterance that has issued from my mouth, or that
I vowed and resolved in my heart even to perform a certain mitzvah,
or any good practice which I did three times but did not expressly
state that it shall be without the force of a vow - whether it is a
commitment which I made concerning myself or with regard to others,
both those which are known to me or which have already been forgotten
by me - all these, I regret them [in retrospect] from the moment I
made them, and I request and ask nullification for them. I do not,
G-d forbid, rue the performance of good deeds which I have done, but
I regret that I did not explicitly state, "I will do this thing
without assuming the obligation of a vow, oath or commitment in
thought."
Therefore, I ask of your honors annulment; I regret all of them,
all the aforementioned - whether they were matters concerning the
physical, the spiritual or the financial.
Now, according to the law, one who regrets [his vows, etc.] and seeks
annulment, must state the particulars of the vow; know, however, my
masters, that they are many and it is impossible to specify them -
and I do not request nullification for those vows which cannot be
annulled - therefore, consider them as if I had specified them.
Those who annul respond three times
with the following words:
They shall all be annulled for you, all absolved for you, all
permitted to you. There is neither vow, nor oath, nor prohibition,
nor assent nor commitment in thought; but there is forgiveness,
pardon and atonement. Just as we grant annulment in the court here
below so shall they be annulled in the Heavenly Court.
Then the petitioner makes a public statement
before them, saying:
I hereby declare publicly before you that I nullify from now on all
the vows, all the oaths, prohibitions, assents and commitments in
thought which I will take upon myself, except the vows to fast which
are made at the Minchah prayer [of the preceding day. And if I should
forget the stipulations of this declaration and make any further vows
henceforth, from now I regret them and declare that they are all null
and void, they have no force or effect, and they shall not be binding
at all. I regret them all, from now and for all time.
Those who annul respond, saying:
They shall all be annulled for you, they shall all be absolved
for you, they shall all be permitted to you. There is neither
proscription, nor ban nor malediction; but there is forgiveness,
pardon and atonement. Just as you are released by the court here
below, so shall you be released by the Heavenly Court, and it shall
make no impression at all. And all the curses shall turn to
blessings, as it is written: And the L-rd your G-d turned the
curse into a blessing for you, for the L-rd your G-d loves you.
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