Q&A: Two Thoughts After the Rosh Hashanah Prayers
Two Thoughts After the Rosh Hashanah Prayers
Question
1) Why do we perform annulment of vows every year? After all, in the text of the annulment it says something like: “And also all the vows that I will make from now on are already annulled as of today,” etc. So are we not canceling, in one fell swoop, all the vows that we make and will make? I’m asking from the standpoint of the prayer: is there any significance to doing this annulment every year? And from the standpoint of Jewish law / halakhic analysis, is annulment of vows for the future actually effective?
2) In Avinu Malkeinu, granted, “inscribe us in the Book of Life” or “…of livelihood,” etc., are wishes and blessings, and that makes sense. But “inscribe us in the book of the righteous” is difficult. The righteous, upright, blameless, etc., are a matter of definition—either I am righteous or I am not. So even the Holy One, blessed be He, in all His glory, cannot put me in the book of the righteous if I am not righteous, can He?!
Answer
1. There are many doubts about this, and it has already been discussed quite a bit. Because of those doubts, people do both this and that. Beyond that, some have written that for certain kinds of vows, advance annulment is not effective.
See, for example, here (and many other places as well):
https://www.toraland.org.il/%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%92%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%94/%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%94/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9D/?gclid=CjwKCAjwvuGJBhB1EiwACU1AiYlGjcacipzrplJVoJS9Sc4IR3HfJ7TLPM9SvDtmI8IpWnCrUMqQVxoCYWUQAvD_BwE
2. After you repent, then yes—you are righteous. You ask Him to forgive you and then to inscribe you in the book of the righteous.