stock here: this is a new one one me!
The Kol Nidrei prayer is a formal declaration in which the congregation asks for the annulment of vows (nedarim) and oaths made to God during the previous year, or potentially in the coming year. The key part of the text reads:
"All vows, obligations, oaths, and anathemas...that we may vow or swear or pledge...from this Yom Kippur until the next Yom Kippur, may it come to us for good; regarding them all, we regret them and declare them null and void."It is a legalistic formula that reflects the deep concern in Jewish law about the sanctity of vows and the human tendency to make impulsive promises or commitments.