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It has been said that Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt davened a better Kol Nidreh whereas Kwartin(a secular Jew) topped Rosenblatt for ‘N’eeloh’. Why? Apparantly on an empty stomache its very difficult to strain yourself in front of the ‘omed’.(an old joke)!
But seriously, the secular Jews seem to think that Kol Nidreh is the holiest Tefiloh on YK, but isnt it really N’eeloh? Can someone please explain and why the misunderstanding?
I don’t think any tefillah is “holier” than another. They are just for different things. A tefillah is only as holy as the person davening makes it. Neilah is definitely more emotional, because it’s sort of a last chance before the gates are closed. Does that make the tefillah itself holier? I don’t think so. You can argue that mussaf, which goes through the entire avodah which was done in the Beis Hamikdash, is holier because of its contents. As I said, a tefillah is only as holy as the person davening makes it.
yossele was THE quintessential cantor “from the heart” becuase he was a true “frummer yid”. Kwartin was a wonderful chazzan too – check out his “tiher reb Yishmoel”. I never heard that he was a “secular” jew. I am not sure he was a shomer shabbos but he sure was not a secular jew! And it is said that even the Munkatcher rebbe himself shed a tear when he heard “tiher reb yishmoel es azmo”
nameless, thanks for the info. Interesting tidbit. I was actually referring to the story that they told the Munkatcher rebbe (the Minchas Elazar)about this wonderful cantorial piece , ‘tiher rab yishmoel”, and that every person who hears it is brought to tears. He did not believe it and so they sang it to him. (I daresay it was not Kwartin) and indeed he did cry when he heard it. Incidentally, the ‘minchas elozor’ had no love lost for chazzonim…
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