Opuscula Notes on Selihot

A few notes on selihot.

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For Sefardim, selihot starts on the night of the second day of Elul.¹

For Ashkenazim, if the first day of Rosh HaShana is Thursday or Shabat, selihot begin Sunday before Rosh HaShana. If the first day of Rosh HaShana is Monday or Tuesday, selihot begins two (2) Sundays before Rosh HaShana. ¹

Before selihot

Before reciting selihot, Sefardim start with (as they awaken) מודה, wash hands, אלהי נשמה, the morning blessings, תקון חצות, ,פתיחת אליהו, and Kadish “Al Israel.”²

When to recite selihot²

Sefardim traditionally recite selihot after halachic midnight (that may be different from 12:00 midnight) but before dawn (עלות בשחר)

Ashkenazim traditionally say the first selihot after halachic midnight on the first night, but then …

Some Ashkenazi and Sefardi congregations recite selihot later in the day, even to early evening.

Sefardi Torah students, teachers (מלמדי תינוקוצ) and workers who could not do their work well if tired, are exempt; however, they should make an effort to recite selihot as do the Ashkenazim (ibid.).⁴

Selihot are not receipted on Shabat.

Tallit or no tallit

The Sefardi prayer leader (שליח ציבור) does not wear a tallit (gadol) during selihot since traditionally selihot are said before dawn and tzit-tzit are not worn in the dark.⁵

Blowing the shofar³

Sefardim have different customs, but most (a) blow the shofar during the 13 attributes (13 מדות) and during the kadish before Answer Us (תענו) — there also are some congregations that do not sound the shofar at either time. The shofar is not blown erev Rosh HaShana

Ashkenazim blow the shofar every day (excluding Shabat) during the month starting with the second day of Elul.

Selihot sans minyan⁶

According to R, Ovadia Yosef a”h, when reciting selihot sans a minyan all Aramaic prayers are skipped.

According to Moroccan tradition, however, the Aramaic passages are recited; the 13 attributes (13 מדות), and instead of saying בדיל ויעבור as Have mercy (רחמנא), is recited, amen is said.

Aramaic See Selihot sans minyan

Resources

In the following list of resources, English language resources are presented in Latin characters. Hebrew language resources are given in Hebrew.

1. Ask Moses, http://tinyurl.com/y792ted5

2 סליחות סוכת גוג

3 קצור שלחן ערוך של הרה''ג מרדכי אליהו

4ילוט שמ''ש של הרה''ג שלום משאש

5 הוד יוסף חי של הרה''ג יוסף משאש

6 דברי שלום ואמת של ברב''ג שלום משאש

NOTE: In the קצור שלחן ערוך של הרה''ג מרדכי אליהו, the Ashkenazi traditions are from the “mappa” of R. Moses Isserles (a/k/a Rema) on the Shulhan Aruk of Maran Yosef Caro.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.