The order of Selichot

Early on Sunday morning we begin reciting Selichot prayers. Actually, very early. Traditionally, this service takes place at midnight in shuls around the world, on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. We continue rising before dawn every day for Selichot for the rest of the week, with many communities continuing until Yom Kippur. 

I must qualify the word “we”– I am referring to Ashkenazi Jews. Our Sephardi brothers have been doing this for three weeks already, since the beginning of the month of Elul. Ouch! Then again, they got to eat rice over Pesach half a year ago. I personally enjoy my morning sleep more than rice, but each to their own traditions and customs. 

Selichot, from the word selicha (forgiveness), is a collection of liturgical compositions particularly suited to this time of year, when we engage in introspection ahead of the Divine Judgement of Rosh Hashanah. Its roots reach back to the Talmud, while organised pre-dawn prayers for forgiveness are documented in the period of the Geonim more than a thousand years ago. 

Over the centuries, generations of great Jewish poets added the haunting penitential poems that surround its core – the repeated recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy. “Hashem, Hashem, G-d, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, preserving kindness for thousands of generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion and sin, and granting forgiveness”. (Exodus 34: 6–7) 

When Moshe was on Mount Sinai, pleading for forgiveness for his people after the golden calf, he was genuinely concerned that they would sin again in future and invoke Divine wrath. This is when Hashem revealed the Thirteen Attributes to him. The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 17b) describes the circumstances in which this took place. “The Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself like a chazan and showed Moshe the order of prayer. He said to him, ‘Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them follow this order before Me, and I will forgive them.’” 

Let us read the words of the Talmud carefully. It doesn’t quote Hashem as saying, “recite these words before Me”. This isn’t some form of magical incantation with supernatural powers, achieving Divine pardon through mere repetition. The exact words are “let them follow this order before Me”, suggesting there is something we must do, not just say. Following this order means emulating Hashem in His compassion towards us – Imitatio Dei – by showing kindness, forgiveness, and tolerance towards others. Now that is more of a challenge than even getting up at the crack of dawn! 

The Talmud concludes, “A covenant has been made regarding the Thirteen Attributes: they never return empty-handed.” 

May Hashem hear our prayers. May He look down from above and see His children acting compassionately and graciously, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, and granting forgiveness to others. And may He do the same for us.