Details-re-Selichot
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
“Selichot” are Hebraic
penitential prayers and poems asking אֱלֹהִים - Elohim for forgiveness,
recited during the lead-up to the High Holidays and on fast days.
Meaning
and Themes:
Translation: The word selichot (or slichot) translates to “forgiveness” or
“pardons” in Hebrew.
Core
Focus:
The prayers highlight אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s ‘compassion’, ‘mercy’,
and the “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” was revealed to Moses.
Purpose: They serve as a
spiritual warm-up for ‘Rosh Hashanah’ and ‘Yom Kippur, giving us the time for
reflection and self-improvement.
When They Are Recited:
Timing: Traditionally it is said in the late-night or
early pre-dawn hours before morning services.
The
Ashkenazi Tradition:
Begins on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah (or the week
prior if Rosh Hashanah falls early in the week).
Sephardic
Tradition:
Recited throughout the entire Hebrew month of ‘Elul’ leading up to Yom Kippur.
Next there is a breakdown of the ‘specific customs’,
‘the texts’, and ‘the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy’ that define the Selichot
services.
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy:
The
core of every Selichot service is the recitation of “the Thirteen Attributes of
Mercy” (Shlosh-Esrei Middot Ha’Ra’cha’mim). According to our
tradition, these are the words אֱלֹהִים - Elohim taught Moses to say
whenever we the Hebrew people needed to repent:
“יְהוָה - the
LORD, אֱלֹהִים
יְהוָה -
the LORD Elohim,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty”.
Exodus 34:6-7. All verses are from JPS-1917 version).
Congregations repeat this formula multiple times
during the service. It acts as a powerful reminder that אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim
is always ready to accept sincere repentance.
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Key Elements of the Text:
Selichot services are ‘emotionally charged’ and ‘poetic’.
The prayers are structured around several key elements:
Piyyutim
(Liturgical Poems): These are complex, ancient poems
written over centuries. They vividly describe ‘human vulnerability’, ‘the pain
of exile’, and ‘the longing for spiritual closeness with אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim’.
Vidui
(Confession): Congregations recite the Ashamnu (“We have trespassed”), a
collective, ‘alphabetical confession of sin’s. It is spoken in the plural
(“we”) because the entire community shares the responsibility for mistakes and
healing.
Shma Koleinu (“Hear Our Voice”):
A hauntingly beautiful plea asking אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim
to listen to our prayers, accept our devotion, and not cast us away in old age
or times of weakness.
Traditional Customs:
Midnight Service: The very first Selichot service
for Ashkenazi Hebrews is held after ‘halachic
midnight’ on a Saturday night. This late-night hour is traditionally viewed as
a time of divine favour and deep introspection.
The Shofar:
In the month of Elul, the shofar (a ram’s horn) is
blown at the end of morning services to serve as a spiritual “alarm clock”,
waking people up to examine their actions before “Rosh Hashanah”.
White Clothing:
In some communities, the prayer leader (and sometimes the congregation) wears a
‘kittel’ (a white linen robe) or white
clothing to represent purity and a clean slate.
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