Selichot

Selichot prayer leaf (c. 8th-9th century) discovered in the famous Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, Gansu province, China in 1908 by Paul Pelliot.

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Selichot or slichot (Hebrew: סליחות‎‎; singular selichah (סליחה)) are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days. God's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are a central theme throughout these prayers.

Selichot of the High Holidays

In the Sephardic tradition, recital of Selichot in preparation for the High Holidays begins on the second day of the Hebrew month of Elul. In the Ashkenazic tradition, it begins on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. If, however, the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot are said beginning the Saturday night prior to ensure that Selichot are recited at least four times. This may be because originally the pious would fast for ten days during the season of repentance, and four days before Rosh Hashanah were added to compensate for the four of the Ten days of Repentance on which fasting is forbidden - the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat Shuvah, and the day preceding Yom Kippur - and, while the fasts have since been abandoned, the Selichot that accompanied them have been retained. Alternatively, the Rosh Hashanah liturgy includes the Biblical phrase, “you shall observe a burnt offering”, and like an offering which needs to be scrutinised for defects for four days, so too four days of self-searching are needed before the day of judgment.

Selichot refers to both the poetic piyyutim that compose the service as well as to the service itself. In most modern Sephardic communities, Selichot services are identical each day. However, some North African communities still recite a different Selichot every day, following the order in Siftei Renanot. In the Eastern Ashkenazic tradition, although the text and length of specific prayers varies from day to day, the overall format remains the same and is prefaced by Ashrei (Psalms 145) and the Half-Kaddish. In the Western Ashkenazic tradition, there is similarly an overall format, but it begins with Adon Olam or Lecha Hashem Ha'Tzedaka, and the Half-Kaddish follows the first set of the thirteen attributes.

Selichot are usually recited between midnight and dawn. Some recite it at night after the 'Arvit service or in the morning before the Shacharit service due to the convenience of synagogue attendance at these times.

Arguably the most important and certainly most popular night of Selichot in the Ashkenazi tradition is the first night, when many women and girls as well as men and boys attend the late-night service on Saturday night. In some communities, the hazzan wears a kittel and sings elaborate melodies. In some congregations, it is not unusual for a choir to participate in this first night's service. In the Eastern Ashkenazic tradition, this night also has more Selichot than any other night prior to Rosh Hashanah eve. The other nights are more sparsely attended and those services are often led by a layperson, rather than a trained musician, and with melodies that are less elaborate than the first night.

Categories of Selichot

Categories of Selichot in the Ashkenazic tradition may include:

• Selichah (סליחה) — Hebrew for "forgiveness." This is the default Selichah and comprises the vast majority of the Selichot service.
• Pizmon (פזמון) — Hebrew for "chorus." These central Selichot vary according to the day and contain a chorus which is repeated after each stanza.
• Akeidah (עקידה) — Hebrew for "binding", a word which specifically refers to the Binding of Isaac. This Selichah contains the theme of the Akeidah as a merit for God answering our prayers. It begins to appear on Rosh Hashanah eve and is placed immediately before or after the Pizmon.
• Chatanu (חטאנו) — Hebrew for "we have sinned." Starting on the evening before Rosh Hashanah [and in the Western rites, even on the first days] and continuing through Yom Kippur, this Selichah is said after the final recitation of the Thirteen Attributes and before the Vidui confessional. It contains as its refrain, "חטאנו צורנו סלח לנו יוצרנו", "We have sinned, our Rock, forgive us, our Creator". Perhaps the most famous Chatanu Selichah is the Eleh Ezkera Martyrology recited during Musaf on Yom Kippur or at other times in other rites, though the recitation of the aforementioned refrain is not always followed in this particular Chatanu.
• Techinah (תחינה) — Hebrew for "petition." This Selichah begins to appear on the eve of Rosh Hashanah in the Tachanun section and other days in some rites, at the very end of the Selichot service.

Selichot of Fast Days

On minor fast days (besides the Fast of Gedaliah, whose Selichot are preempted by the Selichot of the High Holidays), some communities recite Selichot after the conclusion of the Shacharit Amidah. The content of these prayers is related to the specific fast day. Western Ashkenazic communities insert the recitation of the Selichot of minor fast days in the middle of the blessing for forgiveness (סלח לנו כי חטאנו) in the repetition of the Shacharit Amidah.

Selichot are not recited on the major fast day of Tisha B'Av.

Selichot rites

There are at least thirteen printed rites for selichot: The following eight are variations of the Western Ashkenazic rite:

1. Ashkenaz - This includes most of Germany, including Frankfurt.
2. Alsace
3. Furth
4. Worms
5. Fluss
6. Cologne
7. Switzerland
8. Italian Ashkenazim

The follow five are variations of the Eastern Ashkenazic rite:

1. Polin (Poland)
2. Lita (Lithuania)
3. Bohemia (Hungary)
4. Posen
5. Old Shul in Prague

Among 21st century Ashkenazi Jewish communities, the Polin and Lita variations are dominant. Lita is associated with Nusach Ashkenaz, and Polin with Nusach Sefarad.

The poems recited in the Lita and Polin variations, with their assigned numbers, are as follows: (Empty spots in the table mean no poem is recited.)

Day	Lita	Number	Polin	Number
1	Eich niftach peh	1	same	1
	Ein mi yikra betzedek	2	same	2
	Tavo lifanecha shaavat hinun	3	same	3
	Bemotzaei menucha	4	same	4
2	Im avoneinu rabu lehagdil	5	same	5
	Ivitecha kivitecha	6	Ein kemida basar	6
	Yisrael nosha bashem	7	Malachei rachamim	7
3	Ein kemidat basar midotecha	8	Yisrael amcha orchim	8
	Ani yom ira	9	Elecha nesuot eineinu	9
	Malachei rachamim	10	Yisrael nosha bashem	10
4	Ani karaticha ki taaneni	11	Ani yom ira	11
	Ayeh kol niflotecha	12	same	12
	Hoker hakol vesoker	13	Beashmoret haboker	13
5	Yisrael amcha tehina orchim	14	Ivitecha kiviticha	14
	Elokim beyisrael gadol nodata	15	Ayeh kinatcha	15
	Yashmienu salachti	16	Shachar kamti	16
6	Ekra beshimcha lehahazik	17	Taarog elecha	17
	Ayeh kinatcha ugvurotecha	18	Archu hayamim	18
	Yoshev beseter elyon	19	Honeinu H honeinu	19
7	Betulat bat yehudah	20	Anachnu hahomer	20
	Efes hod kevudah	21	Aryeh beyaar	21
	Im avoneinu anu banu	22	Yoshev beseter elyon	22
Erev RH	H elokei hatzevaot	23	same	23
	Eichacha eftzeh peh	24	same	24
	Adon moed ketikach	25	Ana orera ahavetcha	25
	Merubim tzorchei amcha	26	El eloah dalfa eini	26
	Ana orera ahavetcha	27	Adon moed ketikach	27
	El eloah dalfa eini	28	Adon din im yedukdak	28
	El emuna ezra hava	29	Adon befokdecha	29
	Elokim yireh lo she	30	Adon beshoftecha	30
	Emet ata hu rishon	31	Ach becha ledal	31
	Hayim arukim tichtevenu	32	Adam eich yizkeh	32
	Melech ehad yihyeh el amim	33	Ach bemetach din	33
	Adon befokdecha	34	El emuna ezra hava	34
	Adon beshoftecha	35	Hayim arukim	35
	Ezak el elokim koli	36	Shlosh esreh midot haamurot	36
	Av lerahem verav sloach	37	(Al tavo bemishpat imanu)	37
	Shlosh esreh midot haamurot	38	Shofet kol haaretz	38
	Mifleti eli tzuri	39	Mifleti eli tzuri	39
	Shofet kol haaretz	40	Zechor brit avraham	40
	Elecha tzuri kapayim	41	Tefila tikach	41
	Zechor brit avraham	42
	Enkat mesaldecha	43
	Tefila tikach	44
	Adonei haadonim hashkifa	45
1	Az terem nimtechu	46	same	42
	Et H behimatzo	47	same	43
	Avla nafshi	48	same	44
	Imanta meaz areshet	49	same	45
	Orcha veamitecha shelach	50	same	46
	Tashuv terachamenu	51	same	47
	Im afes rova hakan	52
	Horeita derech teshuva	53	same	48
	Yakru reecha	54	Az behar mor	49
	Zechor brit avraham	55	same	50
	Ayahed tzuri	56
	Yaazov rasha netivo	57
	Torah hakedosha	58	same	51
	Geroni nihar	59
2	Elecha lev vanefesh	60	same	52
	Ach becha mikveh	61	Ani karaticha	53
	Aryeh beyaar dimiti	62	Elcha veashuva	54
	Elokim ein biltecha	63	Ezak el elokim koli	55
	Eich uchal lavo adecha	64	Amarnu nigzarnu	56
	Ezrahi meever hanahar	65	Bein keseh leasor	57
	Beashmoret haboker	66	Eitan limad daat	58
	Adon bina hagigenu	67	Shaarei shamayim	59
	Shevet hakise	68
3	Shiharnucha	69	same	60
	Elecha hael	70	Ach becha mikveh	61
	Taarog elecha	71	Elecha H shivati	62
	Shomamti berov	72	Elokim ein biltecha	63
	Yerushalaim et H	73	Eich uchal lavo adecha	64
	Ezrahi heir	74	Yachbienu tzel yado	65
	Shahar kamti	75	Ezrahi meever hanahar	66
	Yoshev begavhei	76	Shevet kise	67
	Shaarei shamayim	77
4	Eshet neurim	78	Shoshanat vered	68
	Omnam anachnu	79	Elecha H ekra ayom	69
	Arbaah avot nezikin	80	Ata mikedem elokeinu	70
	Ata helki vetzur levavi	81	Shomamti berov yegoni	71
	Shalom tishpot lanu	82	Taharut rogez	72
	Eitan limad daat	83	Yashmienu salachti	73
	Bein keseh leasor	84	Im afes rova hakan	74
	Arid besichi	85
	Melech melachim	86	same	75
5	Am H hizku	87	Am H hizku	76
	H Elokei yisrael	88	Ani berov hasdecha	77
	Ezon tahan	89	Elokim beyisrael	78
	Elokim H heili	90	Ata helki	79
	Ometz yosif	91	Tohelet yisrael	80
	Az behar mor	92	Ezon tahan	81
	H H el rachum	93	same	82
	Hatanu tzurenu/Eich	94	El har hamor	83
	Zechor brit avraham		Mikveh yisrael	84
	Shema yisrael/Amon	95
	Mikveh yisrael moshia	97
Erev YK	Adon befokdecha	97	Adon din im yedukdak	85
	Adon din	98	Adon befokdecha	86
	Yeratzeh tzom	99	same	87

External links

• סליחות: ע״פ מנהג חב״ד / Selichot: according to the Chabad custom. Translated by Rabbi J. Immanuel Shochet. 2000.  Free Selichot e-text. Hebrew with English translation; has title pages in Hebrew and English.
• "Selichot". Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.