For many Jews, the High Holiday season is marked by the arrival of Rosh HaShanah and the beginning of the month of Tishrei. However, Jewish tradition also emphasizes the importance of the preceding month, Elul, as a time for introspection and spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. During this period, the practice of Selichot (sometimes spelled s’lichot) is observed.
Selichot are penitential prayers traditionally recited before and during the High Holidays, as well as on other fast days throughout the year. The term originally referred to biblical verses that were added to the Yom Kippur liturgy, but over time, these prayers were expanded to include general prayers of repentance. For instance, the ninth-century prayer book of “Rav Amram Gaon” contains a collection of these poetic writings and meditations. Initially, these prayers were only recited during the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, but the custom later grew to include the days leading up to these holidays as well.
In Hebrew, “Selichot” means “forgiveness,” and these prayers are indeed centered on the theme of divine mercy.
The Selichot prayers bear a strong resemblance to those recited on Yom Kippur, particularly in their language of forgiveness. The qualities of mercy and forgiveness invoked in these prayers will be familiar to those who have participated in the Yom Kippur services, where God’s capacity to forgive “transgression, iniquity, and sin” is a central theme.
The season of repentance is both opened and closed with these same pleas, as worshippers reach out to the compassionate God, hoping for their prayers to be accepted. In Sephardic traditions, Selichot services take place early in Elul, while in Ashkenazi communities, they are held on the Saturday evening before Rosh HaShanah. Regardless of the timing, these prayers and reflections serve as an opportunity for individuals to look back on the past year and think about the changes they want to make in the year ahead.
In Reform congregations, Selichot services on the Saturday evening before Rosh HaShanah often include special programs, such as discussions on the themes of repentance and forgiveness or a film screening that explores these ideas.
A particularly meaningful ritual that often precedes the Selichot service is the changing of the Torah covers to ones specifically designed for the High Holidays. These covers, usually white, symbolize purity and the hope that through repentance, our sins will be cleansed, “made white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).
