Chodesh Elul

The month of Elul is a time for personal reflection and preparation for the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days). It is a time to repent for one's sins, to make amends with others, and to focus on one's relationship with God. There are many practices that are traditionally observed during Elul, such as: Selichot (additional supplications said each morning), the recitation of L'dovid Hashem Ori (Tehillim 27), and the blowing of the shofar.

Selichot

When to Start Reciting Selichot

1. The Sephardic minhag is to begin reciting Selichot from the day after Rosh Chodesh Elul.
2. The Ashkenazic custom is to start reciting Selichot from the Sunday before Rosh HaShana, unless Rosh HaShana falls out on Monday or Tuesday, in which case, Ashkenazim start from two Sundays before Rosh HaShana.
3. Selichot are not recited on Shabbat.

Who is Obligated in Selichot

Women

1. Women are not obligated to recite Selichot, as it is only a Minhag. If they choose to, they must recite Birkot HaTorah first (especially if they are Sephardi).
2. In some European communities, it was common for women to attend Selichot, and, nowadays, some Ashkenazi women try to attend Selichot in the synagogue on the first night or Erev Rosh HaShana and Erev Yom Kippur.

Children

1. One should try to initiate his sons in the Minhag of reciting Selichot but without causing them distress. Since these are auspicious days for prayer, one should at least train them to recite the prayers themselves, if not early in the morning/late at night. Some say Ashkenazim should ensure to bring them on the first night in any case.

Individuals Who Have Trouble Waking Up for Selichot

1. A Torah scholar (Talmid Chacham) who isn't able to wake up for Selichot because he is learning in the early hours of the morning and going to Selichot would ruin his schedule, should try to go to Selichot during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva (Ten days of Repentance) and some days of Elul. If he is awake after Chatzot it's preferable to say some paragraphs of Selichot and Tikkun Chatzot (which takes precedence over Selichot).
2. Teachers who teach in the morning and getting up early for Selichot would prevent them from doing their job well should only get up for Selichot some days in Elul and during the Aseret Yimei Teshuva. The same is true for hired workers and officials (who would have their work impacted negatively by rising early). Nonetheless, it's preferable to at least say Selichot to oneself before Shacharit or Mincha.
3. One should make an effort to say Selichot with fervor and strength and not fall asleep during davening until the very end. This is especially the case for someone wearing Tefillin for whom it is forbidden to sleep. It's better not to wake up early for Selichot if it will end up ruining the prayers and and cause one to fall asleep with Tefillin.

When Should Selichot be Said?

The Earliest Time for Selichot

1. Most authorities say that Selichot should not be recited at night prior to Chatzot Layla, halachic midnight. However, some communities, such as the Spanish-Portuguese of London and Amsterdam, recited a condensed version of Selichot after Arvit before Kaddish Titkabal and some argue in favor of this custom
2. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes that in extenuating circumstances one can say selichot before Chatzot.
3. On Erev Rosh HaShana one should make an extra effort to get up early to say Selichot before Olot HaShachar.
4. Although one shouldn't say the Selichot before chatzot of the night, one is permitted to listen to them via a recording in order to practice the words and the tunes.

The Latest Time for Selichot

1. Preferably, Selichot should be said at the end of the night before Olot HaShachar, but if one delayed one can say it after Olot HaShachar. Those who are unable to rise early to say Selichot, should nonetheless say Selichot, either in the morning before Shacharit or even in the afternoon before Mincha. The morning is better than the afternoon
2. The minhag is to say selichot before Shacharit even when it is after Olot even though Tadir would demand that it is said afterwards.
3. If someone missed selichot and could either daven with a minyan or say selichot first and then daven by himself he should daven with the minyan and then say selichot by himself.

Order of Selichot

1. According to most poskim, one must say Brachot HaTorah before saying Selichot because there are a number of pesukim in Selichot.
2. If one doesn't have sufficient time to say all of Selichot because the time for Tefillah has arrived, one should skip "Im Afes Rovah Haken", "Bezochri Al Mishkavi", "Lemitvadeh Chatotav", and "Aylecha Hashem Nasati Aynay", according to the need.

Laws of 13 Middot

1. The Selichot should be said with proper intent (Kavanah), slowly, and with humility, especially when one is reciting the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
2. One should say the words "Vaya'avor Hashem Al Panav" together with the Shaliach Tzibbur quietly and then say the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim aloud.
3. One should be careful to pause in between the two names of Hashem in the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
4. One should bow slightly when saying "Hashem, Hashem" in the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
5. It is not necessary to raise one's feet as one does during Kedusha when reciting the words Hashem, Hashem.
6. One should pause between "Beshem" and "Hashem" in the Yud Gimmel Middot.
7. When saying the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim one shouldn't count the Middot on one's fingers because there is a dispute as to which Middot are counted as the 13.
8. Regarding the recitation of the 13 Middot without a minyan, see below Selichot Without a Minyan

On Days with no Tachanun

There are a number of situations where one would say Selichot while omitting the Vidui/Tachanun found at the end:

1. If there is a Chatan amongst those in the minyan.
2. If there is a father making a Brit Milah for his son, or a Sandek/Mohel is present the morning of a Brit and the minyan is saying Tachanun of Selichot after Alot HaShachar or sunrise.
3. If one is reciting Selichot in the house of an Avel during Shiva. Others state this is only true for Shacharit and not Selichot, which is not said on a regular basis and therefore, only the Avel himself should omit Tachanun.

Questions about the Text

The text of Sephardic Selichot on daat.ac.il and text of Ashkenazic Selichot on wikisource.org.

Sepharadim

1. The proper text is עֲנֵנוּ אֱלָהָא דְמֵאִיר עֲנֵנוּ and not אלקא דרבי מאיר.
2. Sometimes, in the paragraph of אָתָאנוּ לְחַלּוֹת פָּנֶיךָ people mispronounce the words כַּפָּרָה and בַּצָּרָה to fit the tune by emphasizing the wrong syllable. It is proper to avoid doing so.

Selichot Without a Minyan

1. If one is praying without a minyan, he should not say the thirteen attributes as a prayer, but one can read the Yud Gimmel middot (13 attributes) with the cantillation as if he is simply reading the torah. In such a scenario one can conclude with the word ונקה, even though that is technically in the middle of the actual pasuk in the Torah. Others argue that it should be omitted entirely.
2. Without a minyan, one cannot recite the paragraphs that are in Aramaic (such as רַחֲמָנָא אִדְכַּר לָן..., דְּעָנֵי לַעֲנִיֵּי. עֲנֵינָן..., מַחֵי וּמַסֵּי.
3. Some say that an individual can say the paragraph of "Kel Melech" even though it says "Zechor Lanu Hayom..." in the plural. Others recommend skipping it.
4. If there was no minyan when the tzibbur recited Ashrei, they should wait to have a minyan to recite Kaddish and when they get a minyan they first say three pesukim before reciting Kaddish.
5. If there was a minyan in the beginning and then some people left, they can continue and even say Kaddish after Selichot.
6. If one hears the Yud Gimmel Middot or Kaddish on a live feed via radio or video, he can answer. If it is recorded, he cannot answer. see Brachot Through a Microphone

Shliach Tzibbur for Selichot

1. Any Jew is fit for being a Shliach Tzibbur as long as the congregation accepts him.
2. Preferably, the congregation should carefully choose a proper Shliach Tzibbur who is married and is thirty years old. He should be learned and one who practices good deeds. However, someone who is learned and Yireh Shamayim is preferred over someone who lacks these qualities but fits the requirements of being married and thirty years old.
3. The minhag has become to permit paying the shaliach tzibbur and the baal tokea for the yamim noraim since it is for a mitzvah.

Wearing Tallit for Selichot

1. The Shliach Tzibbur should wear a Tallit during Selichot. However, he shouldn’t make a Bracha if he puts it on at night before Olot HaShachar and to remove himself from controversy he should borrow a Tallit from a friend (and not use a public Tallit) and have intent that one is not acquiring the Tallit it but only using for respect of the congregation.
2. If one wears Tzitzit earlier than Olot HaShachar (for example, for Selichot) and then after Olot HaShachar (and preferably after MeSheyakir) puts on a Tallit, one should only make one Bracha on Tzitzit and Tallit even if one puts on Tzitzit a long time before the Tallit.
3. A bachur who doesn’t wear a Tallit should be careful to make the Bracha on Tzitzit right after Olot HaShachar after feeling the Tzitzit. However, if someone who slept in the Tzitzit all night, one can not make a Bracha on that pair of tzitzit in the morning (nor should he remove the Tzitzit so as to make a hefsek in order to require a Bracha).

Selichot With a Minyan that Uses a Different Nusach

1. Some say one may not recite Selichot of a different tradition instead of his own, such as Ashkenazim reciting Selichot with Sephardim and vice versa, as we are all obligated to preserve the traditions of our families/communities. However, if one personally finds the other community's version to be inspirational, he may join their Minyan on condition that he also recites the Selichot of his own traditoin, as well.

LeDovid Hashem Ori

1. The Minhag Ashkenaz is to recite "LeDovid Hashem Ori" (Psalm 27) once in the morning and once in the evening from Rosh Chodesh Elul until and including Shemini Aseret (and in Israel until and including Hoshana Rabba). LeDavid Hashem Ori should be said after Shacharit (after Shir Shel Yom). On days when there’s Mussaf, LeDavid Hashem Ori is said before Ein Chamocha. On Rosh Chodesh, Barchi Nafshi is said before LeDavid Hashem Ori.
2. Ashkenazim say LeDavid Hashem Ori after Mariv, however, some say it after mincha.
3. For Sephardim it’s also proper to say LeDavid Hashem Ori after Shacharit, especially since some Sephardim recite it all year long.
4. Moroccans also recite LeDavid at Shacharit and Arvit from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Hoshana Rabba including Shabbatot. The custom is to recite it before Kaveh at Shacharit, but it has become common to postpone until after Aleinu. On Shabbat, it is supposed to be recited between Kaveh and Ribbi Chananya, but it is often similarly postponed until after Aleinu. Many have the custom to recite it all year long prior to Arvit.
5. There is no kaddish after Shir Shel Yom before Ldovid.

Blowing Shofar

Who Has The Custom to Blow

1. The Ashkenazic minhag is to blow the Shofar after Shacharit during Elul. Some have the practice to start on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, while others start on the second day of Rosh Chodesh.
2. The Sephardic custom is not really to blow the Shofar. However, many Sephardic communities have adopted this practice and blow every day of Elul during Kaddish at the conclusion of Selichot right before Titkabal, as well as during the recitation of the 13 Middot. Nevertheless, one must be careful not to miss reciting the 13 Middot because he is busy blowing the Shofar, and it shouldn't be done if it will wake up sleeping neighbors.

Number of Blows

1. The common custom is to blow tashrat, tekiya shevarim teruah and tekiya, one time. Some say that one should do tarat, tashat, and tashrat.

When

1. Ashkenazim specifically do not blow the Shofar on Erev Rosh Hashanah, but Sepharadim do not distinguish.
2. The Shofar should not be blown at night even for practice.

Minyan for Blowing Shofar

1. The minhag to blow shofar during Elul only applies when davening with a minyan and not if one is davening by oneself.
2. If for some reason a minyan did not blow the Shofar after Shacharit they should blow it after Mincha.

Standing for Shofar Blowing During Elul

1. The Minhag does not require one to stand during the blowing, but people are accustomed to.

Hatarat Nedarim

• See the Hatarat Nedarim page.

Fasting on Erev Rosh HaShana

Who Should Fast

1. There is a custom to fast on Erev Rosh HaShanah.
2. Where there is a Brit Milah that day, one may eat. Some are of the opinion that one can exempt himself with a Siyum Masechet or any other Seudat Mitzvah, as well.
3. Some say that the minhag is that women do not fast on Erev Rosh Hashana.

Accepting the Fast

1. One doesn't need to have to accept this fast upon himself during Mincha the day before.

When Does the Fast End

1. Sephardim hold that one should complete the fast until tzet hakochavim.
2. Ashkenazim hold that one should not fast until Tzeit HaKochavim, as that would cause him to enter Yom Tov famished. Instead, one should fast until either Mincha Gedolah or Plag HaMincha, daven mincha and eat afterwards. Others suggest that one should only fast until Chatzot, eat and then daven mincha afterwards.

Aneinu and Keriat HaTorah at Mincha

1. One who is still fasting at mincha, should recite aneinu during mincha, The chazzan does not recite aneinu in the chazarat hashatz at all, for the same reason Vayechal is not lained.
2. Regardless of how long one plans to fast for, one should not lain the traditional laining for a Ta'anit Tzibur ("Vayechal Moshe").

Other practices

1. Some pious individuals have the minhag of checking their Tefillin and Mezuzot during Elul.

1. It is permissible to get married during Elul or during the Aseret Yimei Teshuva.

1. The custom is that during Elul, one who writes a letter should write a blessing to the recipient that he should be inscribed in the book of life, such as "lishana tova tichatevu vitichatemu." The same is true of email's or the like.

Related Pages

• Article from 5772 on Minhagim of Elul

Links

• Yalkut Yosef Hilchot Rosh HaShanah and Yom HaKippurim (Hebrew, 5775)
• Laws of Elul and Selichot by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
• Halakhot of Elul by Rabbi Chaim Brovender

Sources

( V | T )	The Jewish Holidays
Elul/Tishrei	Chodesh Elul - Rosh Hashana - Aseret Yimei Teshuva - Yom Kippur - Sukkot - Shemini Aseret - Simchat Torah
Kislev/Shvat/Adar	Chanukah - Tu BiShevat - Purim - Purim Katan
Nissan/Iyar/Sivan	Pesach - Yom HaAtzmaut - Lag BaOmer - Sefirat HaOmer - Shavuot
Tammuz/Av	Three Weeks - Nine Days - Tisha BeAv - Tu BeAv
Misc.	Yom Tov - Chol HaMoed - Rosh Chodesh - Fast Days