We start off selichos with ashrei, and then kaddish. Then we recite various selichos and tachanunim and finish off with kaddish tiskabel.
The Levush (581) explains that we do it like this as selichos was fixed in a similar manner to the way we daven Shacharis every day. The pasukim before selichos are like pesukei dezimra, the selichos and Yud Gimmel Middos are like Shemonah Esrei, and then we say tachanun at the end, like we normally do after Shemonah Esrei, then we say full kaddish just like we do after Shemonah Esrei.
Does One Fulfill His Obligation to Recite Pesukei Dezimra with Ashrei Recited at the Beginning of Selichos?
The Pri Megodim (53, s.k. 2) discusses the minhag that some people have, of reciting Tehillim before davening, and he writes that if one comes across the Perokim that are recited during Pesukei Dezimra, it could be that he fulfills his obligation to recite Pesukei Dezimra and he is no longer able to recite Boruch She’omar.
The Pri Megodim writes: "If one recites Tehillim before davening, and he ends up saying Ashrei, it could be he already fulfills his obligation to recite Pesukei Dezimra, and afterwards he can no longer recite Boruch She’omar. Especially since mitzvos derabonon don’t require kavonah [intention]. To avoid this issue, the Pri Megodim says that one should have positive kavonah not to fulfill his obligation to recite Pesukei Dezimra."
I heard b’shem chocham echod that based on this, when reciting Ashrei at the beginning of selichos, one must make sure to have positive kavonah that he doesn’t want to fulfill his obligation to recite Pesukei Dezimra.
However, the above is a big chiddush, as even if one fulfills his obligation to recite Ashrei, there is still the rest of Pesukei Dezimra that he hasn’t yet said, so surely one can make the berachah of Boruch She’omar on that.
Although from the words of the Pri Megodim, it does seem that he learns that Ashrei itself is already a problem, and it could be that he understood that the main takonah of Pesukei Dezimra is for Ashrei.
However, even if we say that one can recite still recite Boruch She’omar for the rest of Pesukai Dezimra, however, Ashrei no longer needs a berachah, therefore, to ensure Ashrei is also included in Boruch She’omar one should have positive kavonah not fulfill his obligation of reciting Ashrei during Pesukei Dezimra, when saying Ashrei in selichos.
Slightly related to the above, R' Menachem Tuker shlita once said, the Kadmonim split Tehillim in a manner where a few Perokim are said every day of the month, and by the end of the month one completes the entire Tehillim. It's interesting to note, that the pasukim of Hallel are said on the 24th day of the month. R' Tuker explained: That from the 15th day of month and on, every day besides for the 24th are days that Hallel can be said. On Succos from the 15th until 23rd (in Chutz La’aretz), and on Chanukah from the 25th and on. The only day that never has Hallel is the 24th, therefore, they specifically arranged that the 24th day is the day which contains the pasukim of Hallel. Fascinating.
