In advance of the High Holidays, Jews worldwide are getting up in the predawn hours to recite Selichos, prayers for divine forgiveness. “After a few days of Selichos I’m totally zonked,” says Shmerel Shlofalot, “but it’s a great preparation for the (yawn) upcoming Rosh HaShanah/Yom Kippur services. I guess it’s (yawn) what we can call a Prayer Warmup Workout.”
Machluf Mizrachi, a proud member of the Eidot HaMizrach/Sefardic community, has his own comments: “You pampered Ashkenazim get up early for just a few days. But we’re used to it. We begin Selichot on Rosh Chodesh Elul and continue all the way to Yom Kippur, a full 40 days, just like Moshe was on the mountain getting full forgiveness for the Bnei Yisrael.”
TNS math wizard Professor Filbert Feinstein had this insightful insight to share: “According to the Ashkenaz custom, Selichos usually begins right after Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim. Add up the letters אתם נצבים היום (Atem Nitzavim HaYom) and you’ll get 694. Now add up לעמוד לסליחות (LaAmod LeSlichos), which means “get up for Selichos,” and the total is... 694! Brilliant, if I may say so myself!”
