In our weak generation, most people don't fast. Nevertheless, we must remember that these are special days, and we should devote them to teshuvah and tefillah to arouse Hashem's compassion.
How to Say Selichos
Reb Shalom Schwadron zt’l said that when somebody knocks on your door, you have the choice to answer. But when someone pounds on your door, you understand that the person is desperate, so you open the door to see what is needed. Therefore, we say in selichos, תשיבנו אל נא וחנון רחום דפקנו דלתיך מלפניך ריקם, “We are pounding on Your door... Don't have us return emptyhanded." We are pounding at Hashem's door, desperate for His atonement and salvation, and therefore, we plead that Hashem listen to our prayers.
Tzaddikim tell a mashal of a person who was lost and was wandering around in a forest. He needed food and water and finally spotted a house. He knocked at the door, but the homeowner didn’t answer. What did the man do? Did he walk away? Of course not. He didn't have anywhere else to go to. He desperately needed food and drink. He knocked again; he pounded and begged for mercy because he realized this was his only chance for survival. Similarly, we knock at Hashem's doors, and if they are closed, we knock again, pound, and don't go away until our tefillos are answered because we realize we don't have any other option.
We say on the first day of selichos, רצה בלילות בעמדם עתירתם, "Desire their tefillos..." There are several ways to express tefillah, and עתירה is when one davens many, many times (see Rashi, Bereishis 25:21 ויעתר ה"ד). This is because we don’t ask Hashem only once or twice for life, a good year, and atonement. We ask again and again because we recognize our utter desperation and dire need to have Hashem answer our tefillos.
Erev Rosh Hashanah
Erev Rosh Hashanah is a day for tefillah. The Arugas Habosem zt'l says that at the beginning of Elul, the yetzer hara says, "You still have a lot of time. You can daven later." And at the end of Elul, the yetzer hara says, "It’s so late, now you will begin?" But it’s never too late, and we can accomplish so much, even in the last few moments of the year.
Tzaddikim say that the final Minchah of the year rectifies all the tefillos of the year which weren't said with proper kavanah.
The man cried in anguish, "If only I knew that at the beginning of Elul!" But it isn't too late. We still have many days for tefillah, and each can achieve so much.
On Erev Rosh Hashanah, just moments before Rosh Hashanah arrives, we say in Minchah, הזאת השנה את עלינו ברך, requesting that Hashem bless the year. There are just a few moments left in the year! What blessings can we hope to receive in this short period?
The Ahavas Yisrael of Vizhnitz zy'a answers that we can't exist without Hashem's brachos, not even for a moment.
Someone once told Reb Shmuel Auerbach zt'l that his stock portfolio crashed on Erev Rosh Hashanah at three o'clock in the afternoon, and he lost a lot of money. We see that we need Hashem's blessings every moment.
When we are zoche to Hashem's brachos, we have everything. The Divrei Chaim of Sanz zt'l asserted that on the final day of the year, one can earn a lot of money and receive all kinds of salvations.
Erev Rosh Hashanah is also an auspicious day to attain kaparah, atonement. The Tur (581) writes, "The Ashkenazi custom is to fast on Erev Rosh Hashanah. [In our times, many people fast until chatzos.] The Midrash Tanchuma states the significance of this fast: 'It can be compared to a country that owed taxes to a king, and the king came with his army to collect the debt. When the king was ten parsaos away, the country’s leaders came out of the city to greet the king and explained that they couldn’t afford to pay the large tax. The king agreed to forgive 1/3 of the debt. The king and his army continued marching toward the country [to collect 2/3 of the debt]. The middle-class people came forward and cried to the king about their financial hardships, and the king agreed to relieve the country from another third of the debt. When the king got closer to the city, everyone came out to greet the king. At that point, the king forgave the final third of the debt.'
"The nimshal is that on Erev Rosh Hashanah, tzaddikim fast, and Hashem pardons a third of our sins. During Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, the middle-level Yidden fast, and Hashem pardons another third. On Yom Kippur, when everyone fasts, Hashem forgives the Jewish people entirely."
The Kol Bo teaches: On Rosh Hashanah, when the Satan recounts our sins, Hakadosh Baruch Hu replies, “We can’t believe you without proof. Bring two witnesses who will provide testimony.” The Satan calls for the sun to testify that the Yidden transgressed the mitzvos of the Torah, and the sun agrees to come. The Satan then invites the moon to be the second witness, but the moon doesn’t want to speak against the Jewish nation. The moon goes into hiding, as it states (Tehillim 81:4), חגינו ליום בכסה, the moon is concealed on Rosh Hashanah. It hides because it doesn’t want to testify against the Jewish nation. Without two witnesses to testify against us, we are acquitted.
The Noda b'Yehudah (Tzlach, drush 1:6-8) asks that the Gemara (Kiddushin 66) states that one witness is sufficient to testify that someone has an obvious מום, a blemish. In that case, the sun can testify alone that the Jewish nation sinned with their eyes and ears, etc., and they have become מומים בעלי, blemished people (when one sins with his eyes, it's as though he is blind, and when one sins with his ears, it is as though he is deaf).
The Noda b'Yehudah concludes: The solution is teshuvah. This is the meaning of the pasuk (Devarim 23:12), ערב לפנות והיה, on erev Rosh Hashanah, במים ירחץ, rinse yourself with tears, השמש וכבוא, and then, when the sun comes to testify, your testimony won't be accepted, for even if you didn’t yet complete the Teshuvah process, your tears will wash away the blemish. And then, המחנה תוך אל יבוא, you will be permitted to return to the camp, for you will be acquitted.
