Shalom All,

There is a Jewish practice that often receives less attention than Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur but which can be an important doorway into the High Holy Days: Selichot.

Selichot are “penitential prayers,” or sometimes “prayers of forgiveness,” but it also refers to an entire service dedicated to repentance. At first glance, it might seem that Selichot is merely an early opportunity to begin asking God to forgive us for the mistakes of the past year. And certainly, that is part of its purpose. But Selichot is about something deeper. It is about preparedness.

We know that important moments require preparation. We prepare for a journey by packing. We prepare for a celebration by making plans. We prepare for an important conversation by thinking about what we need to say. The High Holy Days deserve no less preparation.

Selichot gives us a chance to begin that process before Rosh Hashanah arrives. It invites us to slow down and look honestly at the year behind us. Who do we need to forgive? From whom do we need to seek forgiveness? Where have we missed opportunities to be the person we want to be?

But preparation is more than making a list of our shortcomings. It also means preparing our hearts. The prayers of Selichot remind us that teshuvah (turning, returning, changing direction) is possible. We are not trapped by the mistakes we have made. We can choose differently. We can repair relationships. We can begin again.

Perhaps that is why a service of Selichot comes before the High Holy Days rather than the prayers, individually, being folded into them. We need time to get ready, not just intellectually, but spiritually, and emotionally. We need time to listen for the sound of the shofar before it is actually blown, and to begin asking ourselves what we want that sound to awaken within us.

I invite you to make Selichot part of your preparation this year. Come ready to reflect, to pray, and to begin the journey toward a new year with an open heart. Temple Judah’s Selichot Service is Saturday night, September 5th, 8:00 pm. I hope you will join us as we prepare together for the sacred days ahead.

L’shanah tovah u’metukah

A good and sweet year to us all.

Rabbi Todd