1) In anticipation of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, special prayers, known as Selichos, are recited in the early hours of the morning (Preferably at the end of the night, before Alos HaShachar, daybreak, although many Shuls say it a half hour or so before the regular time for Shacharis) to beg Hashem for forgiveness for our sins of the past year, and to beseech Him to inscribe us all for life in the book of the Tzaddikim Gemurim, righteous individuals.
Some communities (including the Sephardim) have the custom to begin to reciting Selichos from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 581:1)
Some communities used to begin saying Selichos from the 15th of Elul until Yom Kippur. This custom is not in practice today. (See Mateh Ephraim Siman 581:11 quoting the Abudreham)
The prevalent Minhag amongst Ashkenazic Jewry is to begin reciting Selichos from the Sunday morning before Rosh Hashana, unless Rosh Hashana falls out on a Monday or a Tuesday, in which case Selichos begins a week earlier, as we require at least four days of Selichos before Rosh Hashana.(Rama Siman 581:1)
The reason for this requirement: Since a Korban (sacrifice) in the Bais Hamikdash required four days of examinations to ensure it was blemish free and acceptable for the Mizbeach (altar), so too each Jew should consider themselves as a Korban Olah on Rosh Hashana and be ready to sacrifice themselves in atonement before Hashem, and thus utilize these four days (or more) to examine their deeds and do Teshuva for their sins (blemishes) and thus be pure when approaching Hashem on Rosh Hashana. (See Mishna Berura ibid. S"K 6 for this and another reason as well)
2) When one rises early for Selichos, even though it is still before daybreak, he can still wash his hands and recite the blessing of "Al Netilas Yadayim" as well as the rest of Birchas HaShachar.
After Selichos, he should re-wash the hands three times per hand without a Bracha (See Mishna Berura Siman 6:11 and Mateh Ephraim Siman 581:12. Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal and others rule that if one knows for certain that he will need the bathroom after Selichos, before Shacharis, he may wash before Selichos without a bracha and then wash again after the bathroom following Selichos and recite the "Al Netilas Yadayim" then. See Mishna Berura Siman 6:11)
Birchos HaTorah should also preferably be said before Selichos, as many of the Selichos contain references to Pesukim. (See Mateh Ephraim ibid.)
Some Poskim maintain that even though we are saying Pesukim, it isn't considered Torah learning, rather prayers, and thus no Birchos HaTorah is required. It is best to be stringent. (See Mishna Berura ibid.)
Reader's Question:
You recently wrote about a Choleh and his Mazel being weakened.
Since when has Jewish fate been influenced by mazel? Doesn't the gemara say: "אין מזל בישראל"?
Answer:
Although , you are correct that there is a concept of "Ain Mazel L'Yisroel", it is not as simple as it seems and needs to be understood properly.
Although there is no Mazel to Klal Yisroel as a whole, each individual Jew does of course have a Mazel, and the jewish people as citizens of the world do fall under the Mazel of the rest of the world, at times. Only as a nation as a whole are we not guided by mazel.
The Gemara in Shabbos 151a recounts that Hashem told Avraham Avinu who didn't see a future (i.e. a son) for him in the stars [mazalos, constellations), " Go out of the stars as there isnt any Mazel to Klal Yisroel"
The Gaon of Vilna in his commentary to Megilas Esther Perek 3:7 explains that what Hashem meant was that "in the stars" Klal Yisroel doesn't exist, and that Hashem had to lift Avraham out of the natural order of the world and produce a son for him. But of course, each individual has his/her own mazel.
Tosefos to Shabbos ibid Dibur Hamaschil Ain Mazel quotes a Gemara in Moed Katan 28a that children, life and livelihood are not based on merits rather on Mazel and explains that although even Jews are guided by Mazel we have an extra divine providence that through our merits can change our mazel.
The Rashba (in Teshuvos HaRashba Volume 7 Siman 285) writes that Jews are elevated and "above mazel" as long as they do not sin. But once a jew sins he/she gets lowered in their standing and is once again guided by Mazel.
The word "Mazel" also connotates "flow" (from the word Nozel in Hebrew) and thus Mazel to a Jew does not mean "luck" rather it alludes to the amount of flow (shefa) of Bracha that is showered upon us from heaven.
Thus, when we wish someone "Mazel Tov" we arent saying Good luck (as there is no such thing as luck in Judaism) rather we are conveying our blessing to them that they merit a healthy dose and strong flow of heavenly Bracha
There is a lot more to this topic in the Rishonim and the Achronim, but this is not the forum for a lengthy treatment of this fascinating topic.
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
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THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
"In a king's palace there are hundreds of rooms, and on the door of each room there is a different lock that requires a special key to open it.
But there is a master key which can open all the locks.
It works the same way in Hashem's palace. There are various methods to enter various gates of heaven, but there is ONE master key.
That is a broken heart.
When a person sincerely breaks his heart before Hashem his prayers can enter through all the gates and into all the rooms of the celestial palace of Hashem."
Important Numbers
