Q. Good afternoon Rabbi. I have a kind of urgent question. My husband is davening at home and he has an early appointment with his specialist. Could he say selichot after maariv? The reason he wants to it then is that because of the injury he is very slow and won’t be able to make this appointment if he says selichot in the morning.
A. On question 1833 regarding the right time to recite selichos we wrote: "Your best option is to join that first night with a minyan that recites selichos Motzei Shabbos at chatzos since that is considered an “Eis Ratzon” or a time of good will according to the Zohar. (See Magen Avraham 581: 2 and Igros Moshe 2: 105 that that is the tradition of most Ashkenazi communities).
Poskim based on the Zohar, worn not to say selichos before chatzos or midnight (Birkei Yosef, Shaarei Teshuva, Piskei Teshuvos ibid.) Igros Moshe ibid. maintains that there is no prohibition, rather there is no benefit to reciting the thirteen qualities of compassion at that time, and therefore no promise that the tefilos and prayers will be accepted.
However, Nitei Gavriel (Rosh Hashana 8: 4) in the name of other Poskim, rules that it is forbidden to recite selichos before chatzos.
Therefore, it would be better when one cannot stay up until chatzos, to recite selichos before shacharis in the morning."
Although regarding your question our first approach was that since he is saying selichos without a minyan and therefore is not reciting the 13 midos, if he is unable to say them in the morning or after chatzos at night, it may be better to at least say them after maariv, than not saying them at all.
However, Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that it should not be impossible to begin a little earlier davening in the morning and saying them then.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'
Important Numbers
