Question:
What is the correct order for selichos to be said and what are the halachos one should be aware of when reciting to the 13 middos and selichos?
Answer:
Firstly in terms of the Order of Selichos as to which is being said, According to most poskim, one must say Brachot HaTorah before saying Selichos because there are a number of pesukim in Selichos.
If one doesn’t have sufficient time to say all of Selichos because the time for Tefillah has arrived, one should skip “Im Afes Rovah Haken”, “Bezochri Al Mishkavi”, “Lemitvadeh Chatotav”, and “Aylecha Hashem Nasati Aynay”, according to the need.
Laws of 13 Middot
The Selichos should be said with proper intent (Kavanah), slowly, and with humility, especially when one is reciting the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
One should say the words “Vaya’avor Hashem Al Panav” together with the Shaliach Tzibbur quietly and then say the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim aloud.
One should be careful to pause in between the two names of Hashem in the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
One should bow slightly when saying “Hashem, Hashem” in the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim.
It is not necessary to raise one’s feet as one does during Kedusha when reciting the words Hashem, Hashem.
One should pause between “Beshem” and “Hashem” in the Yud Gimmel Middot.
When saying the Yud Gimmel Middot HaRachamim one shouldn’t count the Middot on one’s fingers because there is a dispute as to which Middot are counted as the 13.
Regarding the recitation of the 13 Middot without a minyan, see below Selichos Without a Minyan
On Days with no Tachanun
There are a number of situations where one would say Selichos while omitting the Vidui/Tachanun found at the end:
If there is a Chatan amongst those in the minyan.
If there is a father making a Brit Milah for his son, or a Sandek/Mohel is present the morning of a Brit and the minyan is saying Tachanun of Selichos after Alot HaShachar or sunrise.
If one is reciting Selichos in the house of an Avel during Shiva. Others state this is only true for Shacharit and not Selichos, which is not said on a regular basis and therefore, only the Avel himself should omit Tachanun.
Sepharadim
The proper text is עֲנֵנוּ אֱלָהָא דְמֵאִיר עֲנֵנוּ and not אלקא דרבי מאיר.
Sometimes, in the paragraph of אָתָאנוּ לְחַלּוֹת פָּנֶיךָ people mispronounce the words כַּפָּרָה and בַּצָּרָה to fit the tune by emphasizing the wrong syllable. It is proper to avoid doing so
Selichos Without a Minyan
If one is praying without a minyan, he should not say the thirteen attributes as a prayer, but one can read the Yud Gimmel middot (13 attributes) with the cantillation as if he is simply reading the torah.
(See The Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 565:5 based on the Shu”t Harashba 1:211, Chida in Machazik Beracha 131:6, the Ben Ish Chai (Shanah Aleph, Parashat Ki Tisa Halacha 9) and the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:9.)
In sefer Iggerot Moshe YD 3:21 allows them to be recited without a minyan as long you use any melody other than the one used for prayer and doesn’t require that it be the same cantillation as the torah.
In such a scenario one can conclude with the word ונקה, even though that is technically in the middle of the actual pasuk in the Torah.Many Others argue that it should be omitted entirely.
The Rashba in his Teshuva 1:211 writes that the 13 middot of Rachamim cannot be said without a minyan since they are considered a devar shebekedusha. This is codified as halacha by the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim in siman 565:5, the Mishna Brurah in siman 581:4, the sefer Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in siman 128:9 see for further detail regarding this.
On the other hand, see the Darkei Moshe O.C. 565:4 where he cites the opinion of the Sefer Haminhagim that even an individual can recite them.
Without a minyan, one cannot recite the paragraphs that are in Aramaic (such as רַחֲמָנָא אִדְכַּר לָן…, דְּעָנֵי לַעֲנִיֵּי. עֲנֵינָן…, מַחֵי וּמַסֵּי. The Eliya Rabba 581:9 writes that we do not recite the prayers that are in Aramaic without a Minyan because the angels do not understand Aramaic (see Gemara Shabbat 12b). Mateh Efraim 581:21, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:9, the Mishna Brura 581:4
Some say that an individual can say the paragraph of “Kel Melech” even though it says “Zechor Lanu Hayom…” in the plural. Many others recommend skipping it.
If there was no minyan when the tzibbur recited Ashrei, they should wait to have a minyan to recite Kaddish and when they get a minyan they first say three pesukim before reciting Kaddish.
If there was a minyan in the beginning and then some people left, they can continue and even say Kaddish after Selichos.
Shliach Tzibbur for Selichos
Any Jew is fit for being a Shliach Tzibbur as long as the congregation accepts him.
Preferably, the congregation should carefully choose a proper Shliach Tzibbur who is married and is thirty years old. He should be learned and one who practices good deeds. However, someone who is learned and Yireh Shamayim is preferred over someone who lacks these qualities but fits the requirements of being married and thirty years old.
The minhag has become to permit paying the shaliach tzibbur and the baal tokea for the yamim noraim since it is for a mitzvah. |