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“Why come to Selichot Services?” “What exactly is Selichot? I’ve never heard of it!” “Why should I come to Temple on Saturday night a week before Rosh Hashanah? Aren’t the High Holiday services enough?!” Every year, it seems, such questions abound. Many people have never heard of Selichot, and even among those who may have heard about it, many sadly disregard this service, downplaying its significance. Often someone will notice the announcement in our Temple bulletin of our Selichot services and curiously ask me why we have such a service, right before the High Holy Days. Selichot means “penitence.” Traditionally, the entire month preceding the High Holy days is filled with penitential prayers and meditations, leading up to the powerful and dramatic Days of Awe. The sound of the shofar is heard each day, in hopes that we will become accustomed to responding to this call to repentance. The Saturday night during the week preceding Rosh Hashanah is the culmination of these prayers. It is customary to gather late in the evening, a time of reflection and solitude, and to join in solemn and meditative prayers of repentance, continuing late into the night and the early morning. The hours surrounding midnight are deemed to have particular power to inspire and to prepare us for the work of repentance. We may be tempted to ignore such preparatory prayers. Many certainly do. Yet our tradition urges us to remember. Selichot may well be one of the most critical parts of the High Holy Day services, if we hope to truly find the road to repentance and renewal as the new year begins. After all, no athlete would think to begin a serious competition or sporting event without first properly warming up, loosening the muscles, engaging in workouts to help focus the body and mind. No musician would dream of playing in a concert without first tuning the instrument and warming up through a series of exercises designed to focus the mind and the body on the concert performance about to take place. Athletes, musicians, and others all need their warm-up to properly prepare them for doing their very best when it really counts. So, too, we need Selichot. We need Selichot, that is, if we hope and expect that our High Holy day services will help us to achieve a sense of spiritual meaning and repentance that can bring us peace of mind. We need Selichot if we truly want our High Holy days to be filled with holiness. We are out of practice. We haven’t been focusing on the big issues, the things that really matter. These approaching Days of Awe are an opportunity for us to put aside the other things that consume our time and spirit throughout the year, and to begin the New Year with resolve to change and grow. If we hope to take advantage of this opportunity, we ought to also take the time to warm up. Selichot is such a time. Please consider joining us for this deeply meaningful time. This year, Selichot services are on Saturday evening, September 8. We begin with a dessert reception at 9:15 p.m., and begin our Selichot service with Havdalah at 9:45 p.m. Make an investment in your spiritual health. You’ll be glad you did! James M. Bennett |
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