Someone explain selichot scheduling

amother

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 7:06 am

We BTs, so please exclude my ignorance.

When to Sfardim vs Ashkenazim say selichot?

What is the best night to go to the Kotel for selichot?

Is it always the motzei Shabbat before Rosh Hashana?

Is it all night?

Confused

teachkids

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 7:47 am

I can only speak for the Ashkenazi side.

It lasts under an hour except erev Rosh Hashanah.

They're started motzei shabbos. Either right before RH, or if it's early in the week (like this year) the week before.

Generally they're said either at chatzot at night (somewhere midnight/1am area), right before Dawn, or before normal shachrit.

PinkFridge

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 8:12 am

I don't know about Sefaradim, but Ashkenazim say selichos late night/early in the morning, preferably before alos hashachar. Some have the minghag that first night of saying at chatzos.

If you say it at home, don't say the 13 middos; that's only said with a minyan.

amother

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 9:26 am

What about these selichot tours I see advertised in Yerushalayim? I am confused because it sounds like selichot only takes a short amount of time, but the tours seem to take hours.

amother

White

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 9:42 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

What about these selichot tours I see advertised in Yerushalayim? I am confused because it sounds like selichot only takes a short amount of time, but the tours seem to take hours.

I don’t think you need a tour just walk into any shul and ask what time selichot will be the next day.
Also ask by the Kolel.
If you are in Yerushalayim try to go to Ades Sephardic Synagogue. They have the best Sephardic chazanim. I know it is near Machane Yehuda

As a funny note, my daughter was in seminary in Ramot. She was home sick and was missing the Sephardic tunes if selichot.
One early morning she was awakened by those tunes.
It turned out that her bedroom window was on top of a Sephardic Minyan. She got to listen to her beloved Selichot tunes.

challahchallah

Sun, Sep 22 2019, 2:23 pm

From the OU:

Rav Yitzchak Zylberstein (Chashukei Chemed, Yoma 22a) writes that the preferred time to recite Selichos is before dawn. This can be inferred from the words of the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 3:4) who writes that the custom is to awake at night and recite Selichos until the morning. Mishnah Berurah (581:1) as well writes that the end of the night is a time that is especially appropriate for prayer. The She’arim Metzuyanim B’Halachah (Yoma 22a) points out that it is more difficult to wake up early to pray than it is to stay up late. Therefore, a prayer offered early in the morning has more value, since it is recited through greater sacrifice. Although in general it is preferable to wake up early to say Selichos, on the first night of Selichos, on Motzei Shabbos, it is preferable to recite Selichos after Chatzos. This is because we wish to combine the merit of Shabbos together with the first Selichos. Therefore, we begin Selichos after chatzos, and do not wait for the early morning (Chashukei Chemed, ibid.).