05 Sep ELUL QUESTIONS WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT FROM THE OU

What is preferable?
To wake up early
and recite Selichos
before dawn (a.k.a.
alos hashachar,
which is 72 minutes
before sunrise), or to stay up late
and recite Selichos after chatzos
(midnight)? What about saying
selichos after alos or after?
Rav Yitzchak Zylberstein (Chashukei
Chemed, Yoma 22a) writes that the
preferred time to recite Selichos is before
dawn. This can be inferred from the
Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 3:4) who
writes that it is customary to awake
at night and recite Selichos until the
morning. In addition, Mishnah Berurah
(581:1) writes that the end of the night
is an eis rotzon (a propitious time when
G-d is receptive to prayer), implying that
the early morning is the most appropriate
time for Selichos. Finally, the She’arim
Metzuyanim B’Halacah (Yoma 22a)
notes that Selichos recited in the early
morning is more effective, since it is
recited through greater sacrifice; it is more
difficult to wake up early than to stay up late.

May Selichos be recited after sunrise? Rav
Chaim Kanievsky (Divrei Si’ach, vol. 134)
holds that it is preferable to recite Selichos
after Chatzos than to recite Selichos later in
the day after sunrise. On the otherhand, Rav
Elyashav and Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach
take an opposite opinion and write that it is
better to recite Selichos in the daytime (even
after sunrise) than to say it after chatzos
(quoted in MB Dirshu MB, 581:1). Similiary,
the Aruch Hashulchan writes that it has been
customary to say selichos in the morning

after sunrise for many generations.
On the other hand, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l

(Igros Moshe OC, 2:102) writes
that kabalistically, the period
after chatzos is as much an eis
ratzon as early dawn, and for this
reason, for many generations,
it has been customary to recite
Selichos at night after chatzos.
This is also the opinion of the
Minchas Elazar (the previous
Munkatcher Rebbi), as recorded
in Divrei Torah (141:76).
Even those who recommend
saying selichos in early morning
before sunrise agree that 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.).

When is the proper time to
recite Tashlich?
The Magen Avrohom (583:5) quotes the
Kesavim of the Arizal that the ideal time to
recite Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah is on the
first day after Mincha, before shkia (sunset).
This is cited by the Mishnah Berurah as well
and many other poskim, though the
Maharil (Minhagim – Rosh Hashanah 9),
who was the first to record this custom,
writes that Tashlich is recited after the
meal (i.e., before mincha). Sefer Keser
Shem Tov offers
several reasons
to recite Tashlich
after Mincha:
We deliberately
delay Tashlich
until late in
the afternoon
since this is
an auspicious
time to have
one’s prayers
answered. We
find that Eliyahu
Hanavi’s prayers
were answered at
this time.
We want to connect Tashlich with
Mincha, since Yitzchok Avinu instituted
Mincha, and Tashlich is recited to elicit
the remembrance of Akeidas Yitzchok
The Mateh Efraim (598:4,7) writes that if
Tashlich was not said before shkia, it can
be said after shkia. Although the custom
is to recite Tashlich after Mincha, if one
will not have time after Mincha, it can
be said before Mincha. If it was not said
on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, it
should be said on the second day. Likutei
Maharich writes that if it was not said
on Rosh Hashanah, it can be said during
Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

Is one permitted to fast on
Rosh Hashanah?
One is not permitted to fast on Rosh Hashanah
because Rosh Hashanah is a Yom Tov. For this
reason, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 597:1) rules
that one must eat, drink and rejoice on Rosh
Hashanah. Nonetheless, unlike other Yomim
Tovim, one should not overindulge, lest the
solemn nature of the day will be obscured.
However, there were Rishonim who held that
it is permissible to fast during the daytime
because Rosh Hashanah is a day of teshuva.
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, zt”l said that
his great-grandfather, the Beis HaLevi, would
fast both days. In fact, there were those who
would fast even on Shabbos Rosh Hashanah
because they considered the importance of
teshuva on this day to be on the level of pikuach
nefesh (life threatening), which overrides
the requirement
to eat a Shabbos
seuda. Although in
practice we follow
the Shulchan Aruch
and do not fast on
Rosh Hashanah, the
Mishnah Berurah
(584:5) makes a
distinction between
Rosh Hashanah
which falls on
Shabbos, and Rosh
Hashanah which
falls on a weekday,
as follows: When
Rosh Hashanah falls on a weekday, we are
permitted to extend the davening into the
afternoon, while if Rosh Hashanah is on
Shabbos, we are required to finish davening
before chatzos (halachic midday) so as not to
fast past the morning.