24 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.