Elul is the month of mercy and forgiveness, the month to prepare ourselves for teshuvah, often teshuvah is been translated as repentance, but it means ' Return to our true self, return to HaShem'.
Teshuvah comprised as regrets, misdeeds, a dicision to change and a verbally expression of our sins. Which means that whenever we sin, we should do teshuvah.
But not only sins, also the things we should do but didn't do, thinking of Mitzvos doing by halves or not properly, tznius in dress and behavior, as frum Jews we dress modest, but we also have to be modest in behavior, meaning watch in the way we walk, talk, (interact with other people ) all according to the laws of tznius Halachah and Shulchan Aruch.
The ten days of teshuvah between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are special designated days for doing teshuvah, this is the time that Gates for Prayer and repentance are more open than any other day during the whole Jewish year.
Every Jew should do teshuvah, the Talmud says that we should spend at least a whole day doing Teshuvah, the Zohar tells us by doing teshuvah the Moshiach will come which will make the Tzaddikim will do teshuvah, while the Tzaddik mastered not to sin!
The difference in a Tzaddik and Baal Teshuvah is that a Tzaddik constantly fulfills the will of HaShem, while the Baalei Teshuvah has strayed, and often is disapointed by this and yearning to return to HaShem, the drive to do this is so much more powerful than that of the Tzaddik.
The Baalei Teshuvah also must to teshuvah, more about this in step to prepare for teshuvah.
When a Jew does teshuvah, it is pure out of true love for HaShem, his sins will be given a chance to transform into goodness.
When we do teshuvah, it means we 'Return to G'D' we do this by davening daily, studying the Torah daily, by tzedakah, Ahavas Yisroel ' Love your fellow Jew, as you love yourself '
Ahavas HaShem, Ahavas HaTorah and Ahavas Yisroel, is something we cannot differentiate between them as they are all one, a single essence.
Cantor Yitzak Meir Helfgot & Motty Kalish
🔹️ Selichos 🔹️
Selichot or Selichos are communal prayers for forgiveness and is recited during the High holidays. The Selichos services are in the early hour of the morning, where they are normally held in daytime or early hours of the evenning.
In Ashkenazic tradition the first night of Selichot held after midnight on Shabbos night before Rosh Hashanah. In very large communities the services is led by a Cantor, just like the Selichos services been held at the Kotel in Jerusalem.
On the first night it could take over an hour, all following Selichos are recited just before the Shacharis, the morning prayer. The Selichos prayer is not been found in the Siddur, but in a separate booklet.
Selichos are verses of the Torah and with this prayer we ask HaShem for forgiveness, this could be communal or personal, the 13 attributes of Mercy, is what HaShem revealed to Moshe on mount Sinai.
Pizmonim, is where we read a line and is chanting afterwards, there are different Pizmonim every day. At the end, when the Ark is open, the Sh'ma Koldeinu is recited and almost at the end, the Ashamnu which is a confession, this is a list in alfabetical order of our sins and we every sin we strike softly the chest.
Ashkenazism begins several days before Rosh Hashana with reciting the Selchos, the first Selichos on Shabbos night after mid night, it must be at least a minimum of 4 days.
Sephardism recited the Selchos the whole month of Elul.
Most Jewish communities recite the Selichos throughout the 10 days of Repentance, Chabad doesn't do this.
On the fast of Gedaliliah on the 3rd of Tishrei the Selichos is recited as part of the Commenmoration which is a Chabad custom.