Selichos on Call
Before Rosh Hashana, and through Yom Kippur, we add Selichos to our davening in preparation for the Yemei Hadin. The format of selichos resembles a complete davening, beginning with Ashrei, followed by the body of the tefillah- the yud gimmel middos and concluding with Tachanun. The ideal time to say Selichos is before dawn (O.C. 681), although it is common to say it even after sunrise. The Mishna Berura rules that one should not say selichos before Chatzos Halila, although R’ Moshe Feinstein allows it under extenuating circumstances. Additionally, the yud gimmel middos are considered a davar shebekdusha and require a minyan to be recited.
Often, hospital shifts begin before the local shul(s) have selichos, and Rabbi Sprung was asked what one should do if they must be at work before they can say selichos with a minyan.
Rabbi Sprung explains the possible options: Ideally, one should find a minyan at night (preferably after Chatzos) to daven Selichos (and daven Shacharis later). However, if that is not an option, one can say some parts of the Selichos beyichidus. Just as one who davens without a minyan must say the kedusha in Birchos Krias Shema and Uva Letzion with the “trop” to avoid the problem of reciting a davar shebekdusha without a minyan, the same would apply to the yud gimmel middos. (However, R’ Asher Weiss points out that because this is considered learning Torah, it does not come with the guarantee acceptance that the yud gimmel middos have with a minyan.) The next level of preference is given to the tefillos listed in the Gemara ( Mi Sheona liAvrohom, and Aneinu Elokei Avrohom) followed by the pesukim throughout the selichos. Finally, if one has even more time, they should recite the piyutim that precedes the yud gimmel middos. Lastly, one should not recite any Aramaic selichos unless they are with a minyan.
The point of Selichos is to recognize our shortcomings and the awesome opportunity Hashem gives us every year to come back and fix our wayward ways. It is as important (if not more important) to focus on and mean what we say than it is to get through every word in the machzor. With that, bez”h, our tefillos will be accepted, and we will all have a ksiva v’chasima tova.
Adapted from medicalhalacha.org