Sicha, Shabbos Ki Savo 5728
A. Shabbat Selichot
Some Shabbatot are known by special names, usually based on the Torah portion or the Haftarah read on that Shabbat. Shabbat Selichot, however, is different. It is named after the Selichot prayers that are recited after Shabbat, on Saturday night. This suggests that there is an essential connection between the Shabbat itself and the Selichot recited at its conclusion.
B. When Do We Begin Saying Selichot—and Why?
The Sephardic custom is to begin saying Selichot on the first day of Elul. Ashkenazic communities begin on the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah. If Rosh Hashanah falls on a Monday or Tuesday, Selichot begin a week earlier, ensuring that there are at least four days of Selichot (Sources 1–2).
The reason for these four days is connected to the four days during which a sacrifice was inspected before it was offered. Similarly, a person prepares for Rosh Hashanah by offering themselves to G-d. During these four days, we reflect on our actions and seek to correct them (Sources 2–3).
As the Alter Rebbe explains regarding the verse, “A man who offers of you an offering to G‑d,” the offering is “of you”—from the person themselves (Source 5).
But the Rebbe asks: How can we conduct an honest self-examination when we ourselves are the “offering”? After all, a person cannot see their own faults.
C. Different Levels of Teshuvah
Selichot and confessional prayers are not recited on Shabbat, because they can evoke sadness, while Shabbat is a day of delight.
At first glance, however, this seems difficult to understand. When something that causes temporary distress ultimately leads to pleasure, it may sometimes be permitted on Shabbat—for example, fasting because of a troubling dream. If Selichot ultimately lead to forgiveness and joy, why should they not be recited on Shabbat?
The explanation is that Shabbat itself is a form of teshuvah. The Hebrew word “Shabbat” contains the letters of the word “tashuv”—“return.” On Shabbat, we rise to a spiritual level at which our connection with G-d becomes more open and powerful. Thus, on Shabbat, the process of return and atonement takes place through the inherent holiness of the day itself.
This idea is reflected in the words of Selichot: “To You, G-d, belongs righteousness, and to us, shamefacedness.” The simple meaning is that we feel ashamed because of our sins (Source 7). But the Alter Rebbe offers an additional and profound interpretation of “shamefacedness”: it can arise from closeness to G-d. The closer we come to G-d, the more we are humbled and overwhelmed by His greatness. On Shabbat, this spiritual sensitivity is even stronger.
This is why the Shabbat is called Shabbat Selichot. On Shabbat, we rise and draw closer to G-d. Our divine soul is, in a sense, released from the confinement of the body, making it possible to examine ourselves honestly and recognize our own faults. Then, after Shabbat ends, we can recite Selichot and engage in a genuine and meaningful accounting of our life.
