Q&A: Selichot
Selichot
Question
I have a question for the Rabbi about reciting Selichot.
My feeling is that if you put God and the Jewish people on the scales,
on one side there is the Jewish people—true, there were quarrels among us, but on the other hand there was a lot of mutual help and a lot of prayer and Torah study this year.
And on the other side there is God, under whose management there has been a lot of suffering here for the Jewish people, and there are still 101 hostages whom He has not yet brought back.
And I stand there during Selichot and ask myself: are we supposed to apologize to Him? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Answer
I suggest turning to Him, not to me.
As far as I’m concerned, He is not involved in and not responsible for what is happening here. Your repentance is for transgressions against His commandments, regardless of His obligations toward you.
Discussion on Answer
I wrote about this in the past. It’s really not certain.
Rabbi, people turn to you and not to Him because, unlike you, He doesn’t bother answering.
🙂
Does the Rabbi believe that on Rosh Hashanah He judges every person and the whole world? (As explained in the Talmud.)