Elul - month of forgiveness
During the Jewish month of Elul, many Jews wake up before dawn to recite special prayers called Selichot (סליחות - means “forgivenesses”). They express their regret for committing all varieties of misdeeds over the last year. This prayer contains a special list of sins and transgressions that have been written down in alphabetical order (aleph, bet, gimmel, and so on) to help jog the memory. The purpose of Selichot is to change our behavior in the coming year.
The Master of Pardons
After stating their sins in alphabetical order, they proceed with a praise to God – again in alphabetical order! One of the most famous Elul hymns is called Adon HaSelichot (the Master of Pardons). It contains 22 different attributes of God from aleph through tav (A-Z)
Here is the first stanza:
אדון סליחות – א (pronounced: Adon HaSelichot) - “Master of pardons”
בוחן לבבות - ב (Bohen Levavot) - “Examines hearts”
גולה עמוקות - ג (Goleh Amukot) - “Uncovers depths”
דובר צדקות - ד (Dover Tzedakot) - “Utters justices”
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