Question of the Week: What famed physicist and mathe-
matician said "I know a little about nature, but hardly anything
of men"?

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The Beginning Of
Forgiveness

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

0

to recite a special penitential liturgy
called, appropriately enough, Seli-
chot, the plural of the Hebrew
selicha ("forgiveness").
The prayers of the Selichot ser-
vice comprise liturgical poems
called piyutim. Through quotation
of biblical verses, these poems attempt to turn
our thoughts and feelings to God and Divine
mercy. Although the prayers are concerned with
the sins of the individual worshipper, they con-
stantly evoke the suffering of Israel as a nation.
Within this context is the theme of Israel's stead-

Selichot turns our hearts
and minds to God.

ne of the major themes
of the High Holy Day
season is that of for-
giveness. We ask God to forgive our transgres-
sions and we implore our fellow humans to par-
don our offenses against them.
Although Rosh Hashanah is the first of the great
holidays, the process of seeking forgiveness
begins well before then. Jews gather in minyanim
(quorum of 10 Jews) in synagogues and temples

With Selichot, we are reminded
of human frailty and God's
ultimate mercy.

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