Selichot and the Penitence of the Days of Awe

The selichot are penitential prayers and poems recited, according to the various rites, in the days before Rosh Hashanah and during the Ten Days of Penitence. Centered on the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and the confession of sins, they spiritually prepare the faithful for the judgment of Yom Kippur. Their texts, partly drawn from medieval piyyut, vary among Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions.