Selichos 2024. Eventually, the holiday prayers were combined with general prayers of repentance. Sefardic jews worldwide begin selichot from rosh chodesh elul through yom kippur to commemorate the 40 days moshe rabbeinu went up to shamayim to pray for bnai yisroel after the chet ha’egel.
The thirteen attributes of mercy are a central theme throughout these prayers. “may the merciful one, who answers the poor, answer us.