This article by Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer explains the origins, significance and structure of selichot – the special prayers recited during the High Holiday season and on Jewish fast days. Noting both Ashkenazi and Sephardic customs, this article focuses on the recitation of these prayers prior to Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Hammer describes these prayers as a way to arouse our own desire for change as well as God’s mercy, with an explanation of The Thirteen Attributes, a text repeated throughout the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy. An excerpt from Rabbi Hammer’s “Entering the High Holy Days,” this article was shared on My Jewish Learning, a website empowering Jewish discovery for anyone interested in learning more. Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer is one of the founders of the Masorti Movement in Israel.