Monday, October 29, 2007

B"H"B

Many congregations said selichos today as the last Monday of Behab. The source of saying selichos on Behab comes from a gemara in Kiddushin 81a that after the regalim we need a kapparah because of the socializing between the men and the women. Because of this (see Tosafos there) a minhag developed to fast on the Monday, Thursday, and Monday after the regalim. However, this couldn't be done in the actual months of tishrei and nissan because one doesn't fast in those months. Therefore Behab is the first M, Th, M after Rosh Chodesh. These halachos are found in Shulchan Aruch in Siman 566 and 492.