The (סימן מ”ו סעיף ד’) מחבר brings two opinions if one must recite ברכת התורה before saying pessukim in a manner of תחנונים. The first opinion holds that one is obligated to recite ברכת התורה beforehand. The second opinion holds that since they are only being said דרך תחנונים they are not מחייב a ברכת התורה. The מחבר rules that one should take into consideration the first opinion and recite ברכת התורה before saying pessukim for תחנונים. The אור לציון says that this is the מנהג of the Sephardim. The רמ”א however says that the מנהג is like the second סברה and one does not have to say ברכת התורה. During the days of selichos, we first daven the selichos and only afterwards recite ברכת התורה together with the rest of the order of the berachos. Every day as well when we enter the ,בית הכנסת many pessukim are recited and only afterwards ברכת התורה.
The רמ”א then says “ונהגו לסדר ברכת התורה מיד אחר ברכת אשר יצר ואין לשנות” – The custom is to recite ברכת התורה right after אשר יצר and one should not deviate from this practice. The Mishna Berurah explains that according to this מנהג the רמ”א is saying that one should not say any pessukim before ברכת התורה even if they are said דרך תחנונים. Therefore, by selichos as well, one should not say the selichos in the morning without first reciting ברכת התורה. When one recites the ברכות השחר after selichos, ברכת התורה should not be repeated. Even if one will miss saying part of the selichos with the ציבור, he should first recite ברכת התורה.
לכתחילה one should recite selichos with a ציבור and not ביחידות. When davening ביחידות one cannot recite the י”ג מדות. However if he wants to say the י”ג מדות with the ניגון וטעמים as if he is reading in the Torah, he is permitted to do so. If one is saying the selichos at a slower pace than the ציבור and he is still in middle of קל מלך יושב while the ציבור already started the י”ג מדות, he can continue on with the י”ג מדות even though the ציבור already finished. Since it is a הקדמה to theי”ג מדות he can finish it and it is still considered saying it בציבור. Some poskim hold that one should skip straight to the י”ג מדות and start it together with the ציבור. The same is true if he is in the middle of one of the selichos. However if he has not even started קל מלך יושב and the ציבור has already finished the י”ג מדות, he can no longer recite the י”ג מדות.
If one is late to selichos, he should say the selichos that the ציבור is now saying and make up later what he missed. If one did not finish a selicha and the ציבור has already started the next one, he can continue the selicha in which he is holding and does not have to skip to say the selicha together with the ציבור. However, if the ציבור is already up to נפילת אפים, he should do that together with the ציבור even though he is still in the middle of selichos.[1]
Prepared by R’ Avrohom Yehoshua Ziskind
[1] Sources:משנה ברורה,האלולים קודש לה’