Jewish Holidays

The first two forty-day periods of prayer were of no avail, and it was only after an additional forty days that God said to Moses "I have forgiven according to your request." Therefore, we recite selichot during this same last period of forty days.

Though God accepts the repentance of his children all year long, the forty days between Rosh Chodesh (New Month) Elul and Yom Kippur are more suited for repentance than any other period of the year, for they are days of Divine mercy and favor.

Manasseh is not explicitly mentioned in the book of Isaiah. It would appear, however, that chapters forty to sixty-six of Isaiah represent the period of his reign. We shall try to understand why most of the comfort prophecies are in these chapters.