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Every fast day on the Jewish calendar has its set of selichot that are said. The one exception to this is Tisha B'Av. This seems counter-intuitive to me because Tisha B'Av is the day when we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples, which were destroyed because of our sins. It seems like Tisha B'Av should have selichot even more so than other fast days. So why do we not say them?

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    Very similar: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/9387
    – msh210
    Jul 18, 2013 at 15:23
  • Hi Daniel. If you can, look through www.beureihatefilah.com. I think I saw an article there that says that originally Selichot WERE said on Tish'a B'Av. There may actually be some isolated communities that still say it. I don't have access to the site now (They block it as a "religious site", here.) I'll see if I canlocate it during the weekend.
    – DanF
    Jul 28, 2017 at 21:31

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If s'lichos and tachanunim are the same thing, as I believe they are, this question is synonymous with "why don't we say tachanun on Tish'a B'Av?" The answer to that, linked here from here is

No “Tachanun” and no “Avinu Malkeinu,” both typically said on Fast Days, but not on Tisha B’Av, because, although it is the saddest day, and the most severe of the fast days, it contains within it the potential for tremendous joy. It is also called a “Moed,” a special time, as are the joyous holidays Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. This can be, and historically indeed was, a “special time” of punishment but ultimately, it will be a “special time” of Redemption and Rebuilding and Restoration – for the destroyed City of Jerusalem and Holy Temple and the diminished People of Israel, whose spiritual center they’d comprised.

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  • My minyan said ta7anun n ovinu malkeinu. Jul 18, 2013 at 15:07
  • @MoriDoweedhYa3gob That's atypical. Is that in the Rambam?
    – Daniel
    Jul 18, 2013 at 15:33
  • @daniel not saying ta7anun is shulchon oruch n ramo says also not salichoth. That's on them. They must prove that we should not say so. No where before that is it saying that tisha3 ba'ov is something special therefore we don't say this n that. Jul 18, 2013 at 16:27
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    @mori that is not true. See the RAMBAM who says that the days we skip tachanun are based on MINHAG.
    – Double AA
    Jul 19, 2013 at 18:48
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    I rest my case.
    – Double AA
    Jul 21, 2013 at 15:20
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http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/13540#.VbUGMflVhBc

I found this answer. It basically says that since this day of mourning is so great, it is as if the "gates of prayer have been closed".

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