[Avodah] Why is the minhag to say selichos right after chatzos onthe first night?

[rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com]

Marty Bluke 
> The prevalent minhag has become to say selichos right after chatzos
> on the first night of selichos. What is the makor for this? In shulchan
> aruch it says that the minhag is to get up early to say selichos. I
> didn't see anywhere a distinction between the first night and the other
> days. It is clear from the shulchan aruch and mefarshav that the best
> time to say selichos is a little before alos hashachar.»

Some quick observations
+ Yekkes do say the first selichos at about 6:30 AM in Wash. Heights 
+ The pizmon bemotza'ei menuchah suggests saying it on motza'ei
  Shabbos. Again it suggests, not compels.
 
I don't know how the first night became distinguished. We can speculate
that it is due to zrizin maqdimin...
 
Shana Tova 
RRW 
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