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Purim Prayer

Prayed by the oldest woman in the house.
The woman lights the Sabbath candles
waving her hands three times around them,
and then prays silently.
Pray for the desires of your heart for your children
Pray for others present or family who need Blessings and good health.
and pray Jesus will return soon.

Blessed are You, Lord our God,
King of the universe,
who performed miracles for our forefathers
in those days, at this time.
Amen

Blessed are You, Lord our God,
King of the universe,
Who has kept us in this life,
Sustained us,
and enabled us to reach this season.
Amen

Read out Loud

In the Days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan, the capital, when Haman, the wicked, rose up against them and sought to destroy, to slay, and to exterminate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, on the same day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions; But You, in Your abundant mercy, nullified his counsel and frustrated his intention and caused his design to return upon his own head and they hanged him and his sons on the gallows he intended for Mordechai.

Special Prayer

Compassionate One,
all our lacks and needs are revealed and known before You.
Behold, the time is right for You to redeem us,
to grace us, to have compassion on us,
in the fullness of Your mercy and the infiniteness of Your love.
Truly You are gracious and compassionate,
and Your way is to bestow Your love freely.
You therefore act charitably towards all flesh and spirit.
O Good One, don’t ever let Your mercies fail us.
O Compassionate One, never stop showering us with Your love.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable before You, God, my Rock and my Redeemer [throughout all eternity]- . . . . . Psalm 19:15.

As a secular meal, it does not include a Kiddush (blessing over wine), except perhaps for a nonsense parody version, but nonetheless encourages partaking of plenty of wine. In fact, the most notable feature of the Purim seudah is the injunction, uncharacteristic among Jews, to drink until you don’t know (ad lo yada) the difference between barukh Mordekhai v’arur Haman (blessed be Mordecai and cursed be Haman).

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
    and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
    restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
    his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    ‘I shall never be moved.’
7 By your favour, O Lord,
    you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
    and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 ‘What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!’

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
    you have taken off my sackcloth
    and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.

Grace

Grace is usually said AFTER the meal.

Let us say grace.
Blessed are you LORD our God, master of the Universe
Who nourishes the whole world in goodness, with grace kindness and compassion.
He gives bread to all flesh, for his mercy endures forever.
And through his great goodness we have never lacked,
nor will we lack food for ever, for the sake of his great Name.
For he is God who nourishes and sustains all, and does good to all,
and prepares food for all his creatures, which he created.
Blessed are you Lord who nourishes all.
Amen.