Morning Prayer (Shacharit)
In the Amidah prayer, the chazzan adds the blessing ”Aneinu” after the blessing ”Goel Yisrael”.
After the Amidah, we recite special Selichot prayers for the Fast of Esther. These Selichot include requests and prayers to God to forgive our sins, absolve us of our transgressions, and redeem us from our troubles.
After the Selichot, we also add the long version of the ”Avinu Malkeinu” prayer, recited in the format said on fast days.
Torah Reading
As with every public fast, a special Torah reading is performed for the fast, beginning with the words ”Vayechal Moshe”, from Parashat Ki TisAnswer : These verses speak of Moses pleading for mercy for Israel, invoking the merit of the Patriarchs, the thirteen attributes of divine mercy, and more.
During the Torah reading, there are three instances in which the congregation participates by saying a specific passage out loud, followed by the reader repeating it in the melody of the ”Haftorah”:
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- After the reader says: ”Ulechol-tom me’al p’nei ha’adamah”, the entire congregation responds with: ”Shuv mei’charon apecha vehinachem al ha’ra’ah le’amecha”.
- After: ”Vaya’avor Hashem al panav vayikra”, the congregation responds with: ”Hashem, Hashem, El rachum v’chanun… v’nakeh”.
- After: ”Ki am k’she oref hu”, everyone responds with: ”V’salachta la’avonenu ul’chatateinu u’nechal’tanu”.
- After the Torah reading, we say half-Kaddish, raise and roll the Torah scroll, say Ashrei, Lamnatzeach, Uva L’Tzion and continue the service as usual until its conclusion.
”Half Shekel”
- Before the Mincha prayer of the Fast of Esther, it is customary to give three half-shekel coins to charity, in remembrance of the mitzvah of the half shekel.
In the time when the Temple stood, every Jew had to give a specific sum each year, which amounted to the weight of half a shekel of silver, for the ”Korbanot Tzibbur” (public offerings). The money was used to purchase offerings that were brought on the altar on behalf of the entire community.
Once a year, on Rosh Chodesh Adar, an announcement was made reminding everyone to give their annual Temple contribution. Today, we continue this practice in the month of Adar.
In the past, the ”half shekel” had a specific weight of silver, but today it is customary to give three halves of the local currency. For example, in America, three half-dollars are given to charity, in England – three half-pound coins, and in Israel – three half-shekel coins.
The Torah portion dealing with the mitzvah of the half shekel mentions the word ”Terumah” (donation) three times, hence it is customary to donate specifically three half-shekel coins.
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- In many synagogues, charity bowls are scattered on the tables, and everyone can place half shekels in them. The money accumulated in these bowls goes to various charitable purposes, needy institutions, support for the poor, and more.
- It is customary for the head of the family to donate the ”half shekel” for his wife, his minor sons and daughters, and even after they grow up, to continue to give on their behalf, in addition to their personal contribution. For example, a married man with four children will give three coins for himself, three more for his wife and three more for each of his four children.
Mincha Prayer
The Mincha prayer is initiated as usual by reciting ”Korbanot” and ”Ashrei”. The cantor says ”Half Kaddish” and we approach the Torah reading.
As with every public fast, we read from the Torah the same reading that we read in the morning – the portion of ”Vayechal Moshe”, and in it three people ascend, the third of whom is the ”Maphtir”. After the reading, the third reader says a special ”Haftarah” from the book of Isaiah: ”Seek the Lord when He may be found; call on Him while He is near”, after which we return the Torah scroll to the Ark and continue with the order of prayer as usual.
In the ”Amidah” prayer, the congregation adds the blessing of ”Answer us” in the blessing of ”hearing prayer”.
In the ”repetition of the Amidah”, the cantor says ”Answer us” in the blessing of ”Redeemer of Israel”, and also adds the formula of ”Priestly blessing” before the blessing of ”Peace”.
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- Unlike other public fasts, we do not say the ”long confessional prayer” and the ”long supplication” in the Mincha of ”Fast of Esther”, because it is the eve of the Purim holiday on which we do not say a supplication, and we finish the prayer immediately with ”Aleinu Leshabeach”.
- When the ”Fast of Esther” is brought forward to Thursday, 11th of Adar, we do say the ”long confessional prayer” and the ”long supplication”.
Evening Prayer (Maariv)
We pray the evening prayer immediately after ”seeing the stars”. It can be started a bit earlier than usual, but in such a way that the sections of the Shema recitation will be said after ”seeing the stars”.
In the ”Amidah” prayer, after the blessing of ”Thanks”, we add the paragraph ”On the miracles” in which we say the formula of the Purim holiday: ”In the days of Mordechai and Esther”.
After the ”Amidah” prayer, the cantor says ”Full Kaddish”, and we approach to read the Megillah. After the reading and the blessing, we say the hymn ”Shoshanat Yaakov”, and after it, we finish the evening prayer by saying ”You are Holy” and ”Aleinu Leshabeach”.
- It is better to hear the reading of the Megillah immediately after the evening prayer, and ‘break’ the fast only after it, but a weak person can taste fruits, drinks, and the like, to strengthen from the weakness of the fast.
In the Jewish calendar, the definition of a day is: from star out at night, after the sunset, until sunset the next day. Purim – which falls on the 14th of Adar – begins on the 13th of Adar after the sunset, so in practice, immediately after the ”Fast of Esther” enters the Purim holiday, and we immediately begin to fulfill its first commandment – reading the Megillah.
