Vedibarta Bam � And You Shall Speak of Them: Purim Seudah � Festive Meal

It is customary to recite the afternoon service early in the afternoon and then hold the Purim feast.

Even when the feast is prolonged past nightfall, one should include the passage, "Ve'al Hanissim" in Grace after meals because the feast was begun during the day.

If one so desires he may hold the feast in the morning.

Before commencing the meal, one should engage a bit in the study of Torah.

It is customary to drink wine during the meal.

It is customary to eat krepchen on Purim (see p. 176).

It is customary to eat haman-tashen on Purim. One reason is that in Hebrew the word "tash" means "weak." The miracle of Purim was that Hashem weakened the mighty Haman, who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people, and he was made powerless.

The haman-tash is triangular to resemble Haman's hat, and it is filled with poppy seeds as a remembrance for the ten thousand silver talents Haman was ready to give to the King's treasury for the annihilation.

When Purim falls on Friday, the festive meal should be made in the morning before noon.

Every one is obliged to read [or hear the reading of] the Megillah at night and again the next day. The Megillah should be unrolled and folded like a letter. The three blessings which follow are recited. Whole Kaddish is recited after the Amidah of the Maariv Prayer before reading the Megillah.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the reading of the Megillah.

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

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

At the morning reading, when the Berachah of Shehechiyanu is recited, everyone should have in mind that it applies also to mitzvot of Purim Day � sending of edibles, gifts to the poor and festive meal.

The following berachah is recited after the Reading of the Megillah only if a quorum [of ten] is present.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who wages our battles, defends our rights, avenges the wrong done to us, punishes our oppressors in our behalf, and brings retribution upon all our mortal enemies. Blessed are You Adonai, who exacts payment in behalf of His people Israel from all their oppressors; the Almighty who delivers.

On Purim morning omit the following paragraph. (Chabad omits it also in the evening):

[G-d] thwarted the counsel of the nations, and frustrated the plans of the crafty � When a wicked man rose against us, a hateful offshoot of Amalek. He became arrogant in wealth and dug a pit for himself; it was his own greatness that ensnared him! He wished to trap and was entrapped; he sought to destroy and was destroyed quickly himself. Haman revealed his fathers' hatred, and stirred [Eisav's] enmity against [Yaakov]. He failed to recall Saul's pity, for due to his compassion for Agag the foe was born. The wicked plotted to cut off the righteous, but the impure was caught by the pure. Mordecai's kindness overcame Saul's fault; the wicked one heaped guilt upon guilt. He treasured his schemes in his heart, and gave himself over to evil. He laid his hands on G-d's holy ones, spending his money to erase their remembrance. Mordecai saw that anger had gone forth, and that Haman's decrees were issued in Shushan. He put on sackcloth and assumed a posture of mourning, decreed a fast and sat in ashes. Who will arise to atone for errors, to gain pardon for our fathers' sins? A flower blossomed forth from a palm; Lo! Hadassah rose to stir the sleepers! Her servants hastily brought Haman, to make him drink poison of serpents. He rose by his wealth and sank by his evil; he made a gallows and was hung upon it. All the people of the world were agape, when Haman's pur became our Purim. The righteous were saved from the wicked; the enemies became their substitute. The Jews undertook to make Purim, to hold a yearly celebration. [G-d],You heard Mordecai and Esther's prayer; You hung Haman and his sons on a gallows.

The rose, of Jacob thrilled with joy and exulted when they jointly beheld Mordechai garbed in royal blue. You have always been their salvation, their hope in every generation, to make known that all who place their hope in You shall not be put to shame, nor shall all those who trust in You be disgraced forever. Cursed be Haman who sought to destroy me; blessed be Mordechai the Jew. Cursed be Zeresh the wife of [Haman] who terrified me; blessed be Esther who [interceded] on my behalf. Cursed be all the wicked; blessed be all the righteous; and may Charvonah also be remembered favorably.

Continue: Ve'atah Kadosh;; Whole Kaddish without Titkabeil; On Motza'ei Shabbat say: Vihi No'am, Ve'atah Kadosh, Whole Kaddish, Aleinu and Mourner's Kaddish.

In the Shacharit Prayer, after the Amidah, Half Kaddish is recited. Three men are called up to the Torah, the section "And Amalek came..." (Shemot 17:8-16), is read, and the Megillah is read. The tefillin should not be removed before the reading of the Megillah. After the reading, Ashrei, U'va Letzion and Whole Kaddish are said.