Seeing the shul so packed and the fervent davening, you would have thought it was Yom Kippur!” That’s how someone described the reciting of tehilim on Purim night last year at the Agudah of Park Heights.
It all began the year before, when our guest from Israel received a call from his wife with the thrilling news that their daughter had just given birth to twins – a boy and a girl – after four years of marriage. He then told us how he and his wife had gone to a special minyan in Yerushalayim the previous Purim, at midnight. Each person had said the entire Sefer Tehilim (psalms), and then davened for one thing.
Afterwards, when they inquired of one another what they had davened for, they found that they had both davened for a child for their daughter. Almost one year later, both of their prayers were answered. Our guest encouraged us to organize such a minyan here in Baltimore, since many people have seen their tefilos (prayers) answered as a result.
There wasn’t much time to get the word out, but the small group of people who attended that first year asked that it be organized again the following year. It was, and many people took part. Though I am not privy to what other people davened for, I do know that at least three people present had daughters in shidduchim who became engaged that year, and two childless couples had a child before the following Purim. (One of them was actually due after Purim but gave birth early, just days before Purim!)
The flyer we received from Yerushalayim explained that the power of prayer at this minyan is multiplied fourfold, through 1) the saying of the entire Sefer Tehilim, 2) on Purim, a special day for prayers to be answered, 3) at chatzos (halachic midnight), and 4) with a minyan. Each person says all the tehilim at his or her own pace – this could take between 2.5 and 4.5 hours, depending on how familiar you are with the words – and then makes one request.
If you plan to attend, you should have your seuda and mishlo’ach manos prepared ahead of time, so your Purim can go smoothly even though you’ve stayed up late. Although many people have seen yeshuos, if lack of sleep will cause you to yell at your family members, then probably you will have lost more than you gained.
Last year, the shul was packed, and those who participated called it an uplifting experience. You are welcome to join. But if you can’t, you can say as many tehilim as is comfortable for you in your own home, even by day. May all our tefilos be answered!
Look for signs announcing the details for this year’s gathering on Purim night, motza’ei Shabbos, March 3.
