[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S1223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's opening prayer will be offered by 
Rabbi Seth H. Frisch, senior rabbi of Historic Congregation Kesher 
Israel, from Philadelphia, PA.
  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Dearest God, we look to You today, You who remembers all that we have 
forgotten and You who is the eternal source of blessing.
  We stand before You on the eve of the Biblical Festival of Purim, a 
joyous time in which we read from the ancient and sacred scroll of the 
Book of Esther. It is in the scroll we read at first of a certain 
darkness, a darkness which would come to envelope the entire nation 
over which Esther would soon reign as Queen.
  It was Queen Esther who became frightened when the plan revealing a 
plot to erase the sacred remnants of her people, along with the 
fundamental teachings of her faith, came to light; and yet it was 
Esther, who, when confronted by the impending darkness, was able to 
bring the plot to an end, allowing her people to emerge from the shadow 
of darkness--of this horror--and live freely, without fear, celebrating 
life itself in the light of their newfound freedom.
  And now, standing here today, before You, on the eve of this 
festival, we, too, ask that You remember us for life, instilling within 
us a greater love of freedom, seeking both peace and prosperity for all 
the inhabitants of this great Nation.
  And yet, Dear Lord, we would be remiss if we were not to remember 
those who have sacrificed much, suffered, and paid dearly with their 
lives, allowing all of us--to this day--a life of freedom without fear, 
worshiping as we choose, and continuing to bask in that greater love 
which You shed and allow us to live within.
  Teach us now and forever to celebrate our differences. Unify us to 
preserve and admire those differences among us--all of us--with respect 
and dignity for all the inhabitants of this Nation.
  Lord, we ask You to bestow Your blessings today upon this assembly 
and upon the Nation which it serves. Bless all the inhabitants of this 
land with both prosperity and lasting joy, love, and freedom.
  Yevarechecha Adonai, V'Yishmerecha.
  May God bless you and keep you. May God bless the United States of 
America, and may God bless us all. Amen.

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