Mishloach manot: your guide to a perfect, personal treat

Purim is almost here and that means it’s time to prepare your mishloach manot, the traditional treats sent out to celebrate the happy holiday. But if you’ve never prepared mishloach manot – or if you’re tired of sending out those same boring candies – here are some creative yet simple ideas for you.

Several sites go into great detail about how to perform the mitzvah properly. L’Chaim examines the right time to deliver mishloach manot (daytime), the quantity of food to be sent (two types of food – or drink – to one other person), the kind of food (ready to eat) and the importance of using an agent to deliver the gift. Darché Noam looks at the custom through traditional sources like the Gemarah and the Rambam.

Text Box: Mishloach Manot:Your guide to a perfect, personal treat

At a time when excess can find its way into celebration, I particularly value this piece of advice from Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld: rather than just shower a good friend with an extravagant basket, remember that the purpose of sending gifts is to increase friendship among all Jews. “Many rabbis recommend that one not just give to all his closest friends. Rather, one should seek out those he is not so close to – or perhaps the one he has had a strained relationship with in the past. Another excellent idea is to give to an acquaintance or coworker who may not otherwise be celebrating Purim. All such ideas help increase friendship and goodwill among people, rather than being the typical [expensive] yearly formality.”

And the rabbi adds wisely, “I suppose that since it’s Purim, we should close with one final important word of caution: Don’t drive to deliver your mishloach manot when you’re under the influence!”

You don’t have to break the bank (or empty out the candy store) to create mishloach manot that will impress – and even get a laugh. I just love the thoughtfulness and creativity of the 101 Ideas at KosherOnABudget.com.

My faves:

• Creation motif: Black & white cookie (Day 1); water & cotton candy (Day 2); candy flowers (Day 3); star cookies (Day 4); gummy fish (Day 5); animal crackers (Day 6); challah rolls and mini juice bottle (Shabbat)

• Morning Sickness theme (perfect for a pregnant lady): Ginger Ale, saltines, candied ginger

• Havdalah design: Grape juice, cinnamon buns (spices), licorice braided into Havdalah candle

• Cold Kit: Jewish penicillin (aka chicken soup), orange juice, tea and honey, cough drops

• Green Eggs and Ham(antashen)

And if those ideas have your creative juices flowing and you are looking for more, who could go wrong with mishloach manot ideas from Pinterest?

If you do want to give in to your sweet tooth, try whipping up Purim Poppyseed Candy, Hazenblosen, Persian Rice Cookies or Halvah with Walnuts.

Beyond candies and cavities, some parents fear something much more dangerous when the baskets arrive: a severe allergic reaction. Sara Atkins has tips about making sure her kids don’t feel left out as kids are showered with food. I was moved by this comment at the end of her piece: “The article was very well written, it made me cry, bc I, too, am going to face my first real Purim, with the same issues. I am scared, petrified and nervous, about the outcome. We will be stocking our pockets with Benadryl and the epi-pens, along with his own nosh. He will be Winnie the Pooh, and will have a sign on him, ‘Please do not feed the animal, petting zoo only!’– hope everyone gets the point!”

As mentioned, many people go way beyond the minimum when sending out mishloach manot. I like the Beit HaChatulim site, which not only has suggestions for what to put in your basket but tips about deciding who gets what: “A list plates” for special families, “B list plates” are what most people get – a little bit of this, a little bit of that. “The last category is a smaller plate or bag to hand out casually. The kids give these to their friends at the synagogue during the Megillah reading (even if their family also gets a plate from our family).”

Or you can read how some small communities (including Israeli kibbutzim or local synagogues) have tried to cut down the excess and waste on this holiday. They “host a lottery the week before Purim in which each family randomly selects another family to which they deliver their package on Purim. This saves not only on money but on potentially (inadvertently) insulting someone.”

Although it’s not uncommon for some families to send off 30, 40 or 50 packages of mishloach manot, Barbara Silverman has them all beat. A few years ago, the Jerusalem woman sent more than 3,000 mishloach manot boxes to soldiers for Purim. Her efforts date back to October 2000 after the start of the second intifadah. When she realized just how big her task really was, she solicited help from synagogues, schools and individuals in the United States in Canada. This wasn’t the first time Barbara has tried to give a boost to Israel’s soldiers. She used to send them packages with high-protein foods such as peanut butter, hummus and sardines.

But army commanders told her that while the soldiers loved getting the gifts, they weren’t always thrilled with the contents. What the soldiers really wanted were chocolate and snacks. So soldiers opening Barbara’s next batch of mishloach manot boxes discovered the desired goodies – plus something not mentioned in the Talmud – a small tube of toothpaste.

Have a very happy Purim!

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