Says Eli, “The Internet makes it easy for people to order baskets from around the world. Mechutanim send to each other, even if they live in different cities, and of course, chassanim send mishloach manos to their kallahs, and vice versa.” He says the baskets are a way to connect with family, to say hello, and even to say, “I’m sorry.” “My secretaries are trained to help customers write the cards that go with the baskets. They try to help clients put into words what they are conveying with the mishloach manos.”
Eli concludes, “At the end of the day, it isn’t how large the basket is that counts. What counts is how much you care. If the card attached is meaningful, it doesn’t matter how much you spent.”
Extending The Mitzvah
Giving gifts of food is a special mitzvah exclusive to Purim day, but some innovative individuals get more bang for their mitzvah buck. Let’s explore how some people and organizations take this mitzvah to a whole new level.
For various reasons, not everyone can prepare his or her own packages. Some will, instead of ordering from a company, order prepared mishloach manos packages from the various tzedakah organizations that sell them as a fundraiser. This is a win-win. The customer gets beautifully-designed mishloach manos packages ready to send out, and the tzeddakah benefits from much-needed funds.
Another idea is gift cards in lieu of mishloach manos. These are pretty cards with Purim designs that are sold by organizations such as ATIME or Masbia, and are sent to recipients with the message that instead of sending them mishloach manos, the sender made a donation in their honor. It’s important to note that by sending these cards, one has not fulfilled the mitzvah of mishloach manos (see sidebar). Nonetheless, it’s a nice gesture, especially for family and friends far away whom you wouldn’t have gotten to on Purim day anyway. In fact, halacha recommends that once you have fulfilled the basic mitzvah, it is preferable to go beyond the minimum in tzedakkah rather than in mishloach manos.
Kapayim, a Brooklyn-based organization that helps families with children who are seriously ill, really goes all out before Purim. Knowing that showing appreciation to doctors, nurses, and therapists makes a big difference in the care the patient receives, but that patients and their families don’t have the time or energy to put together elaborate gifts, the organization has come up with a unique service. It prepares over 500 mishloach manos baskets, each with a valuable gift and coordinating food items, as well as a heartfelt thank-you poem. These are delivered to the patients’ homes, so they can deliver them to the doctors on their own, and show their appreciation. This is a massive operation that begins months in advance, as families submit the names of the healthcare professionals, and Kapayim crosschecks the lists to make sure that no doctor or nurse receives a duplicate. What a beautiful way to combine mishloach manos with a priceless chesed to patients and their families!
So whichever way you choose to do it – simple or elaborate, theme or no theme – remember to send mishloach manos to those who need it most: the lonely neighbor down the block, a friend you may have exchanged harsh words with, or the lone soldier defending Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. Let’s use this beautiful mitzvah to increase love, friendship, and of course, the special joy of Purim.
