Purim Baskets & Mishloach Manot / Shalach Manos

The Mitzvah of Mishloach Manot

The practice of sending 'Purim baskets' of food to others during the Jewish celebration of Purim - known as 'Mishloach Manot' in Hebrew or 'Shalach Manos' in Yiddish - is a widely practiced Jewish custom and a mitzvah. The two main reasons given for the practice is to ensure that everyone has enough food to celebrate the Purim feast and to strengthen the bonds of love and friendship within the Jewish community.

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While it is both customary and 'praiseworthy' to send multiple Purim baskets to friends, family and those in need, fulfillment of the mitzvah only requires the sending of one gift in accordance with the laws of Mishloach Manot. 

To fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot, at least one Purim gift or basket must:

• Contain at least 2 different items / full portions of ready-to-eat food or drink that would be suitable for serving at the festive Purim meal.
  
  
• Be delivered to the intended Jewish recipient during the daylight hours of Purim.

Mishloach Manot Delivery 

While you may deliver your Mishloach Manot personally to fulfill the mitzvah, it is considered preferable to send Purim baskets through a third party. In many communities, children help to deliver Mishloach Manot in their neighbourhoods, while reliable Purim gift basket delivery services are often used for long-distance or overseas deliveries.

Important Note: If the intended recipient of the Purim basket is not at home for delivery and as a result does not receive the gift during the daylight hours of Purim, then the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot has not been fulfilled with that gift. For this reason it is advisable to ensure that at least one gift is delivered either personally or in a way that guarantees successful delivery on Purim in order to fulfill the mitzvah. 

Mishloach Manot Foods

While there are no specific rules about the kinds of foods should be given for Mishloach Manot (other than that they should be fit for enjoying at the Purim feast), there are foods which have a special significance at Purim:

• 'Hamantaschen' or
  'Oznei Haman'
   - These triangular-shaped sweet pastries represent the villain Haman's ears, and are traditionally filled with dates, nuts or poppy seeds. Less traditional but increasingly popular are chocolate and fruit fillings. 
  
  
• Nuts & Seeds - These are often enjoyed at Purim as it is said that the heroine of the Purim story, Queen Esther, ate only nuts and seeds during her time at the palace, since none of the palace food was kosher.
  
  
• Alcohol - Purim is the one festival where Jews are actively encouraged to drink alcohol liberally. A small bottle of wine or other kosher alcoholic beverage is a good addition to a Purim basket (unless age, personal or health reasons mean they cannot drink alcohol).

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Other Purim Basket Ideas & Customs

You may want to consider the following customs & ideas when shopping for or creating your own Purim baskets:

• Bright Colours - Purim is a celebration and to reflect this Purim baskets are often bright, colourful and fun.
  
  
• Noisemaker / Ra'ashan - During the reading of the Megillah on Purim, it is traditional to drown out the name of the villain, Haman, with a loud noise. Purim rattles, called 'ra'ashanim' or 'graggers' are often used for this purpose, especially by children, and can make welcome additions to a family's or child' s basket.
  
  
• Costumes & Masks - The hiding of identity and intentions is one of the main themes within the Purim story. To reflect this it is common to celebrate Purim by wearing costumes, masks and fancy dress. Consider adding a mask or facepaints to your Purim basket to reflect this tradition and provide a useful addition to the festivities.
  
  
• Cards / Gift Tags - Strengthening the bonds of love and friendship between Jews is an important goal of the mishloach manot mitzvah, so it is important that you let your recipient know who the gift is from. Don't forget to add a Purim Card, gift tag or label with your name.

View our collection of Purim Baskets & Shalach Manos for delivery to England, the UK & Europe.

Further Reading & Advice on the Mishloach Manot Mitzvah

The above is just a brief outline of some of the customs and requirements for Mishloach Manot. To ensure that your Purim gift meets the requirements of the mitzvah, we recommend that you consult your Rabbi. You can also read more about the mitzvah rules at the following authoritative websites:

• Aish.com - An excellent summary of the Laws of Mishloach Manot by Rabbi Elozor Barclay and Rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger.
  
  
• OU.org - Mishloach Manot is one of four Purim mitzvot. This page provides a good overview of all four Purim mitzvot and their importance.