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Is it Permissible to Give Candy

as Mishloach Manot?

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon

t is a common custom today to However, the Gemara (Megillah 7b) cites two types of food, you can add whatever
I include candies of all kinds in several cases in which rabbis would send you’d like to the mishloach manot.
mishloach manot on Purim. But is
sweets as mishloach manot: Rabbah wanted
At the same time, when giving mishloach
it possible to fulfill the mitzvah
in this way? to send a cup full of kimcha d’avshuna, manot to children, giving them candy,
which is sweet flour (Rashi, “d’avshuna”),
chocolates and things they enjoy should
or kashba, which is sugar cane (The Aruch,
It seems that this question depends on be a priority!
the different reasons suggested for the cited in Tosfot Avodah Zara 14b, “chatzav”;
Rambam, Perush Hamishnayot, Avodah Zara
mitzvah of mishloach manot. According to 1:5). Mari bar Mar used to send chulia,
the Terumat HaDeshen, mishloach manot are
supposed to be used by the recipient at the another kind of sweets (Rashi, chulia).
From these cases we can learn that it is
Purim seudah, and candies are not usu-
ally eaten at the meal. On the other hand, permissible to send sweets in mishloach
manot, and it is likely that Rambam and
according to the Manot HaLevi, the delivery the Shulchan Aruch, who mentioned meat,
of the dishes is intended to increase the Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon
unity of the people of Israel, and so it is cooked dishes and foods, did not intend is Head of Mizrachi’s Educational
to forbid sending sweets. This is how
necessary to send foods that will be used Advisory Board and Rabbinic Council.
by the recipient and strengthen the bond the halacha is written (Sheyarei Knesset He serves as the Chief Rabbi of Gush
Hagedolah, Hagahot Tur, 10; Chayei Adam,
between him and the giver. Sweets defi- 155:31) Etzion, Rosh Yeshivah of the Jerusalem
nitely meet this criteria. College of Technology and is the Founder
Is it possible to find clarity from the and Chairman of Sulamot and La'Ofek.
wording used by the Rambam and the Halacha l’Ma’aseh Join me at the
Shulchan Aruch? Rambam (2:15) writes Practically, it appears that there is a hiddur World Orthodox Israel Congress Est. 1902
that one should send “two portions of mitzvah, an enhancement of the mitzvah, to orthodoxisraelcongress.org 120 YEARS OF RELIGIOUS ZIONISM
meat or two kinds of cooked foods or two give foods that are intended for the Purim
kinds of food”, and the Shulchan Aruch also seudah. But certainly, according to the
uses similar language (695:4). The simple halacha, one fulfills the mitzvah of giving
understanding of their words implies mishloach manot by giving candies and
that you should specifically send food, sweets. Of course, in addition to giving
not sweets.

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