The boy who saved the day
For several years, Shmulik and Eli had a troubled relationship and it continued to deteriorate. This year, for Purim, Eli came up with another little plan to humiliate his former friend, Shmulik.
After the Megillah reading, Eli and his family were putting the finishing touches on their Mishloach Manot baskets. Eli’s plan was to place an authentic -looking fake pistol on top of Shmulik’s basket with a note saying, “Watch out!” As the family was dividing up the deliveries, Eli’s 7 year old son, Yossi (wearing a policeman costume) was randomly given the basket to deliver to Shmulik. Well, on the way over to Shmulik, Yossi noticed the pistol and realized that in the chaos and confusion of Mishloach Manot preparations,his father must have accidentally placed the gun intended for his costume inside the basket! He took out the gun and proudly placed it on his belt, thus completing his Purim costume.
Yossi arrived at Shmulik’s house and Shmulik’s jaw dropped when he saw the magnificent basket
from his former enemy. Shmulik, was overjoyed at this gesture of friendship and sent little Yossi back with an even more beautiful basket of Mishloach Manot to Eli. The two friends reconciled and shalom was restored. Eli, however, was bothered by one thing,
from his former enemy. Shmulik, was overjoyed at this gesture of friendship and sent little Yossi back with an even more beautiful basket of Mishloach Manot to Eli. The two friends reconciled and shalom was restored. Eli, however, was bothered by one thing,
Did he fulfill his obligation when he sent his Mishloach Manot to Shmulik (since he did NOT send it with good intentions)?
Answer:
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlit"a:
The Megillah says “משלוח מנות איש לרעהו" “(to each other). The implication is that, in addition to the technical provision of food, the purpose of delivering food is to strengthen the love and brotherhood for a fellow Jew.
In other words, according to the halacha, the mitzvah includes both the result (delivering the requisite portions of food) as well as the purpose (which includes the good intentions).
In an alternate view, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a, believes that we determine fulfillment of this mitzvah according to the result .The result was that the Mishloach Manot was properly delivered, without the gun, and therefore, the mitzvah WAS fulfilled
It may be noted that in mitzvos “bein adam lechaveiro” that are between man and his fellow man, one need not perform them with good and pure intentions (although it is certainly preferable)
An example of this would be giving of tzedakah-Even if one gives the money grudgingly, he, nonetheless fulfills the obligation and is credited with the mitzvah.
Rabbi Avigdor Neventzal, feels that the delivery of this Mishloach Manos fulfills the mitzvah. (“yotzei yedai chova”). And, even had the Mishloach Manot been delivered with the gun on top,(as mean spirited as that may be!) it is still considered a satisfactory and “kosher” Mishloach Manot.
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Stories for Purim
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu fixes a plastic sword
(From "The Father of Israel, Part 2)
Told by Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu, son of the Rabbi
On the night of Purim, many people came to sing and dance with joy in the house of my father, (of blessed memory). At midnight, family members told the guests that it was late, and that tomorrow they had to get up early to pray at sunrise, and everyone began to disperse.
He then lit the fire, warmed the two ends of the sword, put an iron-colored pin between them and connected the plastic sword. In doing so, the Rabbi (my father) seemed relaxed, despite the late hour, and although the repair of the little boy’s sword lasted about 15 minutes...
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The Mishloach Manot that the Malbim returned to the Reformed
Story told by Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
At the time of the Reformed and Haskala Movements (the so -called period of “enlightenment” beginning in the 1800’s which attempted to dilute and destroy Torah Judaism), the great sages of Israel went out to wage a war against them. One of these sages was “the Malbim” (Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel Wisser).
It happened on Purim that a Misloach Manot basket was dispatched to be delivered to the Malbim. Inside the basket was a plate of cookies, decorated and in the shape of... pigs!
When the Malbim received this offensive “Mishloach Manot”, he inquired who the sender was, and the messenger said he did not know (clearly it was a member of the “movement” taunting the great Rabbi). The Malbim, asked the messenger to wait and promptly returned with a plate of cookies also decorated but in the shapes of rabbis. He then sent back his own Mishloach Manot to the “anonymous” sender.
When the wicked men received the Malbim’s delivery, they were confused- did the Rabbi not understand the “dekira” (stab or jab) intended for him? Was he drunk pehaps? These men dispatched the messenger back to the Rabbi, yet again, to determine why the Rabbi responded this way.
The Malbim replied: ”You call yourselves progressive and enlightened? Why YOU are positively old-fashioned. in modern day France it is the new custom that if one receives a photograph, the recipient then returns a photograph of himself!
And so, when I received your “photograph”, I sent you mine!
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