Baggage Allowance

Shmuel sat in his dining room, taking a brief rest, after a long morning spent delivering Mishloach Manot. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to the window in front of him. Something was coming through the window. It was a bird! No, it was a plane! It was… Mishloach Manot?

Could it be? The object in question landed softly on Shmuel’s table. He was right on two counts. It was Mishloach Manot, and a plane! Someone had carefully attached a package of food to a remote control plane! Shmuel laughed, as he looked at the attached tag.

“Dear Shmuel,

I wanted to give you high level Mishloach Manot, because you’re such a great friend! Happy Purim.

David”

Has David fulfilled his obligation, by sending Mishloach Manot l’chatchila (according to the preferred standard).in such a manner?

Answer of Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, shlita:

David has certainly fulfilled his obligation l’chatchila. The Mishna Berura (695, se’if katan 18) brings in the name of the Binyan Tzion (siman 44) that it is possible that mishloach manot must be sent through a messenger. However, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l ruled that it is not necessary to use a messenger. Therefore, David has fulfilled his obligation l’chatchila..

Answer of Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, shlita:

David has certainly fulfilled his obligation. It is not necessary to send mishloach manot through a messenger, and it doesn’t matter how the food reaches the recipient. It is permissible to send it through a child (or a monkey…)

It is important that the mishloach manot contains a note, which indicates who is sending the package. This is because the goal of the mitzva of mishloach manot is to increase feelings of love and friendship between people.