PIP | Imamother

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Wed, Feb 29 2012, 9:07 pm

this is sent out from thr rav of my shule

PIP

One of the particular areas of concern for me in particular on Purim is the problem of the proliferation of Mishloach Manos.
The problem of the multitude of Mishloach Manos is disconcerting for many reasons.

The Rambam (Hilchos Megillah 2:17) writes that when given the choice, one should opt for giving more Matanos L’evyonim and have a smaller Seudah and give less Mishloach Manos. Therefore, from a purely halachik view, the emphasis of the day should be on helping those who need our help and not on sending out mounds and mounds of unwanted nosh to people who do not need our food. Indeed, the Rambam says the greatest fulfillment of Simcha is when we make those of us who are less fortunate- happy. Therefore, by cutting back on our Mishloach Manos we can hopefully give more money to Matanos L’evyonim.

The fact that each year people have longer and longer lists of families and individuals who they must send to- is creating an almost impossible financial burden on many families. This, coupled with the fact that people feel that they must give back to all people who give them, is causing tremendous financial strain on many already financially strapped families. The amount of money necessary to finance even a modest Mishloach Manos distributed to even twenty families is becoming a financial hardship for many of us.

Most of us cannot; do not; and certainly should not be consuming all of these unneeded, unwanted (albeit delicious) delights which fill our homes on Purim. The amount of junk food which pours into the nooks and crannies of all Jewish homes- less than one month before Pesach- is totally superfluous and often (at best) winds up in the garbage bin, or (at worse) in the ever growing midsection of an already overweight community.

Therefore, because of these issues I have instituted in my kehilla the following program.
PIP –what is PIP?
PIP stands for Purim is Pashut (Purim is simple).
Here is how it works, and indeed, it’s really quite Pashut.

Whoever joins and decides to become a PIPer agrees to do the following.

1. To send out the minimal amounts of Mishloach Manos- to two or three people. Preferably we attempt to send to someone who really needs the Mishloach Manos. I encourage the kehilla to find someone who is not on everyone’s list. Perhaps an older person or a single person as opposed to those established families who ‘everyone’ sends to.

2. A sign stating “I do PIP” (or just PIP) is hung on the door indicating to all that this house observes PIP and one should not expect a Mishloach Manos in return.

3. There is no problem of not knowing what the sign means for by someone asking, “What is PIP?” the program becomes publicized and you have the opportunity to explain why you are not returning the Mishloach Manos you have just received.

4. Whoever joins PIP does not expect (or even want) everyone to give them Mishloach Manos.

5. Those families who want to express their artistic talents through Mishloach Manos can be given an exception from the normal limit.

6. Children who would like to give to their Moros and Rebbeim are certainly encouraged to do so. However, even children are encouraged to scale down the number of Mishloach Manos they want to distribute.

The Benefits of PIP:
Money is saved on unwanted Mishloach Manos which can be used by the family and/or be given to Tzedokah.
Less time is invested in making, packing and distributing Mishloach Manos. This translates into more free time for family bonding and Torah learning.
People appreciate the Mishloach Manos they do receive and they are able to avoid unnecessary calories and sugar by not getting an abundance of Mishloach Manos.

The greatness of PIP is that it is so Pashut (simple) and totally optional.
However, besides the fact that is fulfills one’s halachik obligations in a mehudar (beautiful) fashion; it is also a Chesed project. It allows families to feel much less financially strained on Purim and allows families to spend more time together. It also allows us to be able to spend more time learning and celebrating Purim without it being a gluttonous binge of goodies.

Obviously, the day of Purim is a day of Simcha and one can modify PIP to suit their particular needs.
The purpose of PIP is to increase the Simcha of Purim and decrease the stress of the day; therefore you can modify the program for your individual circumstance.

In the constant battle of attempting to alleviate some financial stress from all of us, and in the ongoing struggle to keep our lifestyles within manageable boundaries, PIP has proven to be very successful in my kehilla.
Anyone out there interested in being a PIPer?

Please remember, and I must stress this again and again:
PIP is only for those who want to be part of the program.
If you enjoy sending out many Shaloch Manos and you enjoy receiving many Shaloch Manos than- do as such!
Pip is not in any way obligatory or even necessarily encouraged. It is just offered as an additional option for those to whom it will be helpful.
Pip is an option for those who do not want to receive and/or send to everyone they know Shaloch Manos while still feeling authentically ‘Jewish’ and validated.
Obviously, each family should and could decide for themselves if they want to part of PIP or not.