How many Shalach-Manos will you be sending this year?

Marion

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 8:43 am

Too many! Most of them will be small though. The ILs will get a large one, and a few local friends will get some regular sized ones. But we want to give to most of the neighbours and it's too expensive to do that many (28 right there), so those will be small.

amother

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 8:45 am

I never understood the whole thing of making sooooo many mishloach manot. why not just make a few for your close friends/family and ze hoo? the mitzvah is to send to 2 or 3 ppl, right? I mean, I feel like ppl will go broke from mishloach manot.

im actually happy that we are not friendly with almost anyone where we live (that is the reason why I am writting anonymously - I dont want anyone to know who I am in terms of this) so we have MAYBE 5 mishloach manot to send out.

amother

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 8:51 am

I'm like the previous amother. Actually, I like the idea of giving out a lot. That's what my family did growing up. But now we don't really know anyone where we live. And we're not really so much part of any community. So we'll give to immediate family. Probably about 5.

amother

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 8:57 am

amother wrote:

Previous amother here: that was not my reason for not giving a loooot of mishloach manot, that we dont know many ppl here, the reason I was trying to say was that I think that it is a total waste of money to make soooo many mishloach manot. I personally think that it is a showy thing "look how many ppl I know and can give them some of my baked goods". dont get me wrong, growing up my mother would make like 60 mishloach manot and I always thought that it was waaaaaaay too much. I think, do the mitzvah, but dont push it, dont over do.

shopaholic

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 9:04 am

[quote]Yeah for my kids classes alone it could be over 30

They like the kids to give them out.. it really stinks... alot of prep.[/quote]

You let your kids give to everyone? My kids know they get to give 4/5 friends each, plus neighbors kids. There has to be a limit somewhere.

Mishie

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 9:11 am

I'm sorry! I really wasn't trying to "Show-off"!!

Actually - It was kind of a vent.

Every year my Hubby says: This year we're only sending to 2 people - for the Mitzvah.
But, it always end up being waaaaaaaaaay more.
Just for my building (12 families)
My kids' Teachers (6 of them)
and my Parents, In-Laws and SILs and BILs

It's embarrassing if somebody comes to your door with a Shalach-Manos and you don't give one back to them. Isn't it?

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 9:15 am

Mishie wrote:

yes, it is, but that does not mean tht you have to make a loooooooot. you can make like 5 and then either recycle them or send cards saying that this card is fulfilling two mitzvot (tzedaka and mishloach manot) in honor of mr and mrs x. that is what I hope to do this year. that way there is no requirement to give back when someone comes to your door b/c it has already been sent (and then you dont have all of that junk food in your home as a temptation and right before pesach coming)

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:19 am

BrachaVHatzlocha wrote:

to the people who give two, what do you do when neighbors and friends come by??

recycle, recycle, recycle... whats wrong with that? when someone comes, you always have 2 or 3 in the house so when you run out of those, you use the ones that already got.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:26 am

Mishie wrote:

Sometimes it can be quite obvious.....

I have LOTs of stories about recycled Shalach-Manos, but that's for a seperate thread...

hoe can it be obvious that it is recycled? and even if it is, so what?

who wants to go broke for making a billion mishloach manot? not I.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:27 am

well, if you recycle, you end up giving more than 2. Smile

I find nothing wrong with it, except make sure it's not obvious. Don't use your neighbor's full themed sholoch manos! but you can take the taffy out of this and the orange out of the other...I suggest new bags! Smile

Otherwise you might it being from a different family's card on it!

withhumor

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:28 am

In case of emergency, we recycle. BUT basically, once you don’t give one year, you never get again so the cycle begins the first year when you have the courage. It’s not a mitzvah and it costs an arm and a leg. We go to the immediate family and just enjoy the comings and the goings. You can enjoy purim without running around all over own risking the drunken drivers… if you know Boro Park, you know what I mean.

We do give for the teachers and rebbes, which is not included in the two.

amother

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:35 am

Teachers get it in school either before or after Purim, and it's usually an envelope with a nice note and some money.
I give to the neighbors on my floor and to parents and grandparents, landlord, sisters and brothers, rav, did I miss anyone?
It ends up being quite a number of sh.m. but the sh.m. is inexpensive and takes two minutes to put together. No theme or anything like it.

Mishie

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:37 am

This year we plan on delivering them on Purim NIGHT.
(except for the 2 which we will be using to do the actual Mitzvah which have to be given on Purim Day).

That way, we avoid all the traffic and all the running around the whole next day.

BTW - I totally understand those of you who give only 2 and don't give everyone.
I don't know, in our neighborhood, it's kind of a given that you give your whole building and to your friends. If you don't - then you're considered a snob. Sad

amother

Sun, Feb 04 2007, 10:58 am

Mishie wrote:

that would be so lovely. my neighbors are VERY unfriendly so there is no giving of mishloach manot to the neighbors. I am not going to spend my hard earned money on ppl that do not even say hi or act very nicely.