Mishloach manot
foodstuff gifts distributed on the Jewish holiday of Purim
Mishloach manot (Hebrew: משלוח מנות [miʃˈlo.aχ maˈnot], literally, 'sending of portions'; also spelled and pronounced mishloach manos), or sh(a)lach mones (Yiddish: שלח־מנות Yiddish pronunciation: [ʃ(a)ɫaχˈmɔnəs]), also called a Purim basket, are gifts of food or drink that are sent to family, friends and others on Purim day. The mitzvah of giving mishloach manot derives from the Book of Esther. It is meant to ensure that everyone has enough food for the Purim feast held later in the day, and to increase love and friendship among Jews and their neighbors.
According to the halakha, every Jew over the age of Bar and Bat Mitzvah should send a food gift consisting of two different types of food to at least one recipient. The practice is a fairly prominent feature of Purim.
In Israel, it is a fairly common practice to send mishloach manot to Israel Defense Forces soldiers; it is usually done by the relatives of said soldiers, though children also send mishloach manot often to unrelated soldiers.
Sources
The mitzvah of giving mishloach manot is derived from the Book of Esther, which enjoins the Jewish people to observe the days of Purim "as days of feasting and gladness, and sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor" (9:22). This verse refers to three different mitzvot: eating a Purim meal, the sending of two different, ready-to-eat foods and/or drinks to one friend (known by the Hebrew term, mishloach manot), and the distribution of two charitable donations (either money or food) to two poor people.
In actual practice, many individuals fulfill the first mitzvah themselves (by sending food gifts to friends, neighbors, relatives, etc.), and the second mitzvah by contributing to charitable organisations which distribute money or food to the poor on Purim day.
Poor people are also required to give mishloach manot.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Mishloach manot” as foodstuff gifts distributed on the Jewish holiday of Purim. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as foodstuff gifts distributed on the Jewish holiday of Purim. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2236669. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mishloach manot”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mishloach manot primary sources, Mishloach manot archive and Mishloach research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mishloach manot”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mishloach manot” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.