Wolt Delivery for Shlach Manot, and is it same food or same Bracha?

Hello, I am organizing Shlach Manot and I have a few questions: Can I send Shlach Manot using a Wolt delivery service, even if the messenger might be a non-Jew? Also, can I include chocolate liqueur and a chocolate arrangement even though they share the same bracha? Lastly, is there any issue with exchanging Shlach Manot with someone who has already given me one, or must I be the first to give in order to fulfill the mitzvah?

Thank you for your question.

Exchanging Shlach Manot:

First, I would like to share with you a discussion among the Poskim regarding whether one fulfills the mitzvah of Shlach Manot in a case where one receives Shlach Manot and then gives one back to his friend. One could ask what the problem would be with this arrangement? Since the question the Poskim ask is as follows: would it be considered as paying back a debt?

The source of this halacha is from the Gemara Megillah daf 7b

תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף ז עמוד ב

אביי בר אבין ורבי חנינא בר אבין מחלפי סעודתייהו להדדי

Tractate Megillah, page 7b:

Abaye bar Avin and Rabbi Chanina bar Avin would exchange their meals with each other.

רש"י מסכת מגילה דף ז עמוד ב

מחלפי סעודתייהו - זה אוכל עם זה בפורים של שנה זו, ובשניה סועד חברו עמו.

And Rashi explains that they would dine together annually, taking turns hosting the meal each year.

The Ran explains the story differently, which would seem the more obvious explanation, that since they were so poor and didn't have enough money for Shlach Manot and Seudat Purim, they would swap their Purim meals with each other. In this way, they would have fulfilled the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot and Seudat Purim.

The question is why didn’t Rashi want to learn like the Ran?

The Taz explains in 695 seif katan 5 that according to Rashi's opinion, someone who returns a Shlach Manot to a person who gave him Shalach Manot did not fulfill the mitzvah, as this would be considered as having paid back a debt, similar to what we find in Bava Basra, page 145a.

Therefore, according to the Taz, one should give Shlach Manot early, before one receives, so that one can fulfill the mitzvah. However, even though there are opinions that are stringent, le’halacha we say that one fulfills the mitzvah even though he is returning to someone who just gave him, like the opinion of the Ran. This is mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch:

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות מגילה ופורים סימן תרצה

חייב לשלוח לחבירו שתי מנות בשר או של מיני אוכלים, שנאמר: ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו (אסתר ט, יט ו - כב) שתי מנות לאיש אחד. וכל המרבה לשלוח לריעים משובח; ואם אין לו, מחליף עם חבירו , זה שולח לזה סעודתו, וזה שולח לזה סעודתו, כדי לקיים: ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו (אסתר ט, יט ו - כב).

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Laws of Megillah and Purim, Siman 695:

One is obligated to send his friend two portions of meat or two types of food, as it is stated: 'and sending portions one to another' (Esther 9:19, 22) — two portions to one man. And whoever increases in sending to friends is praiseworthy. If one does not have [enough], he can exchange with his friend , one sending his meal to the other, and the other sending his meal to the first, in order to fulfill: 'and sending portions one to another' (Esther 9:19, 22).

And the Sha'ar HaTziyun ad loc writes that we do not follow the Taz le’halacha, since le’halacha we hold like the opinion of the Ran.

Two brachot.

Many people ask what is considered two brachot. However, it is important to know that this is a common mistake since there is no such halacha that one has to give foods with two different brachot. This is actually addressed in the Shulchan Aruch, which is written as follows:

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות מגילה ופורים סימן תרצה

חייב לשלוח לחבירו שתי מנות בשר או של מיני אוכלים, שנאמר: ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו (אסתר ט, יט ו - כב) שתי מנות לאיש אחד. וכל המרבה לשלוח לריעים משובח;

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Laws of Megillah and Purim, Siman 695:

One is obligated to send his friend two portions of meat or two types of food, as it is written: 'and sending portions of food one to his friend' (Esther 9:19, 22) — two portions to one man.

The Aruch HaShulchan ad loc writes that the Shulchan Aruch means by 'two portions of meat' that they have to be two types of meat, similar to how the Shulchan Aruch later writes that one can fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot with two types of food . Therefore, we see that one can fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot with two types of food, even if they have the same bracha.

To summarize, HaGaon Harav Amrom Fried Shlitah writes that the halacha requires two foods, even if they are the same type of food, but having different tastes is sufficient. For example, two types of wines or even two types of juices, two types of meat, where one is cooked and one is roasted. The main requirement is that the items should be types of food or drink that are ready to eat (although there is a dispute among the poskim regarding raw meat; one should be stringent and give it cooked), not clothing or other items.

Can a Wolt messenger be a shaliach even if he is not Jewish?

The Binyan Tzion, suggests that one shouldn’t give the Shalach Manot directly; rather, one should give it via a shaliach, as it is written 'משלוח מנות'— sending the portions of food. However, the poskim explain that העיקר להלכה, one does not need to send with a shaliach since the words משלוח מנות teaches us that it's acceptable to send it with a shaliach, since generally we say that one should perform a mitzvah oneself. Therefore, it is written 'משלוח מנות איש לרעהו' telling us that for this mitzvah, it is acceptable to send it with a shaliach.

Even for those who are stringent and want to send the Shlach Manot with a shaliach, HaGaon Harav Amrom Fried Shlitah writes that although generally a non-Jew would not be a valid Shliach, However, for Shlach Manot it is acceptable, since generally the idea of shlichut is that it is a mitzvah that you have to do yourself, and a shaliach is doing it instead of you on your behalf. But with Shlach Manot, it's not like that; the mitzvah is to specifically be done using a shaliach, so it is not considered as though he is doing it on your behalf, and therefore even a non-Jew is eligible to be a shaliach. Same too, even a child can act as a shaliach to deliver the Shlach Manot on your behalf.

Wishing you a Purim Sa’meach.

1. Gemara Megillah, daf 7b
2. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Laws of Megillah and Purim, Siman 695
3. Rashi on Megillah, daf 7b
4. Ran on Megillah
5. Taz, seif katan 5 in Siman 695
6. Sha'ar HaTziyun, ad loc
7. Binyan Tzion
8. HaGaon Harav Amrom Fried Shlitah: Azamroh Lishmech issue 281