Healthy and Frugal at Purim

March 5, 2009

With Purim coming up next Tuesday, some may be seeking guidance about mishloach manot, the gift baskets that are part of the holiday. The following is from today’s Haaretz:

“Senior Sephardic rabbis issued a religious ruling calling on observant Jews to limit spending on mishloach manot, traditional gift baskets given to friends and family during the Purim holiday next week. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the Council of Torah Sages called on their followers to "refrain from wastefulness on sweets and precious items." The rabbis have urged their followers to be frugal in light of the economic downturn. Yesterday they suggested filling the gift baskets with foods with a longer shelf life and a higher nutritional value than candy. (Yair Ettinger)”