עַל־כֵּ֞ן הַיְּהוּדִ֣ים (הפרוזים) [הַפְּרָזִ֗ים] הַיֹּשְׁבִים֮ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַפְּרָזוֹת֒ עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר שִׂמְחָ֥ה וּמִשְׁתֶּ֖ה וְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב וּמִשְׁלֹ֥חַ מָנ֖וֹת אִ֥ישׁ לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ {ס}
That is why village Jews, who live in unwalled towns, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and make it a day of merrymaking and feasting, and as a holiday and an occasion for sending gifts to one another.
the same days on which the Jews enjoyed relief from their foes and the same month which had been transformed for them from one of grief and mourning to one of festive joy. They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor.
(ט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נְחֶמְיָ֣ה ה֣וּא הַתִּרְשָׁ֡תָא וְעֶזְרָ֣א הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ הַסֹּפֵ֡ר וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ הַמְּבִינִ֨ים אֶת־הָעָ֜ם לְכׇל־הָעָ֗ם הַיּ֤וֹם קָדֹֽשׁ־הוּא֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם אַל־תִּֽתְאַבְּל֖וּ וְאַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ כִּ֤י בוֹכִים֙ כׇּל־הָעָ֔ם כְּשׇׁמְעָ֖ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה׃ (י) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֡ם לְכוּ֩ אִכְל֨וּ מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים וּשְׁת֣וּ מַֽמְתַקִּ֗ים וְשִׁלְח֤וּ מָנוֹת֙ לְאֵ֣ין נָכ֣וֹן ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־קָד֥וֹשׁ הַיּ֖וֹם לַאֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ וְאַל־תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ כִּֽי־חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה הִ֥יא מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם׃
(9) Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. (10) He further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in the Eternal is the source of your strength.”
Talmud Sources on Mishloach Manot
The mishna mentions: And gifts distributed to the poor. Rav Yosef taught a baraita that the verse states: “And of sending portions one to another” (Esther 9:22), indicating two portions to one person. The verse continues: “And gifts to the poor” (Esther 9:22), indicating two gifts to two people.
By Rabbi Dr. Joshua Culp
The mitzvah of “sending portions (mishloah manot)” consists of sending at least two portions of food to at least one person. This is because “portions” is plural but “another” is singular. But when it comes to gifts to the poor, two gifts must be given to two men—both words are plural.
There follows a series of stories about rabbis sending gifts to each other. In the first one, R. Judah Nesiah sends a leg of calf and a barrel of wine. This counts as two gifts. And sounds like a great meal—much better than some hamantaschen and an apple.
כֵּיצַד חוֹבַת סְעֻדָּה זוֹ.
שֶׁיֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר וִיתַקֵּן סְעֻדָּה נָאָה כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדוֹ. וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּכֵּר וְיֵרָדֵם בְּשִׁכְרוּתוֹ.
וְכֵן חַיָּב אָדָם לִשְׁלֹחַ שְׁתֵּי מְנוֹת בָּשָׂר אוֹ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי תַּבְשִׁיל אוֹ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי אֳכָלִין לַחֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (אסתר ט יט) "וּמִשְׁלוֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ", שְׁתֵּי מָנוֹת לְאִישׁ אֶחָד.
וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לִשְׁלֹחַ לְרֵעִים מְשֻׁבָּח.
וְאִם אֵין לוֹ מַחֲלִיף עִם חֲבֵרוֹ זֶה שׁוֹלֵחַ לְזֶה סְעֻדָּתוֹ וְזֶה שׁוֹלֵחַ לְזֶה סְעֻדָּתוֹ כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם וּמִשְׁלוֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ:
What is the nature of our obligation for this feast?
A person should eat meat and prepare as attractive a feast as their means permit. They should drink wine until he becomes intoxicated and falls asleep in a stupor.
Similarly, a person is obligated to send two portions of meat, two other cooked dishes, or two other foods to a friend, as it says, (Esther 9:22) "sending portions of food one to another" - i.e., two portions to one friend.
Whoever sends portions to many friends is praiseworthy.
If one does not have the means to send presents of food to a friend, one should exchange one's meal with him, each one sending the other what they had prepared for the Purim feast and in this way fulfill the mitzvah of sending presents of food to one's friends.
(ד) חייב לשלוח לחבירו שתי מנות בשר או של מיני אוכלים שנאמר ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו 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: הגה: ויש לשלוח מנות ביום ולא בלילה (מדברי הרא"ש פ"ק דמגילה) ואם שולח מנות לרעהו והוא אינו רוצה לקבלם או מוחל לו יצא ואשה חייבת במתנות לאביונים ומשלוח מנות כאיש. ואשה תשלח לאשה ואיש לאיש. אבל לא בהפך שלא יבא איש לשלוח לאלמנה ויבואו לידי ספק קידושין אבל במתנות לאביונים אין לחוש:
(4) One must send to their fellow two portions of meat, or foodstuffs, as it says (Esther 9:19) "And send portions, each to their fellow." Two portions to one person [is the obligation]. And anyone who send more to his fellows is praiseworthy.
If he has none, he can trade with his fellow, this one sending to that one his meal, and this one sending to that one his meal, so that they can fulfill "And send portions, man to his fellow."
Rema: And some send the portions during the day and not at night (from the Rosh, first chapter of [Bavli] Megilla). And if one sends portions to their fellow, but they don't want to accept them, or they forgive them [the obligation], the one who sense fulfills [their obligation nonetheless]. And a woman is obligated in [sending] portions to the destitute and sending portions [to one's fellows] like a man is....
"ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו וגו'". המצוה היא בפורים יותר מן יום טוב, ולמה המצוה הזאת יותר ביום זה מן יום טוב. אבל הדבר הזה ידוע ממה שהתבאר למעלה כי פורים הוא לישראל מפני שנצח[ו] את זרע עמלק, אשר הם אויבים וצוררים ביותר. וזה כי ישראל הם הפך זרע של עמלק, כי כל זמן שזרע עמלק* בעולם, אין שמו אחד (רש"י שמות יז, טז). וישראל הם מיחדים שמו ערב ובוקר, ובשביל זה הם עם אחד, ודביקים בו יתברך שהוא אחד. ומפני שישראל עם אחד, ראוי שיהיה בהם עם אחד, ויהיה להם חבור וריעות גמורה. לכן יש להם להחיות אביונים, מצד שהוא אחיו והם עם אחד, כדכתיב בכל* [מקום] אצל מצות הצדקה "אחיך", כי מפני שהם אחינו, יש לתת צדקה. ולכך המצוה ביותר ביום זה בלבד, הן משלוח מנות, הן מתנות לאביונים.
And for sending portions to one another, etc.: This commandment applies to Purim more than a holiday. But why is this commandment more applicable to this day than on a holiday?...Purim is for the Jewish people, since they vanquished the seed of Amalek who are the greatest enemy and adversary. And that is because the Jewish people is the opposite of the seed of Amalek. Since, so long as the seed of Amalek is in the world, [God's] name is not One (Rashi on Exodus 17:16).
Whereas the Jewish people 'unify God's name evening and morning.' And because of this, they are one nation, and are attached to God, may God be blessed, who is One. And because the Jewish people is one nation, it is fitting for them to be as one nation and to have complete connection and affection. Hence they must support the poor, from the angle that it is a brother [or sister], and they are one nation. This is like it is written with the commandment of charity, "your brother/sister," in every place. For since they are our brothers/sisters, we should give [them] charity. And that is why this commandment is more specifically on this day, whether it is sending portions or whether it is gifts to the poor.
(1) And he said — i. e. Moses said. (2) Because the hand is upon the throne of Yah — the hand of the Holy Bountiful One is raised to swear by God's throne that God will have war and enmity against Amalek to all eternity.
And what is the force of keis / כס — why does it not say as usual kisei / כסא? And the Divine Name, also, is divided into half (יה is only the half of the Tetragrammaton)!
The Holy Bountiful One swears that God's Name will not be perfect nor the Divine throne perfect until the name of Amalek be entirely blotted out.
But when his name is blotted out, then (God’s) Name will be complete and God's throne complete, as it is said, (Psalms 9:7) “The enemy is come to an end, he whose swords were for ever” — and this refers to Amalek of whom it is written, (Amos 1:11; the paragraph is a prophecy against Edom — Esau — the father of Amalek) “he kept his wrath for ever.” The verse in the Psalm continues: “and thou didst uproot enemies, their very memorial is perished”, What does it say immediately after this? (Psalms 9:8) “But the Eternal (the Divine Name as given here is the full Tetragrammaton) shall now remain for ever” — you see that the Name will be perfect (after Amalek is entirely rooted out as is mentioned in v. 7); “He establishes his throne (כסאו not כס) in righteousness” — so you see that God's throne will then be perfect (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 11).
(ח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָמָן֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ יֶשְׁנ֣וֹ עַם־אֶחָ֗ד מְפֻזָּ֤ר וּמְפֹרָד֙ בֵּ֣ין הָֽעַמִּ֔ים בְּכֹ֖ל מְדִינ֣וֹת מַלְכוּתֶ֑ךָ וְדָתֵיהֶ֞ם שֹׁנ֣וֹת מִכָּל־עָ֗ם וְאֶת־דָּתֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֵינָ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים וְלַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֵין־שֹׁוֶ֖ה לְהַנִּיחָֽם׃
(8) And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus: ‘There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from those of every people; neither keep they the king’s laws; to tolerate them brings no advantage to the king.