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I know that a shaliach (messenger) can deliver your mishloach manot. But can the shaliach also assemble it for you (under instruction for what to put in), and you'll still fulfill the mitzvah?

Here, you aren't handling it at all, so i'm not sure if it counts as coming from you.

If it does count, what if you just say, "make some mishloach manot for this person in my name", without specifying anything that goes in it?

Question was inspired by the fact that someone did ask us to do this over Purim. However, i'm pretty sure they fulfilled the mitzvah even without the one we made.

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    Is there a mitzva to "assemble" them? What does assembled even mean? Near each other? Why would the food items need to be next to each other?
    – Double AA
    Mar 8, 2015 at 0:26
  • I mean, who makes up the mishloach manot. Basically, how little of a role can you play in performing the mitzvah?
    – Scimonster
    Mar 8, 2015 at 7:21
  • iow, your question is "am I yotzei if I hire someone to package and deliver mishloach manos that I'll never touch or see?"
    – MTL
    Mar 8, 2015 at 12:25
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    @Cnsersmoit "who makes up the mishloach manot" What does that mean? How do you "make up" mishloach manot? I don't understand what you are confused about at all. Why should anyone have to touch anything?
    – Double AA
    Mar 8, 2015 at 14:46
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    Together? Together what? Why do the two items need to be together? Within a square amah? A square mil? What process? If I told a friend to come in my house and take any two pieces of food he wants, why wouldn't that work? It's the same as letting him choose between 5 prepackaged bags in the trunk of my car.
    – Double AA
    Mar 8, 2015 at 14:49

2 Answers 2

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The Gemara in Kiddushin (41a-43a), in discussing halachos of Shlichus, repeatedly claims "Shelucho shel Adam kemoso" - the shliach of a person is like him. Without getting too deeply into the sugya, this means that whatever the shliach does, it's as if the guy who appointed him did it. I don't see why it makes a difference whether he sees the food at all, since the shliach will be dealing with it.

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My answer to the question of "communal" or organizational mishloach manos also answers this question. Note that organizations such as chayalelchayal (which I have been told do allow you to fulfill the mitzvah) will take your monetary donation, purchase the mishloach manos, and deliver it to a soldier. Thus, you can make a shaliach by telling him, to purchase the items, and deliver to someone that would allow you to fulfill the mitzvah on Purim day.

I have received responses that this is explicitly about organizations that create packages for each person to fulfill the mizvah.

One should be careful as some organizations just add your name to the list of those who have signed up to send the mishloach manos that you receive. This could mean that you have not fulfilled the mitzvah with those organizations as they have not sent the correct mishloach manos to allow you to fulfill the mitzvah.

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