There seems to be a minhag (or at least what appears to be a minhag) that children who deliver mishloach manos are given a small sum of money by the recepient.
Is this an actual minhag?
And if so, what is the reason for it?
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1Children? I think any messenger who works for you to deliver things deserves to be paid.– Double AA ♦Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 1:38
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2@DoubleAA, by the sender, sure -- you're basically hiring someone to make your deliveries. I understand the question to be asking about tips from the recipients (which I haven't heard before).– Monica CellioCommented Mar 11, 2012 at 1:59
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Training to be a shnurer?– aviCommented Mar 11, 2012 at 8:00
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2 Answers
I saw somewhere (will add in where later) that the purpose is that since we make them messengers to deliver, and we are relying on them to do their jobs, however they are Ketanim, therefore we pay them and that assures us that they will fulfill the job.
answered Mar 11, 2012 at 14:10
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Why would the receipient pay them? Shouldn't the sender pay them?– aviCommented Mar 11, 2012 at 14:49
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If the sender pays them then they might get distracted and not deliver, however if the receiver pays them they will make sure to deliver in order to get paid. Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 14:59
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Pay them after the delivery, like you pay most people... Seems weird to make the person getting the gift to pay for getting a gift. :)– aviCommented Mar 11, 2012 at 15:07
I've heard this money being called 'אויס לייז געלט', meaning 'redeem' money. So it seems that a child may have wanted to keep the mishloach manos for himself, or maybe in the spirit of purim acted as though he expected something from the recipient or else he will not give it but just keep it. So in the spirit of Purim that every request and every demand is legitimate to make someone else happy, we go along with this for simchas Purim. Or maybe it's without the actual,threat element, just that how can you take candy from a child without giving something for it, when after all the child has the technical ability to not hand it over in the first place. Obviously this can't be given by the giver, because the giver is handing over the goods, so how can you threaten them to say 'I won't take it unless you give me something'?
