Is there an issur to eat food on Purim day before fulfilling the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos, like we find in Orach Chaim (652) that it is forbidden to eat before carrying out a mitzvah, or is the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos perhaps different, and it is ok to eat before carrying out the mitzvah?
R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Mo’adim U’zemanim 2:54) is mechadesh, that it is forbidden to eat on Purim before fulfilling the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos, like we find by all mitzvos, that it’s forbidden to eat before fulfilling the mitzvah. Although eating a seudah on Purim is also a mitzvah, we don’t find that there is a heter to eat a seudas mitzvah before fulfilling a mitzvah, therefore, it is forbidden to eat until one sends mishloa’ch manos. He writes, one doesn’t have to wait until the gifts of food have reached the hands of the receiver, rather as soon as one gives it over to a shliach [agent] it’s enough, as we rely on chazokah that the shliach will do the job.
Mishneh Halachos
R’ Menashe Klein (6:126) is very unhappy with the above chiddush, and he presents a number of arguments:
1) Seudas Purim (eating on Purim) is a mitzvah, and it is already in front of us, as there is a mitzvah of mishteh v’simcha [feasting and rejoicing] the entire Purim. Since it is already incumbent upon us, surely one is allowed to first fulfill the mitzvah of mishteh v’simcha and then fulfill the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos.
2) The pasuk says: משתה ושמחה ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו – “Feasting and rejoicing, and sending gifts to friends”, the order of the pasuk is first mishteh v’simcha and then mishlo’ach manos, we see that they accepted the mitzvah mishteh v’simcha before the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos, therefore, surely it is ok to first eat, and only then worry about the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos.
3) The reason behind the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos is to ensure that everyone has food for their Purim seudah. Chazal say:בעה"ב בוצע תחילה דטוב עין הוא יבורך - “The ba’al habayis should eat first, so that he is in a good mood and gives generously to others”. Therefore, by mishlo’ach manos as well, one should eat first, so that he will give generously to others.
4) Ideally mishlo’ach manos should be sent with a shliach. The general rule is, that a mitzvah one does himself proceeds a mitzvah which one does using a shliach, since mishteh v’simcha is a mitzvah one does himself, whereas mishlo’ach manos is a mitzvah performed using a shliach, the mitzvah of mishteh v’simcha should come first.
Tzitz Eliezer
The Tzitz Eliezer (15:32) cites the Mo’adim U’zemanim who maintains that it’s forbidden to eat before sending mishlo’ach manos. Then he brings that that R’ Ovadia Yosef argues and maintains that eating on Purim is also part of the mitzvos of Purim, and for that reason the pasuk writes, לעשות אותם ימי משתה ושמחה – “to make them into days of feasting and rejoicing”, and only then mentions mishlo’ach manos. He concludes, the correct thing to do, is to avoid making the main meal of Purim until after sending mishlo’ach manos, however, it’s ok to eat a little bit beforehand.
The Tzitz Elizer cites proof that there is no issur to eat. The Leket Yosher quotes his rebbe (the Terumas HaDeshen) who says:טוב לשלוח מיני מאכל קודם אכילה - “It’s good to send types of food (i.e. mishlo’ach manos), before eating”. The loshan of “it is good”, sounds like it’s a hiddur and mitzvah min hamuvchar [fulfilling mitzvah in optimum manner] not to, however, there is no strict halachah saying it’s forbidden.
Oz Nidberu
The Shu”t Nidberu (6:65) also discusses the above and he offers an interesting reason for why we aren’t worried about eating before fulfilling the mitzvah of mishlo’ach manos. He writes, everyone sends mishlo’ach manos to each other, and everyone receives at least one mishlo’ach manos over the course of Purim. Receiving mishlo’ach manos is equivalent to appointing a shomer [guardian], where the halachah is, that if one has a shomer he may eat before performing a mitzvah, as he won’t come to forget.
