The Quest for a Viral Mitzvah
ModernTribe creates Pay It Forward Purim gift box
By David Cohen
This Purim, ModernTribe is attempting to make a viral mitzvah in your community with its Pay It Forward gift box, the only Purim gift box that keeps on giving.
Fulfill the mitzvah of mishloach manot with this gift box and continue the giving with a smaller gift inside for the recipient to pass on. The smaller gift has a card that explains the Purim mitzvah.
“Purim gift baskets are a wonderful gesture,” ModernTribe owner Jennie Rivlin Roberts said. “It shows kindness. We are doing something very Jewish and traditional when we give mishloach manot. Our Pay It Forward Purim gift box teaches the mitzvah and makes it easy for the recipient to then do the mitzvah him or herself. We hope this will result in new people knowing about and practicing this beautiful tradition.”
The smaller gift inside includes a card explaining the mitzvah of mishloach manot.The mitzvah of mishloach manot derives from the Book of Esther. It is meant to give everyone in the community enough food for the Purim feast and to increase love and friendship among Jews. It is also a response to Haman’s allegation that the Jewish people are characterized by disunity.
Rivlin Roberts said she was unaware of the tradition growing up. She first learned of it when ModernTribe customers began requested gift boxes for Purim. Now she looks at the Pay It Forward gift box as a chance to spread awareness of the mitzvah. The store sells the gift box for $36, double chai.
“We came up with this idea because of the lack of knowledge about mishloach manot,” she said. “It teaches about the mitzvah and makes it easy for a person to do it. We’ve come to call this extended mitzvah a viral mitzvah.”
ModernTribe (www.moderntribe.com) is also offering other Purim gift items for all ages, including T-shirts, Purim window decals and a card game called Pass the Grogger.
comments