Using Shemitah Wine For Mishloach Manot And The Purim Seudah

Mishloach manot as payment of a debt

The Torah designates shemitah produce for eating: “And the [produce] of the Sabbatical year is for you to eat” (Vayikra 25:6). Chazal derive from here that shemitah produce may not be used to pay debts or fulfill obligations. Besides paying wages, this includes a pledge to hold a kiddush after shul, for instance, or even bringing obligatory sacrifices. Some posekim learn from here that it is forbidden to use shemitah produce to perform mitzvot since it is tantamount to paying our debt to G-d.

Under what circumstances may shemitah wine be included in mishloach manot?

Halachah mandates giving mishloach manot to one person only. It follows that the prohibition to perform this mitzvah with shemitah produce applies only to the first mishloach manot given on Purim. Afterwards, though, it would be permissible to give additional mishlochei manot incorporating shemitah produce.

When one receives mishloach manot from a friend, it is the accepted practice to reciprocate with mishloach manot. Many posekim relate to this situation as repaying a (social) debt. For this reason, it would be forbidden for the recipient to reciprocate with mishloach manot including shemitah produce.

According to Rabbi Elyashiv (and others), however, this is not considered an actual debt since one cannot sue his friend in a rabbinical court for failing to reciprocate with mishloach manot. Nevertheless, most posekim maintain that this should be avoided.

Shemitah wine at the Purim seudah

Without getting into the particulars of the obligation to get drunk on Purim, wine is often spilled by drunkards, who overturn cups or bottles, and even worse, vomited. Is it permissible to use shemitah wine for the Purim meal? Or is this considered hefsed, causing shemitah produce to be spoiled?

It is forbidden to place a cup of shemitah wine at the edge of the table (makom toref) since it is a place that will almost certainly cause the holy wine to spill and be wasted (or, as mothers would say, “a disaster just waiting to happen”). At the Purim meal, however, any given bottle or cup will not necessarily be overturned. So too, the wine will not definitely be vomited (unless someone is already on the verge/midst of doing so). Because waste is not a certain outcome, it is not considered directly spoiling shemitah produce.

Bottom line

It is permissible to use shemitah wine (or produce) in mishloach manot lechatchilah only after giving the first mishloach manot and not as reciprocation.

Shemitah wine may be used in the Purim