An Awkward Purim (5-Minute Funny Video)
An awkward situation that most of us experience every single Purim: someone arrives at your door with a mishloach manot, but you don’t have one prepared for him. So you give him a mishloach manot that you just received from somebody else. But what if you forget to take off the original card? In this hilarious video, the incredible religious comedy troupe Underdos presents this classic Purim scenario as a motion picture drama. Happy Rosh Chodesh Adar JewishMOMs! Translation below.
Nissan: (Knocks on door of the Ben Naim family) Yaakov, Nurit! Happy Purim! I prepared you a mishloach manot.
(Words flash on screen) Every family has a secret.
Yaakov Ben Naim: Happy Purim! Thanks so much. Just a moment, we’re going to bring you the mishloach manot that we prepared for you…
(Words flash on screen) A secret that they cannot permit themselves to reveal.
Nurit Ben Naim: Yaakov! You know that we didn’t prepare him a mishloach manot!
(Word flashes on screen) Never
Nurit: No, Yaakov, we’re not going to give him the mishloach manot that we received from the Spiegel family!
Yaakov: Nurit, there’s no choice. He’s at the door! He’s at the door! (Hands over the package to Nissan) Happy Purim!
Yaakov (to wife): How is it possible that we didn’t prepare one for Nissan Waldman?! How?!
Nurit: (prepares another mishloach manot) We’ll move on…We can’t fall apart, right? We’ll prepare another mishloach manot, and another mishloach manot.
Yaakov: Right, we’re strong. What should I wrote on the note for the Cohens’ package?
Nurit: I don’t know. Look at what the Spiegels wrote for us.
(Husband and wife look at each other in horror)
Nurit: The note.
(Close up of Nissan walking with the mishloach manot that the Ben Naims gave him, which reads “Happy Purim to the Ben Naims from the Spiegel family.” Voiceover says “Every mishloach manot has its address…”)
(Nissan and Bentsi meet on the street and shake hands).
Bentsi: Nissan
Nissan: Bentsi
Bentsi: Happy Purim
Nissan: Happy Purim
Bentsi: Nissan! You saved me the drive to your house…I have a mishloach manot for you
(Nissan’s face falls)
(Voiceover: an address that it’s forbidden to change.)
(Flashback to Nissan going over his list of people to bring mishloach manot to, and crossing out Bentsi’s name).
Nissan: (handing over the Spiegel/Ben Naim mishloach manot to Bentsi) Here, I just made you a mishloach manot.
Bentsi: Thanks Nissan!
Voiceover: The brave decision of one man
Yaakov: (Accepts mishloach manot from wife) That’s the replacement mishloach manot that you made for Nissan?
Nurit: Yes. Yaakov, I’m worried.
Yaakov: There’s no choice. I have to make it to Nissan in time.
Nurit: Be careful
Yaakov: You be careful too. It’s going to be OK
(Slow motion of Yaakov running with the replacement mishloach manot to Nissan)
(Voiceover: One man who chooses to change his destiny)
Yaakov: Nissan, there is something I must tell you! It’s about the mishloach manot I gave you…
Bentsi: Happy Purim, Yaakov! You’re saving me a drive over to your house, I have a mishloach manot for you…
(Flashback to Yaakov crossing Bentsi off of his mishloach manot list)
Yaakov: We also made you a mishloach manot (hands over the new mishloach manot they made for Nissan to Bentsi instead)
Bentsi: Thanks Yaakov
Spiegel: Hey, guys! Happy Purim
Everyone: Spiegel!
Spiegel: Nissan, Bentsi, how fun that I’m meeting both of you now…You saved me the drive to your houses.
(Bentsi and Nissan’s faces fall)
(Flashbacks of Bentsi and Nissan going over the mishloach manot lists with their wives, and crossing off Spiegel).
Bentsi: I also made you a mishloach manot, Spiegel.
Nissan: It’s from both of us.
( Yaakov watches on in horror as Bentsi hands Spiegel the mishloach manot with the note that says “From the Spiegel family for the Ben Naim family.”)
(Voiceover: A heartbreaking human tragedy. This coming Purim. Receive your package. )
Spiegel (sitting on bench and eating from mishloach manot) Isn’t this the mishloach manot that I gave Ben Naim?
(Words on screen) An Unpleasant Purim at the Pleasant Family
Spiegel: Ucchh, I hate poppyseeds!
While I enjoyed the humour of this video, I just want to remind everyone to please be understanding of those you give Mishloach Manos to. Not everybody estimates the proper amount of Mishloach Manos packages to make. We work hard to make these packages, and should not have to feel pressured to make more on Purim day. The mitzvah is to give it, not receive it.
I once gave an middle aged/older Yerushalmi lady. She was so excited! She called me into the dining room where there were packages on the table, and said naturally: pick what you like! I want you to enjoy!
It was so comfortable that I didn’t mind at all!
The mitzva of Mishloach Manot is often mistranslated as “Exchanging gifts of food”. That is not the case. The mitzva is to give (or send) there is no requirement to give in return. I love that in my small out of town community, no one feels compelled to give to everyone who brings to them.
Whilst adults will (generally) understand that it’s not about swapping, it’s about giving, it can be more difficult for children. We’ve tried getting round that by leaving a bowl of sweets and another bowl of small coins near the door. If a child brings mishloach manos to one of our kids and they’re not reciprocating, they tell them to take a sweet and a coin to give to tzedaka, so they don’t go away completely empty-handed.
great idea, thanks for sharing!
I loved Mrs. Belogski’s idea too. And the video was GREAT.