Question:
If one is giving shalach manos in new small glass jars, does the giver need to toivel them before filling them and giving ? Is it like buying packaged food in glass jars from a jewish manufacturer (pickles for example) that I assume don not toivel their jars. ?
thank you
Answer:
If you are giving the jar to be used in a disposable way, and the person is meant to use it and discard it, then it is similar to a jars of pickles. However, if you are buying the jars, and the idea is that they will reuse them, then they would need tevila. The issue is that, according to a number of poskim, since the jar was not bought by you, for eating purposes, rather only in order to give it away, it may not be obligated in tevila. The person who you give the jar to, is using the jar, for eating purposes, therefore it woud need tevila before they eat from it. There are a few options to get around this issue, the best one is to buy the jar and tovel it. Then after you have placed food inside of it, to eat some of the food from the jar. This way it is considered as the jar that you bought to eat with. Then you can give the already toveled jar to your friend. If however you are giving your friend plain glass jars, just let them know that it wasn’t toveled yet.
Best wishes
Sources:
Minchas Yitzchok 7-43(2), Minchas Shlomo 2-66(20), M’bais Halevi 5 pg. 25, 15 pg. 83, inyonei Yora Deah pg. 148, Teshuvos V’hanhagos 1-452, R’ Y. Belskizt”l quoted in Piskei Halcha Chap. 48 ftnt. 7, Habayis Hayehudi 9 chap. 42-7.
