Here is another math problem for Purim.

Suppose you and four friends are delivering mishloach manot baskets in town. After delivering to 12 families, you realize you have a problem: if you keep going at your current rate, you won’t be able to finish before your scheduled Purim seuda. Although you all like fulfilling the mitzvah of mishloach manot together, you and your friends agree to split up to complete the deliveries in time.

You divide the remaining mishloach manot baskets equally between you and your friends so that you each take five baskets to deliver individually. Together, you finish delivering all the mishloach manot in time for your Purim seuda. How many baskets did you and your friends start with?

Solution: When you and your four friends split up, you each took five baskets. That was a total of 5×5=25 baskets. Before you split up, you had already delivered 12 baskets. That works out to a total of 25+12=37 baskets. Shabbat Shalom.

Ari Blinder is a math educator living in Highland Park. He is the owner of Math for the Masses, an innovative tutoring and consulting company. Please visit www.math4masses.com for fun activities and helpful worksheets. Ari can be reached at [email protected]. Never think you are “not a math person.” You are very much one already, but no one has shown you how.