Kiddush

Prayer

Kiddush — literally, sanctification — is the ceremonial prayer before the main meals on Shabbat and holidays, recognizing and sanctifying the holy day. It generally includes a blessing on wine and at least one paragraph about the holiness of the day.

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Sanctifying Shabbat with Kiddush

LITURGY

The Kiddush prayer, recited on Friday nights, sanctifies the Shabbat over wine, marking the beginning of the holy day and commemorating both creation and the Exodus.

Recite quietly: And evening came, then morning came: Recite aloud: the sixth day. The heavens and the earth were completed and [so were] all their hosts. And God completed, by the seventh day, His work which He had done; and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He abstained from all His work which God had created to do. Attention! our masters and our teachers: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine…

Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Shabbat Evening, Kiddush

Kiddush in Its Proper Place

TALMUD

The Talmud in tractate Pesachim discusses Shmuel's ruling that kiddush must be recited in the same place where the Sabbath meal is eaten.

And Shmuel follows his line of reasoning, as Shmuel said: There is no valid kiddush except in the place of one’s Shabbat meal. If one does not eat a meal in the location in which he recites kiddush, he has not fulfilled the mitzva of kiddush. The students understood from this statement that this halakha applies only when one goes from house to house and eats the Shabbat meal in a different house from the one in which he recited kiddush…

Pesachim 101a:3

Kiddush and the Memory of Exodus

COMMENTARY

The sanctification of the Sabbath (Kiddush) is deeply connected to the Jewish historical experience of slavery and liberation from Egypt. The medieval Torah commentary Chizkuni explores the different reasons for observing the Sabbath as presented in the two versions of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing the remembrance of the Exodus.

כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים, “for you were a slave in the land of Egypt.” In this version of the Ten Commandments, G-d does not emphasise His being the Creator of the universe in six days, (Exodus 20,11) and this is why we mention this when we recite the blessing over wine when making kiddush, i.e. sanctifying the Sabbath. On other special occasions that do not symbolise the creation of the universe, we content ourselves with reminding ourselves of the making of the Jewish nation, i. e. זכר ליציאת מצרים, “a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt.”

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 5:15:2

The Order of Blessings at the Passover Seder

MISHNAH

Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel held differing opinions on the order of the kiddush blessings during the Passover seder. The Mishnah, a foundational Jewish legal text from the early third century, records this debate and its implications for the structure of the Passover seder.

The tanna describes the beginning of the Passover seder. The attendants poured the wine of the first cup for the leader of the seder. Beit Shammai say: One recites the blessing over the sanctification of the day, i.e., the kiddush for the Festival: Who blesses Israel and the Festivals, and thereafter he recites the blessing over the wine: Who creates fruit of the vine. And Beit Hillel say: One recites the blessing over the wine and thereafter recites the blessing over the day.

Mishnah Pesachim 10:2

Standing or Sitting for Kiddush?

HALAKHAH

The custom of standing during the Friday night kiddush varies among different Jewish communities, reflecting a rich tapestry of traditions and interpretations. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s contemporary work explores these diverse customs, providing insight into the spiritual and practical reasons behind them.

There is a widespread custom to stand during the Friday night kiddush because it attests to the creation of the world, and witnesses must stand when giving testimony. The Arizal, basing himself on mystical considerations, also recommends standing; this is the custom of Sephardim and Ashkenazic Ḥasidim (SA 271:10; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 62). However, most Ashkenazic Jews sit during kiddush since it is supposed to be recited where one will be eating (see section 10 below), and meals are eaten sitting down. Additionally…

Peninei Halakhah, Shabbat 6:8:2

Reciting Kiddush for Others

TALMUD

One can recite kiddush on behalf of others, even if they have already fulfilled their own obligation. The Talmudic practice of Rav Ashi demonstrates this principle by his recitation of kiddush multiple times for different groups.

The Gemara answers: Come and hear an answer to this question from what Rav Ashi said: When we were studying in the school of Rav Pappi, he would recite kiddush for us, and when his tenants would arrive from the field he would recite kiddush once again on their behalf. Therefore, it is clear that one may recite kiddush on behalf of others, including the blessing that is recited over the wine, even if he himself has already fulfilled his own obligation.

Rosh Hashanah 29b:2

A Dedication to Kiddush

MUSAR

The personal sacrifices made to observe kiddush highlight the deep commitment to Jewish traditions and the lengths to which individuals will go to uphold them. In Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto recounts Rabbi Zakkai's mother selling her headdress to provide wine for kiddush, illustrating the profound dedication to this mitzvah.

In the chapter "Bnei HaIr" (Megilah 27b): "Rabbi Zakkai was asked by his disciples: 'in virtue of what have you merited such long life?' He replied: Never in my life have I made water within four cubits of a place where prayer is said, nor have I called my fellow by a nickname, nor have I missed making Kiddush on the [Sabbath] day. I had an old mother who once sold her headdress so as to bring me [wine for] the Kiddush".

Mesillat Yesharim 19:11

The Requirements for Kiddush Wine

HALAKHAH

The wine used for kiddush must meet specific requirements to be considered fit for this sacred ritual. In his 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides (Rambam) details the types of wine that are suitable for kiddush and those that are not.

Kiddush may be recited only on wine that is fit to be offered as a libation on the altar. Therefore, if one mixed even a drop of honey or yeast the size of a mustard seed in a large barrel [of wine], kiddush may not be recited upon it.
This is the ruling that we follow universally in the west. There is, however, an opinion that allows kiddush to be recited on such wine. [This view] explains that the term "wine that is fit to be offered as a libation on the altar" excludes only wine with an unpleasant fragrance, wine that was left uncovered,or wine that was cooked…

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 29:14

The Mystical Preparation for Kiddush

CHASIDUT

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's profound spiritual preparation before reciting kiddush reveals a deeply personal and mystical connection to the sanctity of the moment. This text describes the intense emotional and spiritual state of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov as he prepared to sanctify Shabbat with kiddush.

Before Kiddush, the Rebbe would take the cup in his hand and stand in absolute silence for a long time. All we could hear was a faint yearning sound coming from his lips as he reached the lofty spheres to which he ascended. Then the Rebbe would begin the opening words of the Kiddush in a wondrous chant: “Yom HaShishi – The Sixth Day.”

Sichot HaRan 169:6

The Obligation of Kiddush

HALAKHAH

Despite being a time-bound commandment, both men and women are obligated to perform kiddush. The Sefer HaChinukh, a 13th-century Spanish work, explains that even reciting kiddush without wine or bread fulfills the commandment according to the Torah.

And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females — even though it is from the commandments that is caused by time (from which women are generally exempt). As so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, teach us (Berakhot 20b) that women are obligated in Kiddush and Havdalah. And one who transgresses it and does not perform the Kiddush with words has nullified this positive commandment. And if he performs the Kiddush with words without wine and without bread, he has fulfilled it ex post facto [according to] the Torah.

Sefer HaChinukh 31:4

Reasoning Behind the Order of Blessings

TOSEFTA

Understanding the reasoning behind the order of blessings in kiddush offers insight into the principles guiding Jewish ritual practice. The Tosefta, an early rabbinic text, presents the reasoning of Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel and concludes with the halakhic ruling in favor of Beit Hillel.

They mix him the first cup. Beit Shammai says, he blesses on the day and then he blesses on the wine, because the holiday is the direct reason for drinking the wine, and the holiday had already started when the wine was brought to the table. Beit Hillel says, he blesses on the wine and then he blesses on the day, because if we didn't have the wine we wouldn't be saying Kiddush on the holiday at all. Another explanation: the blessing on wine is regularly said and the blessing on the holiday is not. And the halacha is according to Beit Hillel.

Tosefta Pesachim 10:2

Making Up for a Missed Kiddush

HALAKHAH

Even if one misses the kiddush on Friday night, Jewish law requires making it up the next day, emphasizing the sanctity of Shabbat. The Shulchan Arukh, a key code of Jewish law from the 16th century, outlines the procedure for making up a missed kiddush.

8. If one did not make Kiddush at night - whether it was unintentional or intentional, he must make up for it the next day. RAMA: And he should say all of the text of Kiddush of the night (Beis Yosef) except for "Vayechulu" (Orach Chayim in the name of Tosefos)

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 271:8

The Best Wine for Kiddush

RESPONSA

The type of grape beverage used for kiddush has been a topic of discussion by various rabbis. Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, a prominent Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, shares his preference for using high-quality wine over grape juice for kiddush.

And concerning Kiddush: Even though it is a clear-cut law [that] one may squeeze a cluster of grapes and recite kiddush over it, it is nevertheless appropriate to seek good wine over which to recite kiddush (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim 272:3). And Ramban disqualifies white wine (ibid. 272:4), whereas Magen Avraham wrote (note 3 there), "And it is appropriate with aged wine." So it is likely that white grape juice is not [considered] as good as wine that has been fermented. Hence it is appropriate to recite kiddush over actual wine and not over grape juice…

Mishpetei Uziel, Volume III, Orach Chayim 26:10

The Mystical Significance of Kiddush

KABBALAH

The Kiddush prayer contains a mystical and numerical significance offering spiritual merit to those who focus on its words. The Zohar delves into another meaning behind the Kiddush prayer recited on Friday night to honor the Shabbat.

Next we recite the benediction, which runs: “Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast taken pleasure in us….” This part of the recital balances the other part, called the testimony to Divine Faith, and so it also contains thirty-five words. Together we thus have seventy words, which are so many crowns by which the Eve of the Sabbath is adorned. Happy is the man who in his recital meditates over all this to the glory of his Master.

Zohar, Vayakhel 18:254

Kiddush Cup, Moscow 1782, The Rose and Benjamin Mintz Collection, The Jewish Museum, New York.

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