KIDDUSH. We will examine the biblical and Talmudic sources for this mitzvah and their practical application in the Code of Jewish Law.

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1 ב ה TOPIC

2 2 ב ה What is Kiddush? How is it done? Why is it done? Who has to do it? What is its significance? We will explore the mitzvah of Kiddush on Shabbat. We will examine the biblical and Talmudic sources for this mitzvah and their practical application in the Code of Jewish Law. We will also discuss some of the deeper aspects of this mitzvah. Text 1 SECTION I TALMUDIC SOURCES Shemos 20:7 Remember the Shabbat day and sanctify it. שמות פרק כ, פסוק ז זכור את יום השבת לקדשו Text 2 דברים פרק ה,פסוק יא שמור את יום השבת לקדשו כאשר צוך ה א לק י ך Devarim 8:11 Keep the Shabbat day to sanctify it, as the L-rd your G-d commanded you. This pasuk from the Ten Commandments is the way Moshe repeated it before his passing. The sages note the difference of the first word shamor as opposed to the first word in the previous passuk zachor, and comment that both words were pronounced in one utterance. Text 5 explains what is learned from this.

3 ב ה 3 Text 3 דברים פרק טז, פסוק ג לא תאכל עליו חמץ שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות לחם עני כי בחפזון יצאת מארץ מצרים למען תזכר את יום צאתך מארץ כל ימי חייך: Dvarim 16:3 You shall not eat leaven with it; for seven days you shall eat with it matzot, the bread of affliction, for in haste you went out of the land of Egypt, so that you shall remember the day when you went out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. The end of this verse that makes reference to remembering the exodus from Egypt all the days of your life is used in Text 6, which says that one is to mention the exodus during the recitation of Kiddush. Text 4 פסחים קו, א תנו רבנן... זכור את יום השבת לקדשו - זוכרהו על היין בכניסתו. אין לי אלא בלילה, ביום מנין - תלמוד לומר זכור את יום השבת. ביום מאי מברך? - אמר רב יהודה: בורא פרי הגפן. It was taught: You should remember the day of Shabbat and sanctify it. This should be done with wine when the Shabbat begins, i.e. Friday evening. Thus, I know that one must recite Kiddush at night, but how do we know that one ought to recite Kiddush during the day? It says: Remember the day of Shabbat. During the day one makes the blessing of HaGafen. See the Kabbalah of Kiddush as to why the sages instituted Kiddush specifically with wine. TOPIC 9

4 4 ב ה Text 5 ברכות כ, ב אמר רב אדא בר אהבה: נשים חייבות בקדוש היום דבר תורה. - אמאי? מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא הוא, וכל מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות! - אמר אביי: מדרבנן. - אמר ליה רבא: והא דבר תורה קאמר! ועוד, כל מצות עשה נחייבינהו מדרבנן! - אלא אמר רבא: אמר קרא זכור ושמור - כל שישנו בשמירה ישנו בזכירה, והני נשי, הואיל ואיתנהו בשמירה - איתנהו בזכירה. פסיקתא זוטרתא (לקח טוב) דברים פרשת ואתחנן דף ט עמוד ב שמור את יום השבת. שמור וזכור בדבור אחד נאמרו כל שישנו בשמירה ישנו בזכירה הני נשי הואיל ואיתנהי בשמירה איתנהי בזכירה. מיכן לנשים שחייבות בקדוש היום. Rav Adda bar Ahava taught: Women are biblically obligated to sanctify the day of Shabbat. But this seems to contradict the principle that women are not obligated in time-bound mitzvot! Abaya suggests to amend the statement, and reduce their obligation, as one of rabbinical order. Rava disagrees; if that were so, we ought to obligate women in all rabbinical mitzvot, and this is not the case. Rather, since women are obligated to guard Shabbat as it is written: Guard the Shabbat, they are also obligated in sanctifying the day as well. See how this applies to practical living in Section II Text 4. The Midrash states: The word shamor (guard) and zachor (remember) were pronounced in one utterance; whoever is obligated to guard is obligated to remember. Therefore, women are obligated to sanctify the day of Shabbat.

5 ב ה 5 Text 6 פסחים קיז, ב אמר רב אחא בר יעקב: וצריך שיזכיר יציאת מצרים בקידוש היום. כתיב הכא למען תזכר את יום וכתיב התם זכור את יום השבת לקדשו. Rav Acha bar Yaakov taught: One ought to mention the exodus from Egypt when sanctifying Shabbat, because we find similar language in both commandments. Text 7 ברכות לג, א אמר ליה רב שמן בר אבא לרבי יוחנן מכדי אנשי כנסת הגדולה תקנו להם לישראל ברכות ותפלות קדושות והבדלות. Rav Shman bar Abba said to Rabbi Yochanan: The Anshei Knesset Hagdola established the liturgy of the blessings, prayers, Kiddush and Havdalah. This text indicates that the liturgy of the Kiddush was established by the great assembly of Sages. However, the obligation to sanctify the day of Shabbat is a biblical commandment. TOPIC 9

6 6 ב ה SECTION II CODE OF JEWISH LAW Text 1 מצות עשה מן התורה לקדש את יום השבת בדברים, שנאמר זכור את יום השבת לקדשו, כלומר זכרהו זכירות שבת בקידוש. וצריך לזכרהו בכניסתו בקידוש וגם ביציאתו בהבדלה, ותקנו חכמים שתהא זכירה זו על כוס יין, בין בכניסתו ובין ביציאתו Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 77, Sections 1-4, 7, 9 It is a biblical imperative to sanctify the day of Shabbat with words, as it is written: Remember the day of Shabbat and sanctify it, i.e. we should remember the day of Shabbat with Kiddush. For the proper liturgy of the Kiddush see your siddur. We should do this when Shabbat begins and when Shabbat leaves, with Havdalah. The sages instituted this should be done with wine. Text 2 יכולין לקדש ולאכול אף על פי שעדיין אינו לילה... ואסור לטעום כלום ואפילו מים קודם קידוש. One may recite Kiddush even though it is not night yet. (Providing it is an hour or so before sunset) One may not eat or drink before Kiddush is made. Young children may eat before hearing Kiddush.

7 7 ב ה Text 3 מצוה לקדש על יין ישן ומצוה לברור יין יפה, ואם אפשר יש להדר אחר יין אדום, ובמקום שאין יין כשר כראוי מצוי, מקדשין גם על יין צמוקין. ויכלו יש לומר מעומד, ומסתכל בנרות, ואחר כך ישב ומסתכל בכוס ומברך בורא פרי הגפן ואשר קדשנו וכו. ואם אין לו יין מקדשין על הפת ולא על שאר משקין. It is a mitzvah to use old and good wine for Kiddush. It is best to use red wine. If there is no kosher wine available one may use grape juice. One begins to recite the verses from Bereishit, Vayechulu, while standing and looking at the candles. Then one sits down and recites HaGafen and the blessing of Kiddush. If one does not have wine one may recite Kiddush over bread, not over other alcoholic beverages. Chabad custom is to stand during the entire Kiddush as was the custom of the AriZal. Text 4 גם הנשים חייבות בקידוש, על כן ישמעו היטב את הקידוש ויענו אמן, אבל ברוך הוא וברוך שמו לא יאמרו.... וגם אם שומעת את הקידוש מן הבעל או מאיש אחר, יותר נכון הוא שתאמר עם המקדש מלה במלה... Women are obligated to sanctify the day with Kiddush, therefore they ought to listen to the one who is reciting the Kiddush and answer Amen, not Baruch Hu Uboruch Shmo. It is best if the women say it word for word in an undertone, together with the one who is reciting Kiddush. Amen indicates an agreement to what is being said. Thus, one ought to ensure that they hear what is said and not interrupt their focus. TOPIC 9

8 8 ב ה Text 5 הכוס צריכה להיות שלמה ונקיה. וכל הדינים שהן בכוס של ברכת המזון ישנם גם בכוס של קידוש בין ביום בין בלילה, וכן בכוס של הבדלה, וטוב לקדש בלילה על כוס גדולה שישייר ממנה לקידוש היום ולהבדלה. The Kiddush cup should to be clean and whole. All the laws that apply to the cup for Birkat Hamazon apply to Kiddush by both by day and night, and for Havdalah. It is suggested that one use a large cup so that there will be wine left over for the daytime Kiddush and for Havdalah. The cup needs to be whole, without cracks or spouts, rinsed both inside and outside. The wine should be filled until the top. The wine should not be wine that was sipped from earlier. It should be raised with both hands, and then be held in the right hand at least one tefach from the table. One should look at the wine to retain concentration. Text 6 המקדש ישתה מן הכוס לכל הפחות כמלא לוגמיו בלי הפסק, ומצוה שיטעמו כולם מכוס של ברכה. The one who is reciting Kiddush has to drink at least one mouthful of wine. And it is encouraged that all should taste a bit from the cup of blessing.

9 ב ה 9 SECTION III KABBALAH OF A Deeper Reality The Pasuk says: G-d sanctified the day of Shabbat, - the day has its own inherent holiness. So what do we, as people, add The Union Between Jews and Shabbat The Midrash relates: The Shabbat (the seventh day) complained to G-d that the all the days have a pair (a day that follows, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6) and it does not. G-d replied that A pair indicates interdependence; what one lacks the other complements. Think of a man and woman who are getting married. During the process of Kiddushin the man tells the woman that she will be his wife. She accepts, and they are married. Similarly, when we recite Kiddush, we as Jews are becoming one with Shabbat, becoming partners. The Shabbat and the Jewish people also have another similarity - in that they both bear testimony to G-d s infinite greatness. Shabbat is a testimony that Kiddush over Wine Our minds and hearts are affected by our actions. Performing an action will affect our perceptions and understanding, thus the commandment to remember the greatness of the day is the action that will instill within us the belief that G-d created the world. Wine is used because most people are uplifted from and enjoy wine. The kabbalists explain that wine is produced from the crushing of the grape, symbolizing extracting what was hidden, bringing it to a revealed state. When a person refines the mundane throughout the week, he is revealing the deeper aspect of what lies beneath all the mundane, namely, G-dliness. to the holiness of the day through reciting Kiddush? To appreciate the answer a small introduction is in order. A person seems to be very insignificant, especially when they measure against the wide world, and moreover, all the spiritual worlds. However, this is what G-d desires; a small creature, as insignificant as he may seem, contributes to the purification process of the entire world. Thus, a person works a whole week in the mundane and physical world with the purpose of uplifting and refining it. This causes great pleasure to G-d, contributes to the divine purpose of creation, and actually adds divinity to this world. Therefore, though Shabbat is sanctified by G-d, when a person recites Kiddush at the end of a working week he is demonstrating his partnership with G-d in His creation by adding Divine energy into the physical world. the Knesset Yisrael (the Jewish people) is its mate. At Mount Sinai, G-d said to the Jews: Remember what I promised Shabbat, and you should sanctify it. G-d created the world in six days, and the survival of the Jews indicates His constant guard over us. TOPIC 9

10 A PROJECT OF: