Kiddush


Kiddush, literally, "sanctification," is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after the prayer services and before the meal.

Significance

The Torah refers to two requirements concerning Shabbat – to "keep it" and to "remember it". Jewish law therefore requires that Shabbat be observed in two respects. One must "keep it" by refraining from thirty-nine forbidden activities, and one must "remember it" by making special arrangements for the day, and specifically through the kiddush ceremony.
Reciting kiddush before the meal on the eve of Shabbat and Jewish holidays is thus a commandment from the Torah. Reciting kiddush before the morning meal on Shabbat and holidays is a requirement of rabbinic origin. Kiddush is not usually recited at the third meal on Shabbat, although Maimonides was of the opinion that wine should be drunk at this meal as well.

Rituals

To honor the mitzvah of reciting kiddush, a silver goblet is often used, although any cup can suffice. The cup must hold a revi'it of liquid. A revi'it is between and . After the person reciting the kiddush drinks from the wine, the rest of it is passed around the table or poured out into small cups for the other participants. Alternatively, wine is poured for each of the participants before kiddush.
Before reciting kiddush, the challah, which will be the next food item eaten in honor of the Shabbat or holiday, is first covered with a cloth. According to Halakha, the blessing over bread takes precedence to the blessing over wine. However, in the interests of beginning the meal with kiddush, the challah is covered to "remove" it from the table. Some interpret the covering of the challah allegorically, explaining that if we are supposed to go out of our way to protect even an inanimate object from being "insulted", then certainly we must go out of our way to display sensitivity toward the feelings of other people.
Wine or grape juice may be used for kiddush. The Talmud, in tractate Bava Batra 97b, permits the use of unfermented fresh grape juice for sacramental use. While later legal codes have expressed a preference for wine, traditional and orthodox communities generally permit the use of grape juice in place of wine for blessings and rituals.
On Friday night kiddush may be recited over the challah; the blessing over bread is substituted for the blessing over wine. In that case, the ritual hand-washing normally performed prior to consuming the challah is done before the recitation of kiddush.  German Jews follow this procedure even if wine is present. If there is only sufficient wine or grape juice for one kiddush, it should be used for the Friday night kiddush.
In many synagogues, kiddush is recited on Friday night at the end of services. This kiddush does not take the place of the obligation to recite kiddush at the Friday night meal. When recited in a synagogue, the first paragraph is omitted.
The text of the Friday night kiddush begins with a passage from Genesis 2:1–3, as a testimony to God's creation of the world and cessation of work on the seventh day. Some people stand during the recital of these Biblical verses, since according to Jewish law testimony must be given standing.
There are different customs regarding sitting or standing while reciting kiddush depending on communal and family tradition.
Some Hasidic and Sephardic Jews dilute the wine with water before kiddush on Friday night to commemorate the old custom of "mixing of the wine" in the days when wine was too strong to be drunk without dilution.
Since the Shabbat morning kiddush is rabbinically rather than biblically mandated, it has a lesser status than the Friday night kiddush. In order to elevate its importance, it is euphemistically referred to as "Kiddusha Rabba"קידושא רבא"The Great Kiddush." There are different versions for the kiddush on Sabbath morning, and it is generally shorter than the Friday night kiddush. Originally, this kiddush consisted only of the blessing over the wine. Later, additional verses related to Shabbat were added. However, there are a wide variety of customs as to which verse are recited, and in some congregations no verses at all are recited.

Text

Hebrew text of Friday night kiddush (Ashkenazi version)

English translation of Friday night kiddush

And the heavens and the earth and all that filled them were complete. And on the seventh day God completed the labor He had performed, and He refrained on the seventh day from all the labor which He had performed. And God blessed the seventh day and He sanctified it, for He then refrained from all his labor – from the act of creation that God had performed.
Permit me, distinguished ones, rabbis, guests and colleagues:
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and hoped for us, and with love and intent invested us with His sacred Sabbath, as a memorial to the deed of Creation. It is the first among the holy festivals, commemorating the exodus from Egypt. For You chose us, and sanctified us, out of all nations, and with love and intent You invested us with Your Holy Sabbath.
Blessed are You, Adonai, Sanctifier of the Sabbath.

Shabbat morning kiddush

Morning Kiddush Text

English translation of Shabbat morning kiddush

After the kiddush those present say "amen," which means "truly." Those who say "amen" are considered to have said the kiddush by proxy.

Holiday Eve kiddush

This version of kiddush is said on the festival nights of Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah. When the holiday coincides with Shabbat, the verses from Genesis precede this kiddush, and the sections in brackets are added.

English translation of holiday eve kiddush

Attention, gentlemen, ! Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and elevated us above all tongues, and sanctified us with His commandments. And You gave us, Lord our God, with love, festivals for happiness, holidays and times for joy, this day
, a holy convocation, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. Because You chose us, and sanctified us from all the nations, and Your holy festivals in happiness and in joy You have given us as a heritage. Blessed are You, God, Who sanctifies Israel and the holiday seasons.
On Sukkot, the following blessing is added immediately after kiddush when the meal takes place in a kosher sukkah:
On all the holidays, this blessing is recited after the nighttime kiddush :
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.

Holiday morning kiddush

When the festival coincides with Shabbat, first the Biblical verses are recited, followed by two additional verses and the blessing over wine. When the holiday falls on a weekday, the morning kiddush begins with the two verses:

English translation of holiday morning kiddush

.
Attention, Gentlemen!
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Other

On Rosh Hashanah, the night Kiddush is similar to that of the other festivals. Where it differs, it is usually to follow the pattern of middle blessing of the Amidah. During the day, the verses Psalms 81:4–5 are recited prior to the blessing over wine. Many also say the festival verses, and on Shabbat all recite the relevant verses at the very beginning.
On Yom Kippur, being a fast day, no kiddush is recited, even by one who will be eating, and even on Shabbat, although some do require one who needs to eat a considerable amount of food for health reasons to recite Kiddush.

Yaknehaz

When a festival is on Saturday night, Kiddush is recited, but Havdalah must also be said because Shabbat is holier than the festivals. The sequence of blessings in such a case is known as yak'n'haz, for yayin, kiddush, ner, havdalah, zman, meaning "wine, kiddush, flame, havdalah, shehecheyanu". That is, first the blessing over wine, then the standard kiddush blessing, then the blessing for the flame, then a modified havdalah blessing holiness and, and then the shehecheyanu blessing. Essentially, the havdalah blessings are recited after kiddush, but before shehechiyanu, which is usually the last blessing to ever be recited. Spices are not used.
In the opposite case, when Shabbat follows a festival, the regular Shabbat kiddush is recited, with no variations.

Yaknehaz Candle

While on a year-round Motzai Shabbat one can extinguish the candle used for Havdalah, this is not permitted when the evening coincides with a Holiday date. Rather than simply picking up two of the candles already lit for Yom Tov when the blessing for fire is recited as part of a modified Havdalah, and holding them so that their wicks are interlaced, it is easier to use a special two-wick candle as one of the Holiday candles; they're sized to fit in a regular Shabbat candelabra or candlestick holder.
This special candle is called a Yaknehaz Candle.

Synagogue kiddush

The term kiddush also refers to refreshments served either at home or at the synagogue following prayer services on Shabbat or Yom Tov, which begin with the recitation of kiddush. Cake, crackers, and gefilte fish are traditionally served. On Shavuot morning, the custom is to serve dairy foods such as cheesecake and cheese blintzes for the kiddush.
According to the Shulchan Aruch, kiddush should be recited preceding the Shabbat meal. Eating mezonot such as cake or cookies or drinking an additional revi'it of wine, was also deemed sufficient. Nevertheless, some Jews recite kiddush only when about to partake of a full meal.
Often a kiddush is hosted by a family celebrating the birth of a daughter, a bar mitzvah, a wedding, an engagement, a birthday, or other happy occasion. Some people also host a kiddush on the yahrtzeit of a parent or other relative. In some synagogues the celebrant is honored with reciting the Shabbat morning kiddush on behalf of all the attendees. In other synagogues the rabbi or gabbai recites the kiddush. Some Jews make kiddush on Shabbat morning over liquor instead of wine. When this is done, the blessing recited is she-hakol nihyeh bid'varo instead of borei p'ri ha-gafen. The Mishnah Berurah allows liquor to be substituted for wine on the grounds that it is Hamar Medina, a drink one would serve to a respected guest.