Kiddush

Kiddush (“sanctification”) is the declaration by which the holiness of Shabbat or a festival is proclaimed. Maimonides sees it as a commandment from the Torah, drawn from the verse to remember the day of Shabbat and sanctify it (Exodus 20:8): the day is recalled with praise and holiness, at its start through kiddush, at its end through Havdalah (Laws of Shabbat 29:1).

Kiddush is said at the table, over a cup of wine, before the meal. The Shulchan Arukh specifies that it is valid only when made in the place of the meal (Orach Chayim 273:1), and it treats there cases where one changes rooms or locations: ask your rabbi before separating kiddush from the meal. The same work asks that wine be included in the festival meal (Orach Chayim 529:1).

Women are obligated in kiddush just as men are, and may say it for others (Orach Chayim 271:2). There is no need, then, to reserve the moment for a man in the family: whoever says it is whoever the family chooses.

1Three similar words not to confuse

• The kiddush of Shabbat or a festival: the declaration over wine at the start of the meal, Friday night and Saturday midday.
• A “kiddush” at the synagogue: in the custom of many synagogues, the word also names the refreshments shared after services, often sponsored by a family for a bar mitzvah, a birth, or an anniversary. That is a custom, not a rule.
• Kiddushin, by contrast, is the act of marriage: another word from the same root, unrelated to the Shabbat meal.

2Across communities

• Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi families: the text and tunes of kiddush differ from one community to the next; ask about yours instead of assuming.
• Who says it, who answers, whether people stand or sit: custom of the family or the synagogue.
• Secular Israelis: many families say kiddush on Friday night, sometimes even without keeping the rest of Shabbat. How it is done varies from one family to the next.

3What it changes for an invitation

• Kiddush is made only on Shabbat or Yom Tov: an event that opens with kiddush therefore falls on one of those two days. See the Shabbat and Yom Tov entries.
• Say whether kiddush is followed by a full meal or by light refreshments: guests plan their day accordingly.
• Kiddush at the synagogue after services: give the start time of services, not only that of the kiddush.
• Observant guests: many refrain from using phones, driving, and taking photos that day; see the Shabbat entry. Do not announce a photographer or music without your rabbi’s advice.