#80: The Requirement of Wine and Grape Juice for Kiddush (Part 3)
- The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 272:2) allows using freshly squeezed juice from grapes (i.e., grape juice) as a wine substitute for Kiddush. Based on this, most poskim today allow using grape juice as well for Kiddush (e.g., Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rav Shmuel Wosner, and Rav Ovadia Yosef; see https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/pesach/may-we-use-grape-juice-for-the-arba-kosot-part-one-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter and https://yaacovhaber.com/rth/using-grape-juice-for-Kiddush/ for more information). This is the accepted custom amongst most people today. Some poskim hold that freshly squeezed grapes may be used only because the juice can still ferment and become wine. Since many grape juices today are made by preventing them from fermenting, these poskim would not allow using such grape juice for Kiddush (Shevut Yitzchak, citing R. Elyashiv).
- Some poskim raise a problem with using grape juice that is diluted during production, since if the taste is weakened significantly, it may no longer warrant reciting the berachah of "hagafen" (R. David Yosef, Halacha Berurah vol.10). Others maintain that as long as there is a majority of grape juice, it is acceptable (Chut Shani 4:85:1). According to the OU, all of its grape juices, including the light ones, consist of more than 51% grapes and "hagafen" should be recited, in accordance with the second opinion. However, diluting grape juice with water may be problematic according to some of these opinions.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
