When Your Host Errs in Kiddush

Someone was a guest on Friday night, and the host made Kiddush but left out words from the bracha. The guests are now unable to make Kiddush. Do they have the option to say the text of Kiddush without wine?

The first issue to clarify is which words of Kiddush were omitted. While the gemara [1] derives the obligation to recite Kiddush, a specific the text of the bracha is not provided.[2] Elsewhere, the gemara[3] states that יציאת מצרים must be mentioned and that the bracha concludes מקדש השבת but the exact text of Kiddush is not mentioned in Chazal. The Rambam[4] succinctly writes that the essence of Kiddush is words of praise and holiness – דברי שבח וקידוש – and then presents the text of Kiddush as we know it.[5] Obviously, every word of the bracha should be pronounced, but, if one skips some of the words it may not ruin the bracha. The Beis Yosef[6] cites the Rashba,[7] who writes that not every word of a long bracha is essential and so long as the opening, closing, and essential part is enunciated one fulfills their requirement. Thus, ideally every word should be enunciated but not every word is imperative, and if the words that were omitted are not the crucial ones, the mitzvah is fulfilled.

Should an essential section of Kiddush be omitted, even so it is arguable that the guest already fulfilled his core obligation while reciting Kiddush as part of Davening. The Magen Avraham[8] asserts that in fact one does fulfill the Torah obligation of Kiddush when reciting the bracha of מקדש השבת in davening. This is because he believes that the requirement for kiddush on wine is Rabbinic,[9] and the requirement for קידוש במקום סעודה is too a rabbinic enactment, and thus even if one didn’t recite or hear Kiddush, he has already fulfilled his Torah obligation when davening Maariv. The Biur Halacha[10] questions the Magen Avraham. He points out that when speaking of מצוות דאורייתא we assume that one must intend to fulfill the mitzvah – מצוות צריכות כוונה. Under normal circumstances, when davening שמונה עשרה one does not intend to fulfill מצות קידוש as he wishes to perform the mitzvah on wine as part of his סעודת שבת in the optimal way.[11] He then asks that זכירת יציאת מצרים is a necessary component of Kiddush and that it does not appear in the text of Tefillah. Thus, one should certainly try to figure out a way to make his own Kiddush on a cup of wine.

But if that is not possible, there is a way to recite Kiddush on wine without a cup of wine. While it is ideal for those around the table to listen, understand and focus on the words said by the מקדש [12] in fulfillment of ברוב עם הדרת מלך, this is not always possible. In fact, the Mishna Berurah[13] writes that for those who do not understand the text it is best that they say the words of Kiddush themselves in an undertone. Elsewhere, in the Biur Halacha,[14] he cites R’ Akiva Eiger,[15] who questions this option because those around the table are not holding wine in hand and thus, they are lacking in their fulfillment of the mitzvah. Nevertheless, Ben Ish Chai[16] writes that in less-than-ideal circumstances, merely seeing the cup of wine that someone else uses for Kiddush is too considered to be reciting Kiddush on wine. Based on this, the Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa[17] writes that if one is at a Shabbos table where the recitation of Kiddush is inaudible and reciting a separate Kiddush is not an option, one may recite their own Kiddush in an undertone while looking at the host’s cup of wine. Thus, if one realizes during ויכולו that the one reciting Kiddush is inaudible or he is skipping words, one can recite the essential part of Kiddush (bracha) in an undertone and fulfills קידוש על הכוס in this way.

If one wasn’t quick enough, or this was not possible for some other reason, there is one other option. The Rema[18] writes that if one recites המוציא on bread and prior to eating realizes that they have yet to recite Kiddush, they may recite Kiddush on the bread. The Mishna Berura[19] adds that it is proper to have לחם משנה when reciting Kiddush on bread. In applying to our scenario, for one who was unable to be יוצא with the Kiddush recited on wine, he may make his own Kiddush on bread. But there is one more hurdle: each guest receives a cut piece of bread and certainly doesn’t have his own לחם משנה to use for this Kiddush. In this sort of scenario, R’ Shlomo Kluger[20] assumes that a broken piece of bread lacks distinction and therefore one may not use it for Kiddush. However, the Mishna Berura[21] appears to disagree and therefore, if one is unable to procure a proper לחם משנה, they can recite Kiddush on any two pieces of bread.

[1] Pesachim 106a.

[2] See Tosfos, d.h. Zochreihu, who mentions the custom to recite the Pesukim of ויכולו as part of Kiddush.

[3] Pesachim 117b.

[4] Shabbos 29:1-2.

[5] See Ma’aseh Rokeach, who notes that some omit the words כי בנו בחרת ואותנו קדשת מכל העמים.

[6] 187.

[7] Brachos 11a d.h. Achas. See Biur Halcha 59:4 d.h. Im Hashliach Tzibur.

[8] Shabbos 271:1.

[9] See Rambam Shabbos 29:6.

[10] D.h. Miyad.

[11] In fact, the Chasam Sofer writes that one should have explicit intent not to fulfill the mitzvah when davening so that they can fulfill the mitzvah in the optimal way with wine and as part of the meal. See Pri Megadim (E”A 1), who actually assumes that once Chazal instituted Kiddush on wine and במקום סעודה one can no longer fulfill the mitzvah through tefillah.

[12] See Shulchan Aruch 183:7, Mishna Berurah 27.

[13] 193:5.

[14] 271:2 d.h. Diiskesh.

[15] Teshuvos 7.

[16] Tevushos Rav Pa’alim OC 2:41.

[17] 47:39.

[18] 271:5.

[19] 271:23.

[20] Chochmas Shlomo 271:4.

[21] 274:2.