Kiddush is also known as kaddesh in Aramaic and Exodus in religious tenets. It is the name of the ritual that involves reciting blessings over a cup of wine. It is recited as a prayer of sanctification in most of the Jewish celebrations. The ritual takes place at the beginning of Shabbat and before Jewish festival meals. Kiddush is performed during synagogue Shabbat services so that anyone who is away from home and spending time in the community will have the opportunity to hear it. The Kiddush recited over Pesach is a distinctive one. It speaks about Mitzvah and the liberation and departure of the Jews from the land of Egypt. At the Passover Seder, Jews have a custom of filling each other's cup with a wine. Generally, the head of the house will recite Kiddush over a cup of wine and then everyone else present will take a sip of the wine. In the synagogue setting the scholar will usually recite the blessing and then the cantor or another appointed person will take a sip from the cup. The term Kiddush means 'unique and special'. Read further to know about the prayers recited particularly on Passover, Shabbat.
How To Recite Kiddush For Passover
Kiddush, a prayer of sanctification is part of all Jewish celebrations. Read on to know more.
Passover Kiddush
- Perform the Kadeish as the first part of the Seder. It is the imperative form of Kiddush which literally means "do the Kiddush."
- You should offer to pour wine for each other. This signifies the tenure of servants as befitting royalty. A single goblet, frequently of silver, is often used and should be filled with red wine. Red wine is used for Kadeish as it is considered more elegant.
- Use the correct Kiddush. At least six descriptions of the Kiddush exist and the one said at the Passover Seder is also used on other holiday nights such as Shemini Atzeret Shavuot, and Sukkot. This specific Kiddush talk about the Exodus from Egypt and matzot.
- Narrate a separate Kiddush on holiday mornings, including Passover. Note that this Kiddush is briefer than the nighttime Kiddush.
- Comprise additional portions when the Passover Seder is staged on the Sabbath. A written version of the Kiddush must include this text, which generally relates to the Sabbath. Include an explicit blessing after all nighttime Kiddush except for the last two nights of Passover.
Kiddush Customs
In the absence of wine, Friday night Kiddush may be recited over the challah; that is, the blessing over bread is substituted for the blessing over wine. In that case, the ritual of hand-washing which is performed prior to consuming the challah is done before the recitation of Kiddush. German Jews follow this practice even if wine is present. If there is only sufficient wine 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. The narration 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 termination of his work on the seventh day. Some publics stand during the recital of these Biblical verses (even if they sit for Kiddush), as according to Jewish law, testimony must be given standing. There are diverse customs regarding sitting or standing while reciting Kiddush depending on communal and family tradition. Some Hasidic and Sephardic Jews thin the wine with water before Kiddush on Friday night to honor the old custom of "mixing of the wine" in the days when the wine was too strong to be drunk without thinning or diluting.
Significance
The Torah talk about two requirements concerning Shabbat - to "keep it" and to "remember it" (shamor and zakhor). Jewish law thus 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 Kiddush ceremony. Reciting Kiddush before the meal on the eve of Shabbat and Jewish holidays is as a consequence commandment from the Torah (as it is explained by the Oral Torah). Reciting Kiddush before the morning meal on Shabbat and holidays is a constraint of rabbinic origin. Kiddush is not generally recited at the third meal on Shabbat, though Maimonides was of the opinion that wine should be drunk at this meal as well.
In the absence of wine, Friday night Kiddush may be recited over the challah; that is, the blessing over bread is substituted for the blessing over wine. In that case, the ritual of hand-washing which is performed prior to consuming the challah is done before the recitation of Kiddush. German Jews follow this practice even if wine is present. If there is only sufficient wine 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. The narration 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 termination of his work on the seventh day. Some publics stand during the recital of these Biblical verses (even if they sit for Kiddush), as according to Jewish law, testimony must be given standing. There are diverse customs regarding sitting or standing while reciting Kiddush depending on communal and family tradition. Some Hasidic and Sephardic Jews thin the wine with water before Kiddush on Friday night to honor the old custom of "mixing of the wine" in the days when the wine was too strong to be drunk without thinning or diluting.
Significance
The Torah talk about two requirements concerning Shabbat - to "keep it" and to "remember it" (shamor and zakhor). Jewish law thus 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 Kiddush ceremony. Reciting Kiddush before the meal on the eve of Shabbat and Jewish holidays is as a consequence commandment from the Torah (as it is explained by the Oral Torah). Reciting Kiddush before the morning meal on Shabbat and holidays is a constraint of rabbinic origin. Kiddush is not generally recited at the third meal on Shabbat, though Maimonides was of the opinion that wine should be drunk at this meal as well.