The Laws of Kiddush and Their Signifance

(3) LOOKING AT THE CANDLES DURING KIDDUSH

One reason given for the custom of looking at the Shabbat candles during kiddush is that the two Shabbat lights correspond to man and woman (Sekhel Tov cited in Maharil Hilkhot Shabbat). This is a main theme of the Shabbat lights, which are intended to create domestic harmony, as we explained in chapter 75.

Kiddush (literally, sanctification) is the appropriate time to ponder the way in which man and woman together create kedusha - holiness. Kedusha occurs in the home when there is domestic harmony.

When the husband comes home from prayers on Friday night, he sings "Eshet Chayil," praising the Jewish "woman of valor." Of course, this custom should inspire him to recall the many ways in which his own wife exemplifies this ideal. Immediately afterwards, he makes kiddush, during which he peers at the Shabbat candles. He should be reminded of his wife, who was responsible for lighting the home for Shabbat.

Although the two candles symbolize male and female, the wife lights both candles. This should remind the husband that his own radiance is kindled by his wife - she makes his spiritual radiance possible. Many Rabbinical sources emphasize that a man can reach the highest levels of spirituality only when he is married (Yevamot 62b, Zohar Shemini, III:37b).

Single people should also observe this custom and look at the Shabbat candles during kiddush. As they look at the candles, they can envision how, when the time comes for them to build a Jewish home, their married life will live up to the harmonious ideal symbolized by the Shabbat lights.

 

(3) STANDING FOR "VAYEKHULU," SITTING FOR KIDDUSH

Shabbat is an implicit testimony that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. When we say the kiddush, however, we make an EXPLICIT testimony, by reciting the verses of the Torah which mention the completion of creation and God's rest on Shabbat.

One principle of the laws of testimony is that a witness needs to stand (SA CM 28:5). This creates an atmosphere of seriousness, emphasizing that testimony is not mere everyday discourse but a unique act with serious consequences. When we testify to God's creation of the world, we adopt this same posture.

However, kiddush can be made only in the place of a meal. (See se'if 14 in the Kitzur.) In order to demonstrate that the kiddush needs to be connected to the rest of the meal, the Kitzur recommends standing for the first part of the kiddush, and sitting down for the blessings of the kiddush.

This is the most widespread custom. But some communities have the custom of standing for the entire kiddush, emphasizing the testimony aspect; others sit for the entire kiddush, emphasizing the importance of continuity with the meal.

(4) OBLIGATION OF WOMEN IN KIDDUSH

The obligation to make kiddush is rooted in the commandment "zakhor" - to remember the Sabbath day. The word "zakhor" is related to the word "hazkhir," to mention, so this mitzva is expressed by the words of the kiddush.

This mitzva would normally apply only to men, since generally women are exempt from positive, time-bound mitzvot, as we discussed in chapter 18. In addition, this mitzva expresses the masculine aspect of Shabbat, as we explained in chapter 75: It is an active mitzva, and indeed the word "zakhor" is related to the word "zakhar," masculine.

However, as we explained, the masculine ("zakhor") and feminine ("shamor") aspects of Shabbat are inseparable - they were both transmitted by God with a single utterance. Therefore, women, who are obligated in KEEPING Shabbat (which includes avoiding forbidden labors), are equally obligated in REMEMBERING Shabbat (Berakhot 20b).

(8) COVERING THE CHALLOT DURING KIDDUSH, AND REMEMBERING THE MANNA

Two reasons are brought for covering the challot during kiddush. One is that the bread is "ashamed" to be passed over in favor of the wine (Tur citing Yerushalmi). Bread is considered to be more important than wine, and in terms of the order of the berakhot (blessings), "ha-motzi," the blessing on bread, has precedence over the blessing on wine. Of course, the bread has no feelings, but we don't want to neglect its special status by passing over it and saying the blessing on the wine. (This is similar to the reason we close or cover holy books when we are not learning from them - see chapter 28.)

The other reason for covering the challot is to recall the manna, which according to tradition was wrapped in a protective covering of dew (Yoma 75b).

The manna has an intimate connection with Shabbat. The most obvious manifestation of this connection is that the first commandment regarding Shabbat is to leave off gathering manna then (see Shemot 16:29). But the connection is hinted at much earlier in the Torah. In the beginning of Bereshit (2:3), when the Torah relates that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, Rashi writes that He blessed it with manna (because a double portion fell on Friday in preparation for Shabbat) and sanctified it with manna (because on Shabbat itself no manna fell at all - Shemot 16:22-23). The very first Shabbat of creation is reminding us of the manna, in a very paradoxical way - it is blessed because there is manna, and sanctified because there is not!

The Zohar deals with this very paradox, asking, "Since there is no food on that day, what blessing is there?" The Zohar answers that the OTHER six days receive their sustenance from the Shabbat. The Zohar goes on to explain that for this reason it is necessary to eat three meals on Shabbat, so that one's sustenance will be blessed on the weekdays as well (Zohar Yitro, II:88b).

An interesting comparison from the Talmud can help illuminate this abstruse passage in the Zohar. The word "leshad" (kneaded) which describes the taste of the manna (Bamidbar 11:8) can also be translated as "like a breast." The manna is likened to mother's milk, which is a complete food. It is the only food an infant requires, and the only food he craves; furthermore, by eating it he achieves closeness with his mother. Likewise, the manna was the only food the Jews needed and wanted, and it created a sense of closeness to God (Yoma 75b).

One interesting quality of mother's milk is that "supply creates its own demand" - the more the infant eats, the more milk is produced. As the infant grows, more milk is produced, and it also changes its composition to reflect the growing child's changing needs.

The comparison of manna to our everyday sustenance reminds us that the ultimate source of our livelihood is not the field and the factory; rather, it is the blessing of God. As we explained at length in chapter 40, these "means of production" are in fact merely "receptacles" which enable us to collect the blessing which descends upon us from on high.

Milk is produced by glands within the breast, but if we want to know how much milk will be produced, studying the eating habits of the infant will tell us much more than studying these glands, which function only to satisfy the needs of the sucking infant. Likewise, goods and services are produced by business establishments, but their production is principally determined by their function, which is to serve holiness.

Our primary day of "suckling," of receiving our livelihood directly from God, is Shabbat. This is the time when material comforts most directly serve holiness. This day, more than any other, will determine how much material blessing will be sent to the six days of labor, and to the "containers" which seem to be the actual source of wealth.

This explains how Shabbat, as a day of receiving and not giving, becomes the source of blessing for the six days of the week to yield their material bounty. Shabbat is blessed with the manna - because all the manna falls in order to make possible enjoying material bounty in holiness, which we achieve especially on Shabbat. And it is sanctified with manna, because the manna doesn't fall that day and we can concentrate on receiving God's blessing in the proper spirit, which will ultimately create more blessing.

 

(14) KIDDUSH IN THE PLACE OF A MEAL

The Rishonim learn from the verse "And you shall call the Shabbat a delight" (Yishayahu 58:13) that delight should be in the place of "calling," that is, of making kiddush (Rashbam and others, Pesachim 101a).

"Calling" and "delight" are another example of the ubiquitous Shabbat "pairs" we discussed in chapter 75. The calling of Shabbat is backward looking, related to "zakhor," remembering and mentioning the creation; the delight of Shabbat is forward looking, related to "shamor," anticipating the future world of spiritual reception.

The demand that kiddush (calling, symbolizing remembrance) requires a meal (delight, symbolizing anticipation) signifies that remembrance alone has little importance. The assertion that God created the world in six days, in and of itself, is a mere historical fact. This fact acquires religious importance only when it is recognized as the basis for God's ultimate redemption of the world, as explained in chapter 72.

(16, 22) THREE MEALS, AND ONE HUNDRED BLESSINGS

In the time of the Talmud it was customary to eat two meals a day. The requirement to eat three meals on Shabbat, which is hinted at in a Biblical verse (see Shabbat 117b), emphasizes the requirement to increase material enjoyment as a fulfillment of oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat). Indeed, the three Shabbat meals are considered the main fulfillment of this mitzva.

Even though the mitzva to recite one hundred blessings a day is technically the same on Shabbat as on weekdays, on Shabbat its fulfillment is quite different. On weekdays, everyday blessings and prayers alone bring us to almost one hundred berakhot. But on Shabbat, each Amida prayer has only seven blessings! This creates a "shortfall" of about thirty blessings, which needs to be made up by eating and drinking, and by smelling pleasant scents.

This epitomizes the basic principle of Shabbat, which we enunciated in the introduction in chapter 72: Shabbat is a day for receiving rather than giving, and it has a special ability to let the material serve the spiritual. This is exemplified by the single mitzva of one hundred berakhot, which on weekdays is fulfilled primarily by petitions to God. On Shabbat, these petitions are replaced by blessings for bodily enjoyments.

(17) BLESSING OVER TWO LOAVES

This custom has its source in two principles that we have already discussed. One is the ubiquitous theme of "pairs" on Shabbat, which we saw in chapter 75 as well as in se'if 4 of this chapter. The two loaves correspond to "zakhor" and "shamor," just as the two candles do.

The other source is the "lechem mishneh," the "twofold bread" or double portion of manna, which fell on Friday during our sojourn in the desert, in order to provide for both Friday and Shabbat (Shemot 16:22). This reminds us of the similarity between the challah and the manna, which we discussed in se’if 8 of this chapter.

(20) FASTING ON SHABBAT

Fasting on Shabbat is forbidden, since Shabbat is a day of enjoyment. However, the Shulchan Arukh writes that one who enjoys fasting may do so on Shabbat (OC 288:2). This emphasizes that the mitzva of oneg Shabbat is to truly enjoy the Shabbat day, not merely to go through the motions.

There are many other examples of this. We learned in chapter 74 that one reason we don’t begin to travel on a sea journey soon before Shabbat is so that we will able to enjoy the day. Going through the motions of eating and resting would still be possible, but the mitzva is to have true delight. The Shulchan Arukh rules that even though we should ideally eat by the light of the Shabbat candles, we may eat outside if we enjoy that more, since "Shabbat was given for delight, not for sorrow" (OC 273:7, see also MB 242:2). Likewise, we don't have to eat a third meal if we won't enjoy it (OC 291:1).

Perhaps this is also connected to the custom of eating fish on Shabbat. (See chapter 72:7.) Meat is a fancier food than fish, but on Shabbat eating what we really like is more important than eating foods that lend importance to the day. Note that fish is included among the simple, popular foods for which the simple people longed in the desert (Bamidbar 11:5).

Some of these rulings don't apply on Yom Tov, when the honor of the day itself is more emphasized. This is discussed in chapter 98:32.

(24) LEARNING TORAH ON SHABBAT

It is only natural that Shabbat, as a day of spiritual elevation and reception, is an ideal day for Torah study. The whole community is able to study together at the shiur (lesson) or sermon given at the time of morning prayers. This fits in nicely with the Tur's observation that Shabbat morning corresponds to the Shabbat of the Giving of the Torah, as we discussed in chapter 76:17.