Silver Kiddush Cups are a beautiful way to make your Sabbath, Holiday or Jewish lifecycle celebration shine. We have both classic and contemporary styles by Israel’s top Judaica artisans.
Kiddush is the Jewish ritual wine ceremony to sanctify Shabbos, holidays, births and other special occasions. There are a number of things that need to be taken into account when making Kiddush including the type and quality of the wine, the cup and the amount of wine drunk.
The Gemara (Pesachim 62b) states that one is yotzai when hearing Kiddush in a place where the owner, if he wishes, can drink a revi’is of wine from the cup being used to make the Kiddush. This includes homes, restaurants and hotels where the owner is present. Alternatively, the Gemara also states that it is sufficient to drink a full revi’is of wine from any container used to make the Kiddush. The cup should be made of silver, however if that is not possible one may use a glass, plastic or styrofoam cup.
It is preferred to drink a full revi’is when hearing Kiddush. However, if a person is not able to drink a full revi’is and is worried that he will become sick due to drinking too much he should only drink a half a revi’is of wine in order to be yotzai.
In addition to having the proper amount of wine to be yotzai, it is important to make sure that the wine is not too old. A general rule of thumb is that the wine should be no more than a year old.
If the wine is too old, it is a good idea to taste it before determining whether or not it should be yotzai. If the wine tastes old, it is a good idea to mix it with newer wine in order to make it yotzai.
Some people prefer to use wine that is mevushal (uncooked). In this case, it is a good idea to avoid using wine that has been left uncovered for several hours (megulah) as it will create an unpleasant taste in the wine.
It is permissible to eat meat and dairy products at the seudah Shlishis, but only if it is done within the time of k’dai achilas pras. In this case, it is best to eat the cheese first and then the meat so that one will be able to finish eating the cheese and the meat before the Shavuot meal begins. However, it is also permitted to eat all of the food at once, depending on one’s personal preference.