If One Did Not Recite Kiddush on Friday Night

Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Both men and women are obligated to recite (or hear) Kiddush on Friday night. If a person, for whatever reason, did not recite Kiddush on Friday night, then he must recite it on Shabbat morning. This means that instead of reciting the brief Shabbat morning Kiddush, he must recite the Kiddush text that is normally recited on Friday night. Thus, if a person was ill, Heaven forbid, or if he fell asleep before reciting Kiddush or simply forgot to recite Kiddush, he must recite the Friday night Kiddush after Shaharit on Shabbat morning. In such a case, when a person did not recite Kiddush on Friday night and must therefore do so on Shabbat morning, is he allowed to drink before Shaharit that morning? Generally speaking, although it is forbidden to eat before reciting Shaharit in the morning (both on Shabbat and on weekdays), it is permissible to drink water, tea or coffee before Shaharit. This is allowed even on Shabbat morning, despite the fact that one may not drink before reciting Kiddush, because the Kiddush obligation sets in only after one recites Shaharit. The Sages enacted the recitation of Kiddush on Shabbat morning specifically for after the Shaharit service, and therefore the prohibition against eating and drinking before Kiddush does not apply until after Shaharit. Before Shaharit, one is bound only by the restrictions that apply to eating and drinking before praying in the morning, and thus one may drink water, tea or coffee before Shaharit on Shabbat morning, just as he may on weekday mornings. However, in a case where one missed Kiddush on Friday night, he already bears the previous night's obligation to recite Kiddush, and thus, seemingly, he is not allowed to drink anything on Shabbat morning until he recites Kiddush. This is, indeed, the ruling of Rav Shlomo Kluger (1789-1869), in his work Ha'elef Lecha Shelomo. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagrees, and rules that one may drink water, tea or coffee before Shaharit on Shabbat morning even if he had not recited Kiddush the previous night. There is a Halachic rule called "En Kiddush Ela Be'makom Se'uda," which means that one fulfills the obligation of Kiddush only if he recites Kiddush in the context of a meal. Before Shaharit, Halacha forbids eating a meal, and it is therefore impossible to fulfill the Kiddush obligation on Shabbat morning until after one prays Shaharit. Thus, even if one bears the previous night's obligation of Kiddush, nevertheless, since he is incapable of fulfilling this obligation until after he recites Shaharit, it is permissible for him to drink before reciting Shaharit. In all cases, then, one may drink water, tea or coffee before Shaharit on Shabbat morning. Summary: One who did not, for whatever reason, recite Kiddush on Friday night must recite the Friday night Kiddush after Shaharit on Shabbat morning. One is allowed to drink water, tea or coffee before Shaharit on Shabbat morning, even if he did not recite Kiddush on Friday night.