When fathers and sons return from synagogue on Friday night, the first ritual that is carried out is Kiddush. According to most rabbinic sources, it is best to make Kiddush over wine.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was one of Rabbi Akiva’s top students, would say if one does not have enough money to buy both food to celebrate Shabbat day and wine for the evening Kiddush, one should purchase the wine ( Mechilta).
Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus Hagadol said one who makes Kiddush over wine is privileged for a long life both in this world and in the World to Come (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, chap. 18). According to Midrash Maaseh Torah, among the six actions that will bring reward in this world and "better" reward in the World to Come is reciting Kiddush over wine.
In the Talmud, the renowned Rabbi Zakai tells his disciples that he has been blessed with a long life because, among other things, his mother sold her hat in order to afford wine for Shabbat (Megillah 27b).
The question of course arises: Can you use grape juice instead of wine? According to the Talmud, “A person may squeeze out a cluster of grapes and recite Kiddush over the juice” (Baba Batra 97a).
In short, yes!
In terms of sitting versus standing for Kiddush, there are many different traditions. The two most common are as follows:
1) Standing up for the entire Kiddush
2) Standing up through the end of the first blessing “borei peri hagafen”
Shabbat shalom!
(This is third in a series on the laws of observing the Sabbath. This blog usually appears on Friday. Because tonight the holiday of Shavuot begins, it is being published today.)
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