(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com) Yom Tov is soon, and there will soon be discussions happening in the daytime.  It can, perhaps, be called the Great “Schnapps vs. Wine” Wars. “Well, my father, and his father, had this minhag from Europe!” “Yes, but the Mishna Brurah, holds that -” “I don’t care what the Mishna Brurah says – that was written for those people without a family minhag!” These arguments have been heard in shul sukkos since this author was a child and probably long before that too. It is Yom Tov or Shabbos morning. You desperately need to hear Kiddush in order to eat or drink something or you will nearly pass out. Someone offers to make Kiddush for you and does so – on a small one ounce Schnapps glass of whiskey. What is the halacha? THE KIDDUSH OBLIGATIONS In this week’s Parasha, we lein the Aseres haDibros – the Ten Commandments.  In commandment number four we read, “Remember the Shabbos day to keep it holy.”  From here, the Rabbis derived that there is a Torah obligation to sanctify Shabbos with Kiddush.  The Kiddush on Shabbos day (as opposed to the Friday night Kiddush) is a Rabbinic obligation.  On both Kiddush obligations, the Rabbis obligated its recitation upon wine (Psachim 106a) – when available.  On the Friday evening Kiddush, however, if wine is not available – it may be recited upon challah or bread. PLEASE HELP A VERY CHOSHUV HACHNASSAS KALLAH SITUATION https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/hachnasaskallah THE LAWS OF SHABBOS DAY KIDDUSH Unlike Friday night Kiddush, the Shabbos day Kiddush may not be recited upon Challah or bread.  One may, however, recite the Shabbos morning Kiddush on a reviis of the drink of the land – Chamar medina.  This can be beer or Schnapps.  One must drink at least a maleh lugmav and the bracha recited is shehakol. THE FAMOUS RESPONSUM OF THE MAHARSHAM The issue was addressed in a Teshuvah of Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Shwadron zt”l, author of the Maharsham (1835-1911). He wrote his view in a letter to Rabbi Yechiel Fefer of Oziran in the Ukraine (Vol. I #175).  It is translated and annotated below.  [Headings have been added to it by the author for purposes of clarity.] To that which the Rabbi inquired about the law of the daytime Kiddush whether it needs the required amount of the kos.  He wrote citing Rav Binyomin Wolf, of blessed memory, who cites the RaN in the chapter of Arvei Psachim who wrote that there is a lesser shiur on Shabbos morning. THE MAHARSHAM’S INITIAL POSITION FORBIDDING A LESSER AMOUNT I have known from then and early of this RaN.  It is obvious to me that the intent of the Ran refers to the nature of the Kiddush itself [and not to the amount necessary for Kiddush].  For if the intent of the Ran was for a lesser quantitative amount, he should have elaborated upon what the requisite amount for the day Kiddush would actually be.  Also, how would the Ran have derived this with no proof from the Talmud? It is also against the words of the Tur Shulchan Aruch (OC 271:11) and the Shaarei Teshuvah Siman 289:3 and as the majority of commentaries have written.    See also the Bais Yoseph (YD 265) and the TaZ (YD 265:10) citing […]

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