Silver Kiddush Cup, Wedding Kiddush Cup, Kiddush Cup Set
What is a Kiddush cup? A Kiddush cup is a special goblet or cup made and decorated for using as the one to bless over during the Kiddush blessings. When the head of the family sings Kiddush on Shabbat evening and Shabbat morning lunch, he says Kiddush over a full glass of wine or grape juice, held in his right hand, and blessed over. When the Kiddush blessings are finished, he shares bits of the Kiddush wine with the family, and drinks the rest. This is the first major blessing done before Shabbat meals, other than songs that aren't really blessings per say.
The idea is to have the cup holding the Kiddush wine, which is blessed over, be the most beautiful cup around. As such, it is traditional to have a cup specially designed for the purpose, which not only ascertain that they are definitely the most beautiful on the table, but also can include design elements specifically meant for Shabbat or Kiddush. A Kiddush cup is also used during the Kiddush blessings of holidays, and the Havdala ceremony at the end of Shabbat or holiday, which separates the holiness of Shabbat from the ordinary weekdays. Kiddush cups make wonderful gifts for any Jewish occasion from Bar mitzva age and up, and come in a large variety of wonderful options and choices and materials, as well as many different styles and decorations. Typically sweet red wine is used for Kiddush, but also grape juice or a different kind of wine can be used. In the unfortunate occasion that you run out of wine before kiddush, you can do Kiddush on the Challah but that's less than ideal.
Kiddush Prayer
The (evening) Kiddush blessings go like so:
וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בקֶר:
יום הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם:
וַיְכַל אֱלהִים בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיִּשְׁבּת בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה:
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלהִים אֶת יום הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אתו. כִּי בו שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלהִים לַעֲשׂות:
סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּותַי:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה'. אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם בּורֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם. אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְרָצָה בָנוּ. וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשׁו בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצון הִנְחִילָנוּ. זִכָּרון לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. (כִּי הוּא יום) תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. (כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאותָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים) וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצון הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה'. מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת:
Vayehi Erev Vayehi boker (whispered)
Yom hashishi, vayechulu hashamayim vehaaretz vekol tzvaam
vayechal elokim bayom hashvi'i melachto asher asa, vayeshbot bayom hashvi'i mikol melachto asher asa vayevarech elokim et yom hashvi'i vayekadesh oto, ki vo shabbat mikol melachto asher bara elokim la'asot
savri meranan verabanan verabotai
Baruch ata Hashem, elokeinu melech ha'olam borei pri hagafen Baruch ata Hashem, elokeinu melech ha'olam asher kideshanu bemitzvotav veratza banu, ve'shabbat kodsho be'ahava uberatzon hinchilanu, zikaron lema'ase bereshit. (Ki hu yom) techila lemikra'ei kodesh zecher letzi'at mitzrayim. (ki vanu bacharta ve'otanu kidashta mikol ha'amim) ve'shabbat kodshecha be'ahava uberatzon hinchaltanu,
Baruch ata Hashem, mikadesh hashabbat.
And it was evening and it was morning (whispered)
The sixth day. And the heavens and the earth and all their hosts were completed. And God finished by the seventh Day His work which He had done, and He rested on the Seventh Day from all His work which He had done. And God blessed the Seventh Day and made it holy, for on it He rested from all His work which God created to function.
Attention, Gentlemen! Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has hallowed us with His commandments, has desired us, and has given us, in love and goodwill, His holy Shabbat as a heritage, in remembrance of the work of Creation; the first of the holy festivals, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us from among all the nations, and with love and goodwill given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage.
Blessed are You Lord, who hallows the Shabbat.
