Parashat Bereishit: Halakhah
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Devash: Halakhah

Halakhah הֲלָכָה

Saying קִדּוּשׁ (kiddush) on Shabbat

The Kiddush we say on Friday night begins with pesukim from our parashah that describe how God rested on Shabbat after creating the world:
בראשית ב׳:א׳-ב׳
(א) וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכׇל־צְבָאָֽם׃ (ב) וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹהִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃
Genesis 2:1-2
The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. On the seventh day God finished the work that God had been doing, and God stopped on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that God had done.
Why are these verses recited for Kiddush?
When we are commanded to keep Shabbat in the Ten Commandments, the Torah says:
שמות כ׳:י״א
(יא) כִּ֣י שֵֽׁשֶׁת־יָמִים֩ עָשָׂ֨ה יהוה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖נַח בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֗ן בֵּרַ֧ךְ יהוה אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וַֽיְקַדְּשֵֽׁהוּ׃ {ס}
Exodus 20:11
(11) For in six days יהוה made heaven and earth and sea—and all that is in them—and then rested on the seventh day; therefore יהוה blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
Ramban understands that, since God’s rest on the seventh day of the creation of the world in our parashah is the reason for keeping Shabbat, that is why we quote our parashah when making Kiddush for the first time on Shabbat.
More About קִדּוּשׁ
When the Torah introduces Shabbat in the Ten Commandments, it says as follows:
שמות כ׳:ח׳
(ח) זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ׃
Exodus 20:8
Remember the day of Shabbat and keep it holy.
The Talmud (Pesahim 106a) teaches two things about this pasuk:
  1. The word “זָכוֹר (zakhor, remember)” actually means more than just thinking about Shabbat in one’s head. Rather, Shabbat must be “remembered” with words, out loud, together with using a cup of wine or grape juice.
  2. When we make Kiddush, it should be at the very beginning of Shabbat, on Friday night. But because the pasuk also highlights “יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת (yom hashabbat, the day of Shabbat)”, we must also say Kiddush in the daytime.
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