Answer by Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin, Moreh Hora’ah – Beis Horaa in Rechovot, Israel:
Although the Torah obligation of kiddush is to sanctify Shabbos at its onset on Friday night, Chazal instituted kiddush of Shabbos day (Kidusha Raba – the “Great Kiddush”) to honor the day meal which is supposed to be more prestigious.
The essence of this kiddush is simply reciting a “borei pre hagafen” over a cup of wine. According to most authorities, like kiddush on Friday night, this mitzva is for both men and women.
One may not eat or drink before kiddush. However, unlike Friday night, if there isn’t any wine or formal drink on which to recite kiddush for Shabbos day, one doesn’t have to wait all day until it arrives.
What about before davening? While some poskim require kiddush before davening for someone who must eat or drink to daven, others argue that a pre-davening snack is inherently not the “enjoyable meal” (oneg) that the Shabbos meal must be.
Others argue further that since kiddush is attached to the meal and eating essentially does not take place before davening (except as needed for the sake of davening), the obligation for kiddush was from the start fixed for after shacharis. This is the accepted minhag.
Are women obligated to daven the amida (“Shemoneh Esrei”)? This is a subject of dispute amongst poskim. While the Alter Rebbe favors the stringent opinion, the practice of many women throughout the generations has been to follow the lenient opinion that suffices with a short tefilah each morning (e.g. brachos).
Accordingly, once a woman recites any tefilah on Shabbos morning she should be obligated to hear kiddush before eating since she is after davening.
Some contend that since a married woman is halachically obligated to eat with her husband, her kiddush obligation begins when her husband finishes shacharis (even before he returns home from shul).
However, the ideal practice is that she daven shacharis on Shabbos morning so that she won’t be obligated until after she davens. If she is lenient regarding davening during the week, she should have in mind not to fulfil her obligation of davening with brachos on Shabbos morning.
Published by Lamaan Yimshmeu newsletter of Merkaz Anash
As usual, these halachic discussions just leave us with more questions, and nothing answered.
It was. Once upon a time when we, as a community, were frum.
Now its just a meaningless party, held anytime from Friday night through havdallah. The whole point of keeping the kallah happily occupied while her father and brothers are at the ufruff, and so she shouldn’t accidently see her chossen walking to or from shul, has been forgotten. A long long time ago.
About the same time that sholom nekeiva or sholom bat were added to the list of life cycle celebrations.
Usually it’s Sahlosh Seudos.
Id love to know how this is permitted. either you must daven and kiddush before such a lavish breakfast. if one doesnt daven then kiddush should be recited because it is quite a lavish breakfast, no?