Okay, Rabotai (my masters), we are learning Aruch Hashulchan, and we are up to Yud-Dalet. We are in Siman Resh-Peh-Chet. The Gemara says, “Ketiv beShabbat vechibadto” (it is written, “You shall honor Shabbat”). When it comes to Shabbat, you have to honor it. How do you honor Shabbat? Rav says to move up the time of eating from the weekday: eat earlier than you normally eat during the week. “Vezeh kevodo”—that is its honor. For example, if a person normally eats lunch at 2:00, he eats at 12:30; if he normally eats at 1:00, he eats at 12:00. Eat a little earlier; don’t wait until your usual lunchtime.
Shemuel says the opposite: “Ule'acher mibachol vezehu kevodo shehu mitaveh le'echol”—eat later than you normally eat, and that is its honor because he desires to eat. Why? So you become hungry, and the Ta'avah (desire) for the Achilah (eating) is better. The Aruch Hashulchan says that, in his opinion, this depends on a person’s nature. If eating earlier is an Oneg (delight) for him—for example, if he has digested the meal from the previous night—he should eat earlier. If he gets up in the morning and says, “Wow, I’m hungry,” then the Din (law) is that he should eat early. But if someone gets up and says, “What a dinner last night; I can’t eat,” then he should eat whenever it is pleasurable for him. We are not talking about fasting. For fasting, he has a cup of water before he gets up and goes to shul in the morning. We are talking about what time a person should eat lunch on Shabbat. The Aruch Hashulchan says it depends on the person: if delaying is an Oneg for him, for example, because he has not yet digested his meal, he should delay eating.
The Gemara says that the sons of Rav Pappa bar Abba told Rav Pappa, “We have meat and wine every day. What can we do to make Shabbat different?” Rav Pappa answered, “If you normally eat early, delay the meal; if you normally eat late, eat early.” Make a difference in the time. The Kavod (honor) is in changing what is usual. Therefore, someone wealthy who eats good food every day should make a change on Shabbat by eating earlier or later. That will be a recognizable distinction in honor of Shabbat.
The Aruch Hashulchan says the same applies if a person eats in a nicer room on Shabbat than during the week. We eat in the kitchen all week, and on Shabbat we go to the dining room. Moving to the dining room shows that this is not a regular meal. That, too, is a Hekker (recognizable distinction) in honor of Shabbat. The same applies if a person uses expensive dishes on Shabbat and does not use them during the week. We have special plates for Shabbat. During the week we use regular plates and utensils; on Shabbat we take out the good ones. That is the Halachah (Jewish law).
We should have done section Vav in the last class. It says that someone fasting on Shabbat says Aneinu (Answer us) after finishing his prayer, without a concluding blessing, and includes it in Elohai Netzor. We saw that already. A person really should not fast on Shabbat, but if he fasts because of a Taanit chalom (dream fast) or for another reason, he says Aneinu in Elohai Netzor. He does not say a special blessing. That was Maran’s opinion. He may also say afterward the special “Ribbono shel Olamim galui” for a person who has had a bad dream. He says it at the end of the Amidah, as he would during the week, and he can say it on Shabbat as well.
Halachah Zayin: If eating early is pleasurable for him, for example, because he has digested the previous night’s meal, he should eat early. If delaying is pleasurable for him, for example, because he has not yet digested it, he should delay. Maran does not say that you must eat early or late; it depends on the person’s pleasure. The Rama adds that someone who has meals every day like his Shabbat meals should make a change on Shabbat by eating earlier or later.
Many people leave shul at 11:30 and eat at 11:45. Does a person normally eat lunch at 11:45? Or in our synagogue, we finish at 10:00 or 10:30, and they bring out kabab, lachmajin, and Scotch. Who eats meat at 10:45 during the week? Someone comes at 10:30 in the morning and offers him lachmajin. It is daytime. There are always exceptions, but I am speaking generally. Even on Tuesday, when they do Birkat Kohanim, people sometimes come to us. It is brought in the siddur. During Birkat Kohanim there is a special “Ribbono Shel Olam” that we say, which is supposed to nullify a dream. It begins, “Haro'eh chalom venafsho agumah yomar be'et nesi'at kapayim”—someone who has a dream and is distressed by it should say this during the Priestly Blessing. “Ribbono Shel Olam, ani sheli veshelcha bachalom, atah shelcha…”—the whole passage.
I never understand when people say not to pay attention to dreams, and then say that bad dreams are good. We saw the story, but we do not understand what was bad about it either. We said a person should not worry about dreams today. Chachameinu zichronam livrachah (may our sages’ memory be a blessing) said that instead he should read Tehillim, do Teshuvah (repentance), and give Tzedakah (charity). Nobody fasts today because of a dream.
Look at the Bi'ur Halachah. Don’t eat so early if you are still full. Is the Rama disagreeing with Maran? No, he is adding and explaining. He is saying that the “Ribbono Shel Olam” that you normally say for bad dreams can also be said on Shabbat. You might ask how you can pray for personal matters on Shabbat. The Aruch Hashulchan says that a person is happy to get rid of bad dreams, so this is not considered problematic or something that brings him sorrow.
Halachah Chet: “Ein mit'anim al shum tzarah”—we do not fast on Shabbat over any trouble. A war, trouble, or another calamity does not lead us to make a fast on Shabbat. If an event occurs that requires mercy and time is urgent, a person may pray and fall on his face individually. If there is a tragedy or emergency on Shabbat, an individual may make personal prayers, but we do not make it a Tzibbur (community) practice.
“Ein tzo'akim beShabbat” (One does not cry out on Shabbat)—we do not cry out on Shabbat—and we do not sound an alarm over any trouble, except for a food shortage. In that case, people may cry out verbally on Shabbat, but not with shofarot. This does not mean that you cannot scream; it means that we do not cry out in Tefillah (prayer) by saying Aneinu for every trouble on Shabbat. The exception is a danger of famine, when people need to be informed. Then they may call out Aneinu verbally on Shabbat, but they do not sound a shofar.
The text continues: a city surrounded by enemies, a city surrounded by water, or a ship in danger at sea. For example, you hear on Shabbat that a city is surrounded by enemies, a dam has broken and a flood is coming, or Jews on a boat are in danger of capsizing. Even an individual being pursued by enemies or robbers, or someone upon whom has fallen Ru'ach ra'ah (evil spirit), described as “szezehu sakanat hayom” (danger of the day), may be the subject of cries and prayers on Shabbat. These are cases of Sakanat nefashot (life-threatening danger). When there is Sakanat nefashot (life-threatening danger) on Shabbat, the usual restrictions do not prevent public prayers, though there is no Tzibbur practice of sounding a shofar. But we do not sound the shofar, unless it is needed to gather people to help their fellow Jews and save them, which is Piku'ach nefashot (saving a life). In the old days, they used a shofar to call people together. Today, you might call Hatzalah or something similar.
The Aruch Hashulchan explains that someone pursued by Ru'ach ra'ah has a dangerous kind of illness. Some people want to kill themselves, by drowning in a river or by strangling themselves. They may have suicidal thoughts or something like that, a mental issue. The same law applies to every sick person who is in danger that day. We do not say, “He is in danger, but we cannot pray today; wait until tomorrow.” We cry out and pray. They had the practice of saying special prayers for dangerously ill people when there was danger that day.
They also had the practice of blessing the person in the synagogue, changing his name, and saying Tehillim for him. If the danger is great that very day, they do this. The case of the seven children, who had already died, was unrelated; if there were danger at the time, of course they would open the heichal and make prayers. If he has been taken for emergency surgery, we do not say, “We cannot read Tehillim; wait until tomorrow.” You may pray and take out the Sefer Torah. But for an ordinary sick person, they do not do all that; they say Mi Sheberach (May He who blessed). A regular sick person who has had a cold for a while does not require taking out the Sefer Torah. We include him in the Mi Sheberach for the sick, including “Avraham ben Sarah,” or whoever it is. We also say, “Shabbat hi miliz'ok.” A woman who is a Maksheh leyeled (in difficult labor) on Shabbat is included among those whose illness is dangerous; special prayers and Tehillim may be said for her.
You can bless a sick person even if he is in another city; we are not concerned that he may have died. Most sick people recover, Baruch Hashem, so you do not have to worry that your prayer is unnecessary. But if they left him as a Gosses (person near death), do not bless him unless it is known that he is alive.
At the bottom of the Shulchan Aruch, the rule is simple: we do not fast on Shabbat over any trouble. Halachah Tet: “Ein tzo'akim velo mitchanenim bo al shum tzarah”—we do not cry out or plead on Shabbat over any trouble, except a food shortage, when people may cry out verbally but not with a shofar. The text lists a city surrounded by enemies or a river, a ship in danger at sea, an individual pursued by non-Jews or robbers, and Ru'ach ra'ah. In these cases, we cry out and pray on Shabbat, but do not sound a shofar unless we need to gather people to help and save others.
Halachah Yud: “Nirdaf mipnei ru'ach ra'ah she'amru, lav davka”—the case of someone pursued by a bad spirit is not limited to that. The same applies to any sick person who is in danger that day: people cry out and pray. They had the practice of saying masli'in on Shabbat for dangerously ill people. The gloss adds that it is permitted to bless a sick person who is in danger that day.
Now we need to do Resh-Peh-Tet. Who will read? The subject is increasing the Shabbat morning meal. “Yehe shulchano aruch umechubad beyom haShabbat uvifrat se'udah sheniyah”—the table should be set and honored on Shabbat, especially for the second meal. You have to set the table. You do not say, “It’s Saturday lunch; bring out paper plates, make a buffet, and everyone can come down in flip-flops and eat whatever they want by the pool.” No: “Yehe shulchano aruch”—set the table as you do Friday night, in honor of Shabbat.
What does it mean that the beds should be made? In the old days people slept throughout the house, and when they got up in the morning everything was upside down. In honor of Shabbat, straighten the couch and make everything look nice. Arrange the chairs as you would for an honored guest. Imagine a dignified guest coming to your house: the chairs are straight, everything is in order, and the flowers are out. Do the same for Shabbat. A cloth should be spread over the bread, as at the night meal.
The sages said in Pesachim 106 that the honor of the day takes precedence over the honor of the night. If someone has only one bottle of wine, or only one special food, he should save it for the day, unless it will spoil; then of course you have it at night. “Kavod hayom adif”—the honor of the day takes precedence. Any good food that can be prepared for the daytime meals should be saved for them, not used for the night meal.
Do not ask: if the honor of the day comes first, why is the night Kiddush from the Torah, while the daytime Kiddush is rabbinic? See the earlier citation of the Maharshal in siman 271, se'if 9. The answer is that the night Kiddush is because Shabbat is entering. On the contrary, the daytime Kiddush is only for the honor of the meal. What would be the purpose of that Kiddush if Shabbat had already begun? It is for the honor of the meal. You have already made Kiddush; how many times are you going to make Kiddush? The night Kiddush is the first Kiddush, accepting Shabbat. So there are two matters: Kiddush and the meal. For Kiddush, the night takes precedence, because that is the acceptance of Shabbat. During the day, the meal is primary. A person might think that if he has special wine, he should save it for Friday night. But the wine he is drinking is for the se'udah; the same applies to any food that will be more beneficial on Shabbat itself, so he saves it for Shabbat. That is why they make chamin and other special foods for Shabbat lunch.
The Aruch Hashulchan gives several reasons why the honor of the day takes precedence. First, the main meals are during the day, not at night. Second, at night a person has already eaten during the day on Erev Shabbat (Friday), so he is less hungry for a special meal; on Shabbat morning, he is hungry. Third, in the Beit HaMikdash, the main holiness was evident during the day, when the Musaf (additional prayer) offering was brought; there was no Temple service at night. He also says that the main force of the time is during the day, citing a discussion in the Gemara about Yitzchak’s argument in the future. The Gemara says God wanted to punish Bnei Yisrael because of their sins. Yitzchak said, “How much did they sin? Remove the nights, when they are sleeping and do not sin; then you have already discounted half.” So the service of God is in the daytime. These are the reasons he gives for the day’s honor taking precedence.
The daytime meal also requires Kiddush over a cup of wine before the meal, rabbinically, based on “Zachor et yom haShabbat lekadsho” (Remember the Shabbat day, to sanctify it). “Yom” does not mean daytime as opposed to night; the day is a full twenty-four-hour period, as it says, “Vayehi erev vayehi voker yom echad” (There was evening and there was morning, one day). Rather, the word “yom” is extra: the verse could have said, “Zachor et haShabbat lekadsho.” The extra word teaches that there is something special to do during the day, namely Kiddush. The daytime Kiddush is for the honor of the day and the meal. Since we are supposed to have a nice meal, we enhance it with Kiddush beforehand.
The Aruch Hashulchan says he found a proof in Shut Keter, which brings the Rashba in Pesachim. They brought a cup of wine and made a blessing over it to distinguish the Shabbat manner of eating from the weekday manner. During the week you do not make Kiddush, but you want to show that this is a different meal. So the daytime Kiddush is to show that the moment is special. Its essential blessing is Borei peri hagefen (Creator of the fruit of the vine). Mizmor leDavid and the other additions are extra. If someone does not have a siddur, he can say the blessing over the wine. The women should know the other passages too, but the blessing over the wine is the Kiddush.
The Gemara calls it Kiddusha Raba, but that is Sagi nahor ( euphemistic opposite): it is a joke. It is really Kiddusha ze'ir—it’s a small Kiddush. They do not want to call it Kiddusha ketana, so they use Lashon nekiah and call it Kiddusha Raba. It is one line. Someone thought it was called the great Kiddush because the meal is important, but we are talking about the Kiddush itself. How many words is it? “Baruch atah Hashem, Elokeinu Melech ha'olam, borei peri hagefen” (Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine): nine words. “Harei at mekudeshet li” is three words, so this has only one more. Friday night has more than seventy words.
The blessing of wine appears in every Kiddush, which is another reason for the name Kiddusha Raba, according to the explanation given. Some say verses of “Zachor et yom haShabbat” before Kiddush; some begin with “Al ken berach.” That phrase is in the middle of a verse. The explanation is that their Kavanah (intention) is not to recite the verse or divide it; they are just saying a few words before Kiddush. Some say Mizmor leDavid, and some say the passage of the incense. But the Gemara clearly indicates that they said nothing: they began with the blessing over the wine and drank.
The Gemara tells of a rabbi who was asked to make Kiddusha Raba. He thought that surely he should say Borei peri hagefen, so he said, “Savrei maranan (With your permission, masters) verabbanan, borei peri hagefen.” He looked around, saw everyone drinking, and understood that he had done the right thing. The Aruch Hashulchan says that in his youth he saw great scholars who said nothing before this Kiddush. Our custom is Mizmor leDavid and the other passages.
After Kiddush, do Netilat yadayim (ritual handwashing) for the meal and eat Lechem mishneh (two loaves), as at night. Some have the practice of eating sweets after Kiddush, such as lekach, and other foods. If they eat immediately, they do not need a final blessing for that, as was explained earlier. There are different customs: some make Kiddush, eat a little, and then wash their hands. They want to add blessings, but then there are questions about whether a final blessing is required. If you eat several kibbeh and then wash, do you say Al hamichyah? If you ate fruit or vegetables, do you say Nefashot? Perhaps you can wash and then say Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals). We will discuss exactly what to do. Some people deliberately wait after Kiddush and eat foods that require different blessings. On Shabbat, they say, it is not an unnecessary blessing because they need Me'ah berachot (one hundred blessings). That is a custom. I went to Chacham Yaakov Eliezrov on Friday night, and after Kiddush they had nuts and other things. Iraqi Jews have blessings for tree fruits and vegetables, and then they wash. That is another subject.
If a person waits a while after eating, he certainly needs a final blessing. If you make Kiddush, eat something, and plan to eat the meal at 1:00, you need a final blessing; it is not connected to the meal. The early authorities did not eat sweets after Kiddush. They washed their hands and ate the meal right after Kiddush.
Before Kiddush, it is forbidden to taste anything, even water, as at night. Before prayer, however, one may drink hot coffee because the obligation of Kiddush has not yet taken effect. Before Musaf, it is forbidden, since after Shacharit (morning prayer), according to most opinions, the obligation of Kiddush has taken effect. I once saw people in Morocco go out between Torah readings and eat something. I do not know whether they made Kiddush; they must have, because otherwise they could not eat. They are hungry, and their prayers are very long. They also have a shiur Chatzot; as we said, they can have a cup of coffee before the shiur to get around that.
This Kiddush is not made over bread. On Friday night, if you do not have wine, you can make Kiddush over bread. On Shabbat morning, if you do not have wine, you do not make Kiddush over bread. The distinction is recognizable on Friday night because the blessing of Kiddush is “mekaddesh haShabbat.” During the day, if you use bread, you say Hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz (Who brings forth bread from the earth); there is no recognizable sign that this is Kiddush. Therefore, where wine is not available, you can make Kiddush over yayin saraf or shechar. There are opinions that at night Kiddush must be over bread when wine is unavailable, but in the morning all agree that other drinks can be used; even if a drink is not Chamar medinah (local beverage), there is no loss because only its blessing is involved, and at least there is a Hekker for Kiddush.
The Aruch Hashulchan says that, in his humble opinion, if there is no other drink, one can even make Kiddush over milk. If there is no drink at all, eat without Kiddush: say Hamotzi over bread with the intention of Kiddush. Before doing so, do not eat anything. If there is no bread either, one can eat other food. The Pri Megadim gives several leniencies: if you have no bread, for example in a hotel, you do not have to starve; eat.
The Shulchan Aruch’s basic ruling for Resh-Peh-Tet is that the table should be set, the chairs arranged, and the bed made nicely, with a cloth spread as at the night meal. Bless the wine with Borei peri hagefen, which is called Kiddusha Raba. Then wash your hands, break the two loaves as at night, and eat. This Kiddush must be in the place of the meal, and one must not taste anything before it, as with the night Kiddush. It is permitted to drink water in the morning before prayer because the obligation of Kiddush has not yet taken effect.
The Mishnah Berurah explains that the bed should be made from Erev Shabbat, or made so that someone can sleep in it on Shabbat. You cannot prepare the house on Motza'ei Shabbat (Saturday night). You may prepare on Erev Shabbat for Shabbat, or on Shabbat for Shabbat. If someone comes home and makes the bed for Motza'ei Shabbat, that is a problem. If the unmade room makes someone unable to be at ease, that may be different, but the discussion here is about beds upstairs that no one will see. Why are you making them? For Motza'ei Shabbat. From the Mishnah Berurah, it sounds like there is a problem, though we would have to see whether there is a leniency.
The Mishnah Berurah also says that some people begin with “Veshamru venei Yisrael et haShabbat” (The children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat) or “Zachor et yom haShabbat,” and some begin with “Al ken berach.” He says that beginning with “Al ken berach” is not proper, because a verse that Moshe did not divide, we do not divide. The Ben Ish Chai says that there is an etnachta before “Al ken berach,” which is why the custom is not a problem. Although it is in the middle of a verse, the verse itself has a pause there; as long as there is an etnachta, a pesik, or a comma, it is not a problem. It is not intended as reciting half a verse, but as a few words in honor of Shabbat. This is like what we do in Kriat Shema al Hamitah.
The Mishnah Berurah says that after eating, some sing songs of praise. It is good to learn some Torah before eating. We have a class before going home for lunch. One should not taste anything before Kiddush, and women are included in this rule.
The Shulchan Aruch says that where wine is not available, shechar and other drinks, except water, are Chamar medinah, and one may make Kiddush over them. If there is no shechar or other drink, eat without Kiddush. The Mishnah Berurah explains that where wine is available, one should not make Kiddush over beer. That is the Halachah. If there is wine, wine comes first. If there is no wine in your house, and a neighbor has some, borrow it. They have the custom to make sure wine is arranged wherever possible for Shabbat morning.
Many later authorities agree that a drink that is not Chamar medinah cannot be used for Kiddush, even in the morning. Chacham Ben Tzion says it must be an intoxicating drink that people normally drink in that place and would serve to a guest. Milk, juice, and coffee are out. For many years he held that whiskey in Israel was not Chamar medinah. Arak was the local drink; Scotch was drunk abroad. Now people have started drinking Scotch in Israel, so perhaps it has become Chamar medinah. It depends on the local custom. It must be a significant drink that people normally drink, not merely something to quench their thirst, and there must be no wine.
The Shulchan Aruch says that if you have no drink, you eat without Kiddush. The explanation is that if you have bread, say Hamotzi over it with the intention of Kiddush, and do not eat anything else first. If you have no bread, eat without Kiddush. Do not cancel the delight of Shabbat because of this. On Friday night, if you have no bread, wine, or other drink, but you have food, some say that if you expect something to arrive, wait a few hours, but in any case you do not have to wait past Chatzot (midday or midnight). If you are weak, you do not have to wait; eat something without Kiddush, relying on the fact that you made Kiddush in the Amidah. When wine arrives, you can make Kiddush.
The Chesed La'alafim says the table and house should be prepared nicely, with a cloth spread as at the night meal. One should bless the wine with Borei peri hagefen, called Kiddusha Raba, and say Leshem yichud (For the sake of unification), “Hineni va lekayem mitzvah lekadesh al hayayin Kiddusha Raba.” Then wash your hands and break the upper loaf of the two loaves. According to the Zohar, you take from the top loaf, not the bottom. If there is no wine, bread, or beer, one eats without Kiddush, at night as well. If he is certain that something will be brought, he should wait until midnight. Some say that if he expects it, he should wait until the next day, if he is not suffering. For daytime Kiddush he does not have to wait, but a Yereh shamayim (God-fearing person) should not put himself in that situation. Get wine; do not be clever.
The Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah cites the Brisker Rav as saying that for Kiddusha Raba, everyone who is fulfilling the obligation of Kiddush should taste from the Kiddush cup. Since the main purpose of Kiddush is the honor of the meal, and wine should be drunk before the meal, it is not enough for only the person making Kiddush to drink. That is our custom anyway? No, not everyone drinks in shul. I make Kiddush, Sol Dagmy takes the cup and drinks it, and that is all. The wine itself does not mean anything; the point is Kiddush. His reasoning is that since the whole purpose is the honor of the meal, everyone should drink from the wine.
However, the opinion of Shelomo Zalman Auerbach is to be lenient. Let us look at Yechaveh Da'at, volume five, daf eighty-nine, in the footnote. Chacham Ovadia addresses what was written in Moadim U-zmanim in the name of Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav: that someone listening to daytime Kiddush does not fulfill his obligation unless he hears it and enjoys it. The Brisker Rav held that one must taste the wine to fulfill the daytime Kiddush, and that is why those who are stringent want to taste it.
But the words of the Gaon of Lissa and the other later authorities clearly show that one fulfills the obligation even without tasting the wine. The Maharam mi-Rothenburg used to fast on Rosh Hashanah because he considered it part of the Ten Days of Repentance, but he made Kiddush for his household because it is from the Torah. The Magen Avraham says that just as the person making Kiddush may refrain from tasting the wine, the same applies to the listener, who is considered as answering. If the person making Kiddush does not have to drink and can give it to someone else, the listener also need not drink if the person making Kiddush drank.
The Nimukei Yosef says that specifically for Hamotzi the people at the table may not taste the bread before the person making the blessing tastes, because he is obligated to taste. But for Kiddush, the obligation is only that someone else taste; someone else can drink. That is what happened in the Gemara in Pesachim: the rabbi said Borei peri hagefen, saw someone begin drinking, and then drank himself. The point is that for Kiddush the person making it does not have to drink; someone else can. The Shut Giborim likewise writes that listeners fulfill the obligation of daytime Kiddush without tasting. Chacham Ovadia concludes that even when the person making Kiddush drinks alone, the listeners do not need to taste, and everyone fulfills the obligation. As long as he drinks the proper amount, kime'lo lugmav, there is nothing to worry about. The same applies Friday night.
There is a separate question about someone who did not drink from the Kiddush cup. Chacham Ovadia says that he must make Shehakol on the drink he has. If he has his own wine, he says the appropriate blessing over it; that is not considered drinking from the Kiddush cup.
The Shulchan Shelomoh discusses someone who drank wine and said Borei peri hagefen, then remembered that he had not yet made Kiddush. The question is whether his blessing and drinking can count as Kiddush. If he intended to drink more wine, or normally drinks more wine during the meal, there is no recognizable distinction in drinking another cup without making a blessing, so the discussion may require him to bless over the bread. There is also a custom, brought by the Kaf Hachayim, to eat whole cooked eggs at the Shabbat morning meal, sometimes cooked in the oven or in the cholent. One explanation is that Moshe Rabbeinu died on Shabbat, and the egg is a sign of mourning; some particularly eat eggs at the third meal, when he died.
The Yafeh Laleiv says that eating eggs on Shabbat morning is not because of mourning for Moshe, since he did not die in the morning but in the evening, at Minchah (afternoon prayer). Rather, people do it for Oneg Shabbat. The more meticulous have the custom in the evening, after Minchah, at the third meal.
Harav Chaim Palagi discusses the issue of saying “Al ken berach Hashem et yom haShabbat vayekadeshehu” (Therefore Hashem blessed the Shabbat day and sanctified it). Rav Pe'alim, part one, siman eleven, discusses it as well. The Mishnah Berurah says not to say it because it is half a verse; one should say the whole verse from the beginning or not say it at all. But Rav Pe'alim cites the custom from the Etz Chaim, which is based on the words of Rabbeinu Ha'Ari, and says not to object to it: who would be more concerned than he? If the Ari was not concerned about it, says the Ben Ish Chai, do not object. The Yachin Uvo'az says that the cantillation marks were given to Moshe at Sinai. Wherever there is an etnachta or zakef katon, it counts as a separate section, so there is no concern. The Yachin Uvo'az says this reasoning of Rav Pe'alim is sound.
The verse says, “Vayanach bayom hashevi'i”—there is an etnachta! Then it says, “Al ken berach Hashem et yom haShabbat vayekadeshehu.” So there is no problem. The Ari knew what he was doing. He was not concerned and said “Al ken berach.” In Kriat Shema al Hamitah, we say “Yoshev beseter elyon” (He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High), and then “Ki atah Hashem machsi” (For You, Hashem, are my refuge), not “Elyon samta me'onecha”; that phrase is also in the middle of a verse, at an etnachta.
Chacham Ben Tzion discusses whether one may begin Friday-night Kiddush with “Yom hashishi” and say “Al ken berach” in the morning, or whether this violates the prohibition against reciting half a verse. He permits both. The Mishnah Berurah says some people begin with “Al ken berach” improperly, because a verse that Moshe did not divide, we do not divide. Rav Pe'alim already addressed this and explained that where there is an etnachta, it is like the end of a verse. He also explains “Yom hashishi” because it is only two words. The concern about dividing a verse is not that one can never say a single word: “Vayomer” or “Daber” would be too short; the minimum is three words, let's say. Another possible explanation is that the prohibition applies to public Torah reading, not to an individual.
The Ben Ish Chai, in Bereishit, second year, ot kaf-tet, says that this is the order of Kiddush established according to Rabbeinu Ha'Ari. After prayer, one enters the house and says “Shabbat Shalom” aloud and with great joy. He kisses his parents' hands if they are alive, looks at the candlelight and at the two candles, and receives from them. He describes the other preparations, including taking the hadassim and making hakafot, then says that the preparation of speech includes Leshem yichud and Atkinu se'udata, and that before arranging Kiddush one should say Leshem yichud. The blessing of Kiddush is the aspect of speech, and first one should say Mizmor leDavid Hashem ro'i (A psalm of David: Hashem is my shepherd). At the very least, one should say Mizmor leDavid Hashem ro'i, and afterward “Yom hashishi vayechulu hashamayim” (The sixth day; the heavens and the earth were completed). There are several reasons according to the esoteric tradition for adding the two words “Yom hashishi.” So do not object that it is half a verse; the Ben Ish Chai says there are esoteric reasons for it. Chacham Ben Tzion permits beginning with “Yom hashishi” and saying “Al ken berach,” though he did not mention “Yom hashishi” in that discussion.
The Kabbalists explain that “Yom hashishi vayechulu hashamayim” corresponds to the Divine name and a particular count: 70 letters and 70 words, Shiv'in al gabei chamshin. That is what Rabbeinu Ha'Ari said.
Now we come to the question of eating before Kiddush. The Mishnah Berurah says that when you get up in the morning, you may have water, tea, or coffee, because the obligation of Kiddush does not take effect until after Shacharit. The Mishnah Berurah applies this to women as well: when a woman wakes up and wants tea, she does not need to make Kiddush first. Shabbat applies to women too.
Chacham Ben Tzion asks whether women may drink before prayer on Shabbat. One might expect the answer to be that a woman is permitted just like a man. He distinguishes: a woman who regularly prays may drink before prayer, as a man may. But a woman who does not regularly pray may not drink until she makes Kiddush. The explanation—that the obligation of Kiddush does not take effect until after prayer—applies if she prays. If she does not pray, the obligation is upon her as soon as she wakes up. The question is what she normally does during the week; it is her regular practice, not just what she does that Shabbat. Some days she may pray Minchah or Arvit instead.
Chacham Ovadia’s Halichot Olam agrees with Chacham Ben Tzion. It adds that in a pressing situation, such as a woman who is somewhat ill, she may rely on the authorities who permit tasting before daytime Kiddush. The discussion is in Bereishit, section Tet-Vav. Men are not obligated in daytime Kiddush until after prayer, so they may drink tea or coffee before Shacharit. Women, however, who do not have a fixed time for prayer, may not taste even water after dawn before Kiddush. In a pressing situation or if a woman is somewhat ill, she may rely on the authorities who permit tasting before Kiddush, since the day was already sanctified the night before by the night Kiddush. This applies to a woman who does not regularly pray Shacharit every day. A woman who regularly prays Shacharit may taste on Shabbat morning before prayer.
So Chacham Ben Tzion is also lenient in a case of illness. Even for a man, after Shacharit there is room to be lenient if he is ill, because there is a Safek sefeika (double doubt): perhaps one may eat a small amount before Kiddush, and perhaps the obligation of Kiddush does not take effect until after Musaf. All the more so, there is room to be lenient for a woman before Shacharit if she is ill.
Igrot Moshe discusses a married woman who is bound to eat with her husband. If her husband has not yet prayed, it is not yet time for her to eat either, and she may eat without Kiddush. But if her husband has prayed, the obligation of Kiddush has taken effect for him. If he wants to wait for some reason, the obligation has also taken effect for her, and she must make Kiddush if she wants to eat. According to Rav Moshe, she is bound to her husband’s Kiddush. The Shulchan Shelomoh questions whether this bond is established, and whether it could permit her to eat without Kiddush. That is a matter for discussion.
Yabi'a Omer says that the condition “where wine is not available” does not apply in Israel, where wine is available everywhere. Even if you do not have wine, your neighbor may have some; if there is an eruv, go borrow it. It is a rare case in which they will permit Chamar medinah.
Tomorrow we need to learn the Bi'ur Halachah on the obligation of Kiddush. It says that someone permitted to eat and drink before prayer for medical reasons should plainly make Kiddush first. This is a novel point: he is not merely having coffee, but a meal before Shacharit because he is ill. The authorities permit a sick person to eat before prayer, but the Bi'ur Halachah says he must make Kiddush first. The usual obligation takes effect after Shacharit or Musaf, but if he is going to eat beforehand, he must make Kiddush first.
Chacham Ben Tzion asks whether a sick person who must eat before Shacharit needs to make Kiddush first. He answers that he does not, and should make Kiddush over wine after prayer. He questions why the Bi'ur Halachah considers it obvious that a sick person eating before prayer must make Kiddush first. The main obligation of Kiddush is only after Shacharit. A woman who does not pray has the obligation before prayer because she never prays, so there is no later prayer after which the obligation could take effect. But a sick man who is obligated to pray and must eat now does not have the obligation of Kiddush until after prayer. The same appears in Beit Menuchah. If he nevertheless wants to be stringent and make Kiddush beforehand, it appears he should repeat Kiddush after prayer, because the earlier Kiddush did not fulfill the obligation.
If you don't learn and don't open up these other poskim, you're going to make mistakes left and right. You're not going to know exactly how to be Jewish. You'll be an Ashkenaz Jewish. You're not going to be Jewish according to the Sefardim. Yabi'a Omer, volume eight, siman thirty-one, discusses a sick person who, on doctors’ orders, must eat in the morning before Shacharit on Shabbat or a holiday. Does he have to make Kiddusha Raba first, or may he eat without Kiddush? Chacham Ovadia’s conclusion is that by law a sick person who eats before Shacharit does not have to make Kiddusha Raba, especially if he does not need bread or cake to establish a meal. If he wants to make Kiddush bimkom se'udah (Kiddush at the meal) over wine and then eat bread or cake to fulfill Kiddush in the place of a meal, he may taste the amount of wine called kime'lo lugmav, since his intention is only for the mitzvah of Kiddush. Nevertheless, after praying Musaf, he should make Kiddush again. This follows the Chida’s view: someone who wants to taste before Musaf should make Kiddush, taste a little bread or fruit, and then make Kiddush again after Musaf, thereby fulfilling the obligation according to all opinions. So, in principle, he agrees with Chacham Ben Tzion; he is just giving rules for someone who wants to make Kiddush beforehand, including what he has to eat.
Baruch Hashem le'olam amen ve'amen (Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen). Rabbi Chananya ben Akashya says: “Ratza HaKadosh Baruch Hu lezakot et Yisrael, lefichach hirbah lahem Torah umitzvot, shene'emar, Hashem chafetz lema'an tzidko yagdil Torah veyadir.”