We have finished the simanim of the Chayei Adam regarding kiddush, and we will now clarify
additional points not mentioned in the Chayei Adam. Today, we will discuss the pesukim added to kiddush.
The Mishnah Berurah raises the problem that we have a halacha that kol pasuk d’lo paskei moshe, anan lo paskinan, we do not divide pesukim differently than the way they were divided by Moshe Rabbeinu. In other words, we leave the pesukim intact, as we have them in the Torah, and do not divide them differently. The problem is that beginning the Friday Night kiddush with yom hashishi, or even from the words vayehi erev, is splitting the pasuk in a way different to Moshe Rabbeinu. Similarly, beginning the Shabbos Day kiddush with al kein is not the full pasuk either. Thus, the Mishnah Berurah raises the question about beginning Shabbos Day kiddush with al kein. He concludes that one should say the entire pasuk, and, preferably, the entire paragraph, since we have a similar concept that we do not split paragraphs of the Torah differently than the way they are separated by the Torah.
One suggestion to this question is that these prohibitions only apply to situations of learning. If a person is learning, and they come across a pasuk, they should see the entire pasuk and not divide it. Obviously, the pasuk was written that way for a reason. We have to understand it based on fire it is written. However, in our case, it is being done for the purposes of tefillah, so it is not an issue. Nevertheless, the MIshnah Berurah still holds it is proper to avoid the issue and recite the whole pasuk, and even the whole paragraph.
On Friday Night, if a person missed the bracha of hagafen but heard the rest of kiddush (the bracha of mekadeish hashabbos), they are yotzei kiddush, but should recite their own hagafen.
We know that when making kiddush, one covers the challos. We need to discuss whether it applies to mezonos as well. We know that the reason we cover the challah is so that it is not “embarrassed” by the wine preceding it. This is because hamotzi normally takes precedence before borei pri hagafen. Arguably, the same concept should apply to mezonos as well(which also takes precedence) and one should have to cover the mezonos. Therefore, the Kitzur SHulchan Aruch holds one should cover them. (it is important to note that the other reasons for covering, such as the man falling, would not apply here).
However, the Taamei Haminhagim brings that some have the minhag not to cover the mezonos. He explains that bread has inherent chashivus, so it is more “embarrassing” to the bread when it is preceded by hagafen. Mezonos, which does not have this inherent chashivus, does not have this issue. The minhag in our yeshiva (Yeshiva of Greater Washington) is to cover the mezonos, but in Telshe it was not covered.
Summary
- It is appropriate to begin the Friday Night and Shabbos day kiddush from the beginning of the pesukim they quote.
- On Friday Night, if a person missed the bracha of hagafen but heard the rest of kiddush, they are yotzei kiddush, but should recite their own hagafen.
- According to some, one should cover mezonos when making kiddush as well.
