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Passing the Kiddush Cup

Shalom,

I have seen seen people distribute the kiddush wine so many different ways at different homes. Some people pour from the kos into little cups for everybody. Some pass the kos around. Some people drink first and then pour, others pour into a separate cup and then drink from the original kos. Some people have everyone first put some wine into their own individual cup and then baal habayis makes kiddush and everyone drinks from their own cup.

Is any of these minhagim the most preferred halachically? If one of them is, is still better for me to follow the minhag my father uses even if it is not the most preferred halachically?

Thank you

Answer:

The important thing is that the person making kiddush should dring a melo lugmav (a cheek-full of wine). This should preferably be drunk from the kiddush cup itself, and it can be done after pouring out some wine for others, though a revi’is (86cc) should remain in the cup. Alternatively, it can be drunk from a cup into which the wine is poured, but the cup should preferable contain a revi’is (86cc) of wine. One should not pour into many cups before drinking, because this would constitute a lengthy interruption.

In a non-family environment, it is customary to pour out the wine first and then drink (either from the new cup or from the kiddush cup), for reasons of hygene, before passing round the wine to others.

Even in a family environment, this practice is fine, though one can also drink first and then pass round the cup.

Note that if one drinks first, the cup becomes ‘pagum,’ and if one plans to pour from it into small cups, one should first ‘mend’ the pegam by pouring a little more wine into the cup.

If the kiddush cup itself is passed round after drinking, there is no need to ‘mend’ the pegimah before passing round the cup.

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