You be the Poseik: Are Two Kiddushim Better Than One?

Originally published 6/12/08, 9:22 AM.

Are Two Kiddushim Better Than One?
OR To Make Kiddush or NOT to make Kiddush?

Situation:

1. There is a Friday Night minyan in a shul at a Nursing Home.
2. The Minhag there is to make Kiddush at the Minyan in the shul.
3. Recently, the few residents who DO attend this minyan want to have a 2^nd Kiddush for themselves in the adjacent dining room after minyan.

Q: Given the fact that the residents will be making Kiddush later anyway in the same building - should Kiddush be made at In the Shul anyway?

Two Rabbis are in dispute on this issue: Rabbi Avraham [RA] & Rabbi Yitzchok [RI]

Rabbi Avraham says:Say Kiddush twice. First, the one in shul is due to Minhag only. Second is a real Kiddush for residents.

Rabbi Yitzchak argues and says say only once in the dining room, Since the original Takanah of Kiddush for orchim is actually being ignored by the only people subject to it.

RA says that Minhag is to say, original Takanah is ignored, anyway.

RI says: does a shul say Kiddush twice on Sukkos once in the shul and again in the Sukkah in order to keep up the minhag of saying in shul?

RA counters that regarding Sukkah, it over-rides the Minhag

RI then asserts that given that those who benefit from kiddush in shul are mochel this benefit it's a bracah levatalah. That the second Kiddush over-rides the Minhag of the first Kiddush. PLUS since in Yeshivos, Kiddush is said on premises in the dining room it exempts the minyan in Yeshiva from saying Kiddush in the Beis Midrashl. This analogy exempts Kiddush from shul given that it will be repeated for locals in dining room.

RA opines, but not all those in minyan eat in dining room so for THEM, Kiddush in shul is needed.

RI then argues that since the main takkanah is for Orchim in the shul, those who daven there but do not eat there don't really count anyway. And since the residents are taking the role of Orchim the Kiddush is levatalah.

And on it goes. So YOU make the call!

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Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com