I.Y. Zakhoder, Berdichev - Kiddush cup - Silver

This special Kiddush cup is an authentic piece of Jewish silverware from Berdichev, certified by the Kiev Assay Office. The object bears the master mark ИЕЗ, belonging to Israel Yeselevich Zakhoder, a prominent silversmith and owner of a well-known workshop that made its name producing high-quality Judaica.

Zakhoder’s work is known for its careful finish and timeless design, where religious tradition and artisanal craftsmanship come together. This Kiddush cup is a fine example of that and reflects the rich history of Jewish silverware in the Russian Empire.

The history behind this piece is particularly rich. The Israel Yeselevich Zakhoder Silver Workshop (ИЕЗ) was forced to leave Moscow in the early 1890s due to harsh measures against Jews and settled in Berdichev. Also the silver workshop of Girsh Ravkin (ГР), Zakhoder’s son-in-law, moved to this city. After the death of Israel Yeselevich, both workshops were merged under Ravkin’s leadership.

The cup is not only suitable for use during Shabbat and holidays, but also a valuable addition for collectors of Judaica and historical silver. A characterful object with a clear provenance and a meaningful cultural background.

Height: 4.5 cm. Diameter: 3.5 cm.

Weight: 16.2 g.

Provenance: From the collection of Devotionalia.

What is Kiddush?

Kiddush ("sanctification") is a short ceremony in which, in the evening, at the beginning of the Sabbath and other holidays, a prayer is pronounced over a cup of wine. The blessing is recited by the master of the house in the presence of the whole family, directly after returning from the synagogue, before the evening meal, and is repeated the following morning. The prayer consists of two blessings: one over the wine and one over the Sabbath or another holiday. The father uses the Kiddush cup with the proper contents, and all family members have their own smaller Kiddush cups. This is considered healthier than drinking directly from the same large, shared Kiddush cup.

The Aish Rabbi answers: The reason for sharing the wine (or grape juice) is that the Wise Ones recommend participating in a "cup of blessing" (kos shel bracha) – that is, a cup that has been used for a mitzvah. Thus the "blessing" is shared with the other present. Therefore, after blessing Kiddush, someone usually pours some wine from his own cup, which is then poured into smaller cups for the attendees.

It is important to share the wine correctly. The host should pour some wine from his own cup before he begins to drink. Not only is drinking from someone else’s cup considered off-putting to many, but only pure wine may be shared. Once someone has drunk from it, the wine is considered pagum (literally: "blemished") and is no longer valid for Kiddush – and only valid wine yields a blessing when shared. Alternatively, the person who recites Kiddush may pass his own cup after he has drunk. Although wine has already been consumed from it, since it remains in the original cup, it is not pagum and may be shared.

If the host pours wine from his own cup before he begins to drink, he must ensure that he pours only a small amount – so that he still has the full required quantity of a revi’it in his cup after pouring. (See this earlier answer on the required wine quantity.) If his cup is small and there are many guests, a common solution is to pre-pour a certain amount of wine from the bottle into a separate cup and then pour a little Kiddush wine into that cup before it is shared with others.

Finally, attendees should wait to drink the wine they have received until the host himself begins to drink. Moreover, after the host pours some wine from his cup into a second cup, he should drink it immediately before sharing the poured wine with others.