Silver kiddush cup, Heirs IE Zakhoder, Berdichev, 1907

Rare silver kiddush cup – Berdichev (Kiev Assay Office), 1907

This exceptional kiddush cup is a historic and collectible item from 1907 , hallmarked in Berdichev by the Kiev Assay Office . The cup bears an exceptional and well-documented combination of hallmarks used exclusively in this year .

The master's mark Н over ИЕЗ stands for Наследники И.Е. Заходера (Heirs of I.E. Zakhoder) . Israel Yeselevich Zakhoder was the owner of a silverware factory and a renowned manufacturer of Judaica . After his death in 1907, the workshop was continued by his heirs, which is reflected in the addition of the letter “Н” (Nasledniki / Heirs) to the original ИЕЗ mark. This makes this kiddush cup directly datable and extra rare.

In addition to the master's mark, the medals of an exhibition winner are depicted with the Н-ИЕЗ mark, a reference to the studio's recognition and quality. To the right of the assayer's head are the initials ЛО , belonging to Лев Олекс (Lev Oleks) , manager of the Kiev Assay Office. This specific combination of hallmarks was used only in 1907 , the year of Zakhoder's death. For a clearer representation of the hallmark, please refer to the appendix.

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 . The silver workshop of Girsh Ravkin (ГР) , Zakhoder's son-in-law, also moved to this city. After the death of Israel Yeselevich, the two workshops were merged under the leadership of Ravkin.

This kiddush cup is not only a functional ritual object but also a tangible piece of Jewish history, craftsmanship, and resilience. An exceptional acquisition for lovers of Judaica, Russian silver, and museum objects.

Height: 4.7 cm. Diameter: 4 cm.

Weight: 19.4 grams.

Provenance: From the Devotionalia collection.

What is Kiddush?

Kiddush ("sanctification") is a short ceremony in which a prayer is said over a cup of wine in the evening, at the beginning of the Sabbath and other holidays. The prayer is said by the head of the house in the presence of the entire family, immediately after returning from the synagogue, before dinner, and is repeated the following morning. The prayer consists of two blessings: one over the wine and one over the Sabbath or other holiday. The father uses the Kiddush cup with the appropriate capacity, and each family member has their own, smaller Kiddush cup. This is considered healthier than drinking directly from the same large, communal Kiddush cup.

The Aish Rabbi answers: The reason for sharing the wine (or grape juice) is that the Sages recommend partaking of a "cup of blessing" (kos shel bracha)—that is, a cup used for a mitzvah ("commandment"). In this way, the "blessing" is shared with the other attendees. Therefore, after reciting the Kiddush, a person typically pours some wine from their own cup, which is then poured into smaller cups for the attendees.

It is important to share the wine properly. The host should pour some wine from their own cup before drinking. Not only is drinking from someone else's cup considered offensive by many, but only pure wine should be shared. Once someone has drunk from it, the wine is considered pagum (literally, "defective") and is no longer valid for the Kiddush—and only valid wine confers a blessing when shared. Alternatively, the person saying the Kiddush can pass their own cup after drinking. Even though that wine has already been drunk, because it is still in the original cup, it is not pagum and may be shared.

If the host pours wine from their own cup before drinking, they should be careful to pour only a small amount—so that even after pouring, they still have the full required amount of revi'it in their cup. (See this previous answer regarding the required amount of wine.) If their cup is small and there are many guests, a common solution is to pour a portion of wine from the bottle into a separate cup beforehand, and then pour a little kiddush wine into that cup before sharing it with others.

Finally, those present must wait to drink the wine they have been given until the host begins drinking. In fact, after the host pours some wine from their cup into a second cup, they must drink it immediately before sharing the poured wine with others.