Question: May we recite kiddush in our kitchen if we plan to eat in the dining room?
Answer: The Gemara (Pesachim 101a) teaches
that Shmuel maintains kiddush must be recited in the same location where
one will eat the seuda. Rav Anan bar Tachlifa observed Shmuel reciting kiddush
on the upper floor of his home. He then descended to the lower floor and
repeated kiddush before beginning his meal.
However, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 273:1) rules that if kiddush
is recited in one corner of the house and the meal is eaten in another part of
the same house, there is no need to repeat kiddush. The Rema extends
this ruling even to a sukka (see Magen Avraham 273:2). As an
illustrative case, the Mishna Berura (273:5) explains that if one recites kiddush
inside due to rain, and the rain subsequently stops, one may go out to the sukka
to eat, without needing to repeat kiddush.
Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura (273:5; Biur Halacha 273:1)
note that several authorities, including the Elya Rabba, the Vilna Gaon, and
the Maamar Mordechai, disagree with the Rema on this point. They argue that an
outdoor sukka, by virtue of its separate walls, is considered a distinct
domain. Therefore, unless one intended from the outset to move there, or can
see the sukka from the place where kiddush is recited, kiddush
would have to be repeated.
R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 54:9)
writes that, ideally, kiddush should be recited in the very room where
the meal will be eaten. This also includes an adjacent room, provided that one
has a clear line of sight to the dining area and intends to eat there. For
example, one may recite kiddush indoors and then eat on a balcony, as
long as the balcony is visible during kiddush. Bedieved, if one
recited kiddush in one room with the intention of eating in another room
that is not visible, kiddush does not need to be repeated.
In conclusion, kiddush should ideally be made in the
same room where the meal will take place. As long as there is visibility and
clear intent, slight movement between adjacent areas, such as from a kitchen to
a dining room, does not invalidate the kiddush. However, when moving to
a distinctly separate location, such as an outdoor sukka, one should
ensure either prior intent or visual continuity, in order to avoid the need to
repeat kiddush.
