Kiddush in the Same Room

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.