It says on http://www.dailyhalacha.com/m/halacha.aspx?id=2853 that "Several Halachic authorities, including the Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) and Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), understood the Bet Yosef (Orah Haim 271) as indicating that the obligation of Kiddush is fulfilled even if the wine is not drunk. Although the "Misva Min Ha’mubhar" – the highest standard of performing the Misva – requires drinking a "Melo Lugmav" of wine, the basic obligation is fulfilled even if nobody drinks." Can someone please tell me where exactly in the Aruch HaShulchan he says that drinking a melo lugmav is only the "mitzva min hamuvchar" and that "the basic obligation of Kiddush is fulfilled even if the wine is not drunk"?
1 Answer
Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chaim 271:38:
אלא וודאי דזהו דעתו של רבינו הב"י - דבלא טעימה אין המצוה כתקונה, אבל יצא ידי קידוש.
Clearly, then, this is the Beis Yosef's opinion: that without tasting [from the wine] the mitzvah hasn't been fulfilled in the optimal manner, but he has fulfilled his obligation of kiddush.
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Thanks. Is "mitzvah min hamuvchar" though the same as "mitzvah hatikunah"? "Mitzvah min hamuvchar" is a mitzvah done in the optimal manner, "the most choice manner," but is that also the meaning of "mitzvah hatikunah"? The latter I think is "the way a mitzvah ought to be done."– user24268Nov 6, 2020 at 19:42
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@BikSally I think "ketikunah" would be "the way the mitzvah is designed to work" (in this case, that after kiddush you should be drinking something), and "min hamuvchar" would be, as you said, "the most choice manner," say by drinking melo lugmav rather than just tasting. So in the quotation in your question, "min hamuvchar" would indeed be the appropriate term. (And then in my translation of the AHS's line, "in the way it was supposed to be done" would be better.) But this is all guesswork on my part.– MeirNov 6, 2020 at 21:14