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There is a widespread custom among the Jewish people to fill up their kiddush cup to the point that it overflows. This overflowing of wine symbolizes Hashems blessing overflowing in our lives. I was told by someone that this wine is compared to the wine that we spill out during Pesach for the ten makkos which al pi kaballah is a high level of klippah and shouldnt even be touched let alone drunk.

Question: What if any is the source that one should not drink the wine that spills out of the kiddush cup as described above.

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  • Do you want answers of sources permitting?
    – HodofHod
    May 16, 2012 at 18:34
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    I've only seen that minhag by havdalah not kiddush.
    – Double AA ♦
    May 16, 2012 at 18:40
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    In a related Gemara, (Eruvin 65a-b) R. Hanin says that if wine is spilled in your house like water there is a bruchah, if not, not. I think the underlying idea of the bruchah is that your wine should be as plentiful as the water in your house, of which you wouldn't care if some spilled since you have so much of it. Therefore, I would think you should not drink the spilled wine since then you are implying that your wine is not as plentiful as water, and you do care if some of it goes to waste.
    – zaq
    May 16, 2012 at 21:57
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    @zaq Sounds like an answer to me!
    – Double AA ♦
    May 16, 2012 at 22:18
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    @Fred I believe that would be the subject of a machloket, if spilling can create pagum or not. Some say pagum means drunk from. I'll have to check for a source...
    – Double AA ♦
    May 16, 2012 at 22:20

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Eruvin 65a-b:

R. Hanin b. Papa stated: A person in whose house wine is not poured like water has not attained the state of blessedness;

for it is said: And he will bless thy bread and thy water (Mishpatim 23:25) as the 'bread' is food that may be bought with the money of the Second Tithe so is the 'water' a liquid that may be bought with the money of the Second Tithe. Now such a liquid is of course wine, and yet is called 'water'. If therefore, it is poured in one's house like water that house has attained to the state of blessedness, otherwise it has not.

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I think the underlying idea of the bruchah is that your wine should be as plentiful as the water in your house, of which you wouldn't care if some spilled since you have so much of it. Therefore, I would think you should not drink the spilled wine since then you are implying that your wine is not as plentiful as water, and you do care if some of it goes to waste.

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  • Isn't the very presence of the spilled wine the reason for the blessing? How could that which causes the blessing, and is blessed, be unfit for consumption?
    – EEE
    May 18, 2012 at 0:06

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