CURR 43-46

A SEDER WITHOUT WINE

A blackberry wine has been advertised as “Kosher for Pesach.” Since blackberries grow on bushes and not on vines, would it be proper to have that wine in the Kiddush cup when the blessing is invoked which specifically refers to the “fruit of the vine”? Or would it be necessary to use the wine that came from grapes specifically? (From Rabbi Bernard Perelmuter, Erie, Pennsylvania.)

ALL the Talmudic literature constantly praises wine (grape wine) as a symbol of joy and blessing and health and, of course, takes it for granted that grape wine is used for Kiddush on Sabbath, holidays, and the four cups for Passover. The first question is, therefore, whether it is possible or permissible to use any other wine but grape wine for the holidays and especially for the Seder.

Actually, they knew and mentioned a large variety of wines, some of which would hardly be called wine. Besides the various fortified and spiced wines, they speak also of raisin wine, which is apparently not fermented but boiled. After Talmudic times there is reference to wine made from pomegranates or from apples, which would really be our apple cider. (See Yore Deah 114:3, and the references for the earlier sources.)

Now the question is whether these variations of wine or pseudo-wine are usable for religious purposes. The first dis-cussions concern the Sabbath. There is no question that on the Sabbath, substitutes for wine can be used, as is obvious from the fact that it is possible to make the Kiddush over bread or over whiskey. The law is clearly stated in the Shulchan Aruch, Orah Hayyim 272. In 272:8, while Joseph Caro himself says that there are “some who say” that we may not make Kiddush over boiled wine (i.e., non-fer-mented) and honeyed wine, nevertheless the weight of his own opinion is that we may make Kiddush on these. And so in 272:9, Isserles proposes the custom that if no wine is available, one may make Kiddush over bread, etc.

However, the law is generally stricter in demanding wine for the four cups of the Seder than it is for Kiddush on Sabbath. For example, Solomon ha-Levi (in his responsa quoted by Lamperonti in Pachad Yitzchok) says that at the Seder you may use nothing but wine. However, this is an extreme opinion. An opposite opinion, which became the law, starts with Issac Alfasi at the end of Pesachim. He says that he who has no wine can make Kiddush over the matzoh (just as on Friday night over the bread). He de-scribes the process as follows: The man makes the first of the two blessings over the matzoh, then lays his hand on the matzoh (in analogy to holding the wine cup) and after the Kiddush which he then recites, he makes the second bless-ing over the matzoh. Rabbenu Nissim in his commentary ( ad loc.) says that Alfasi derived this from a Gaonic de-cision in the case of a man who was not permitted to drink wine. This decision finally became law as one can see in the Shulchan Aruch, Orah Hayyim 483, in which it is clearly stated that one can conduct the Seder without wine. Caro gives the law there clearly and Isserles adds that in our countries where we drink mead, we may use this or any other liquor if it is prevalent in the country.

So it is clear that if one does not have wine or one may not drink wine or, according to Isserles, if other liquors are the favorite drink of the community, one may use them for the Passover Seder. Of course, one may not recite the bless-ing “fruit of the vine” over such liquors, but the general blessing, “everything created by His word.”

Now as to the actual status of this blackberry wine, since it is now clear that it is permissible. Which blessing should be recited over it? I consulted an expert in the wine business (M. O., of Pittsburgh) and he tells me that the blackberry in the blackberry wine is actually only a flavoring of the essence of blackberries, but that the bulk of blackberry wine is actually bland grape wine. Therefore this is exactly the situation with the various flavored wines mentioned in the Talmudic sources and may be used as a Passover wine, and the blessing over wine invoked. This latter might re-quire a little more thought on the question of the “change of taste” from usual grape wine. If the general taste is like wine, then it is simply like the various spiced wines and it may be used for the Seder.