What is the halachic or Torah approach to the Kiddush Club?
Question:
What is the halachic or Torah approach to the Kiddush Club?
In the scenario I have encountered, the majority of a Shul disappears suddenly and simultaneously out the back door of the shul immediately after the Torah reading of Shevii each Shabbos. They are absent for Maftir, Haftorah, the Rabbi’s speech, and half of them do not return for Musaf. During this time, the Shul is bewildering empty and quiet, while after their return (those who indeed return) it grows boisterous and noisy. The attendees of this Kiddush Club make kiddush and have enjoy light refreshments and lechaims. They insist there is nothing wrong and it is a powerfully positive social element of Shul life. They argue that some individuals come to shul only for this event. They also insist that the Torah reading is over by then (apparently because Maftir is just a repitition). However, it seems to be highly disrespectful to the Torah reading, to the Shul, to the Rabbi, to the Neviim whose words are read at the Haftorah, to Chazal who instituted the Haftorah. Above all, it seems to me to be disrespectful to Hashem. We come to His home (the Shul) and walk out to party in the middle of listening to Hashem addressing us (through the Torah and Haftorah especially)! We would not dream of doing that to an important dignitary who invited us to attend an event at their residence. We wouldn’t even do that to a friend, to set up an alternative party at our friend’s home in the middle of our friend’s birthday party! It looks to me to be a public and collective mutiny, a Perikas Ol in public by a sizeable public. This Kiddush Club takes place even when the Shul holds a Kiddush or full meal after davening. There are other issues, such as promoting alcohol, chinuch, etc. Many are seeking proper halachic or hashkafic clarity on this issue (although many more are seeking a shot of two of alcohol!). Some of the rabbis I have spoken with are too timid or vulnerable in their positions to convey their true views to those who need to hear them (and I understand the challenges doing so might present).
Answer:
Obviously unacceptable on so many levels. See at length here:
Halacha2go.com #424: Kiddush between Shacharis and Leining מ”מ
It׳s important to note that some of today׳s “Kiddush clubs״, in which some people leave the minyan in the middle of davening to make Kiddush and socialize, often lead to disorderly conduct and to disturbing the decorum of the shul. Additionally, quite often it takes place during the actual services, and the participants miss out on parts of davening, or they daven some parts without a minyan. Unfortunately, in many cases it leads to intoxication during davening—and it׳s explicitly prohibited to daven while intoxicated. In addition, there is the serious safety concern of substance abuse, as well as the negative impact this behavior has on children.
As an aside – but this is not the key issue – when making kiddush before musaf one may not eat mezonos more than the volume of an egg, or drink an alcoholic beverage that amount.
Sources:
ראה שו״ת מהר״י אסאד השמטות ב, רנג. משנה שכיר א, א.
ובהגהות רעק״א ובשבילי דוד או״ח רפו הקשו על המג״א שם א, שהרי אסור יין המשכר כמ״ש במג״א רלב, יז. וצ״ל שכוס דקידוש שאני שהוא לשם קידוש ולא חיישינן שימשך משא״כ בנמשך בשתי׳ אח״כ. וראה וילקט יוסף יג סי׳ ריא.
ובכ״מ דל״ש רבים מדכרי ושומר לפני מוסף שזמנה כל היום – ראה גם שו״ת שלמת חיים מהדו״ח רנד.
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