Sterling silver cup is basically a cup made out of gold and silver which is used during the Kiddush ceremony. In Hebrew Kiddush means sanctification. Kiddush is an occasion where a blessing is chanted over a wine or grape juice make a person holy. Now many Jewish families use a special cups during this occasion which is known as sterling silver cup.
Kiddush is a tradition that originated in fourth and six centuries. During this tradition, the rabbis used to drink wine before taking the meal. The sterling silver cup was used as the distinguishing cup which would let people know that a special occasion is taking place. The cup was made in order to mark special occasions. This occasion is very important to the Jews since it gives them the time to thank god for creating the world.
Importance of sterling silver cup
Sterling silver cup is basically crafted out of fine china, pewter, and pottery. The cup is ornamented with grapes or fruit before beginning the holy tradition of Kiddush. Sometimes the cup is organized with a bird decoration or the decorated with initials on the cup or the cup will be engraved with a Bible passage. There is another way the way of decorating the cup which involves decorating the cup with very simple townscape which will portray a synagogue. Most of the Jewish families have their sterling silver cup madeaccording to their need and convenience.
It has to be noted the sterling silver cup cannot be made with plastic materials. For instance, a plastic cup cannot be used to mark this special occasion. Furthermore, the sterling silver cup cannot be used for the occasion if the cup is malformed and chipped. Thus the sterling silver cup has be in the best condition before the blessing took place. The cup comes in different shapes and sizes but the amount of liquid it will hold is the same for everywhere.
Rules for using the sterling silver cup
There are few rules that the sterling silver cup follows. Firstly the wine poured into them in the cup should come from a sealed bottled. This means if the wine is used previously for drinking or it has been used for cooking then such wines cannot be used. Secondly, the wine should be not be tainted or deemed. If in case the wine is tainted the process of making it holy again involves mixing of a little-untainted wine.
Now thirdly if the wine is unavailable grape juice can be used. It has to be noted that any other liquid other than wine or grape juice cannot be used to mark this special occasion.
The cup should be placed in a tray to catch any spilled wine. Furthermore, besides the cup, there should be a book that offers prayers and a bottle of kosher wine to complete the setup. Prayers will be recited when wine or grape juice is poured into the cup. After the prayers have been done, the children present in the family will take a sip of grape juice or wine and mark the end of the occasion.
