May Light Grape Juice Be Used for Kiddush?

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Q. In a previous Halachah Yomis you wrote that at home one should add only a minimal amount of water to grape juice that will be used for Kiddush, because it might change the taste. What about light grape juice that is already manufactured and contains about 33% water? Is that acceptable for Kiddush?

A. Rav Yisroel Belsky zt”l held that one may use light grape juice for Kiddush. Regular grape juice loses much of its taste when diluted with water. Therefore, only a relatively small amount of water may be added. Otherwise, it will cause a substantial change in taste. However, light grape juice is not made from regular grapes. Rather, it is produced from specially selected grapes that have a strong flavor, and the juice has a very intense taste. This juice can be watered down more effectively without losing its taste. Since many people actually prefer the taste of the less sugary light grape juice, this is considered an acceptable meziga (dilution), and therefore, it is acceptable for Kiddush.

This column comes from OU Kosher’s Halacha Yomis dedicated in memory of Rav Chaim Yisroel ben Reb Dov HaLevy Belsky, zt’l, Senior OU Kosher Halachic Consultant (1987-2016). Subscribers can also ask their own questions on Kashrus issues and send them to [email protected]. These questions and their answers may be selected to become one of the Q and A’s on OU Kosher Halacha Yomis.

{Matzav.com}


4 COMMENTS

  1. Way to go Matzav. You have an article talking about “light” grape juice, but yet, you post a picture of regular grape juice. Are you that lazy? What do you expect from a bunch of kids that never worked a day in their lives?

  2. Incomplete article, no mention of whether this would be acceptable for sephardim who hold more stringently per the Shulchan aruch’s psak.

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