Halachot and Customs
Kiddush for the Birth of a Daughter
Question
Is it true that a girl whose parents did not make a kiddush for her at the synagogue, including the giving of her name, can have problems such as a delay in finding a match?
Thank you very much
Answer
Hello,
Indeed, some have cited in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler) zt"l, that through the kiddush made for the birth of a daughter, people come and bless the girl’s father that he should merit to see nachat from her, etc., and these blessings stand for her. And our Sages have already said (Berachot 7a): Do not regard the blessing of an ordinary person lightly in your eyes. All the more so when the public participates in the celebration and blesses from heartfelt joy. And if kiddush is not made, she is lacking these blessings, and it may cause various delays in life (see Responsa Teshuvot Vehanhagot, part 2, סימן קלב, end of the discussion beginning with Ve-l’inyan seudah; and Responsa U-derashta ve-Chakarta, part 3, Even HaEzer, סימן כב, paragraph 3).
However, in the book Derech Sichah, part 1 (page 33), it is brought in the name of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l that he cast doubt on this report in the name of his father zt"l.
In any case, it is never too late to make a kiddush, and someone for whom this was not done in childhood can make a kiddush at any time she wishes.
With blessing,
Hillel Meirs
