The Halacha of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda" establishes that one does not fulfill the obligation of Kiddush unless he has a "meal" after Kiddush. As we’ve discussed in earlier editions of Daily Halacha, one fulfills this requirement with a Ke’zayit of bread, or, as the Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) notes in Birkeh Yosef, a Ke’zayit of "Mezonot" food, such as cakes and the like which are made from the five principal grains. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 273:5), based on the position of the Geonim, rules that drinking a Rebi’it of wine also suffices for "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda."
The Halachic authorities address the question of whether rice suffices for this requirement. On the one hand, the Beracha over rice is "Mezonot," and it provides satiation like other "Mezonot" foods. In fact, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) cites a view which maintains that although we recite "Boreh Nefashot" after eating rice, one who recited "Al Ha’mihya" fulfills his obligation. Thus, rice shares several properties with standard "Mezonot" food. On the other hand, as noted by Hacham Ovadia Yosef, there are two important distinctions between rice and other "Mezonot" foods. Namely, it is not one of the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael, and it can never yield an obligation of Birkat Ha’mazon. One who eats a very large quantity of other "Mezonot" foods is required to recite Birkat Ha’mazon, which is not the case when one eats a large quantity of rice. In light of these distinctions, Hacham Ovadia ruled that it does not suffice to eat rice after Kiddush. Although the Kaf Ha’haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) ruled that eating rice fulfills the requirement of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda," Hacham Ovadia disagrees, and rules that rice does not suffice.
The Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, Poland, 1637-1682) ruled that one can fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda" by eating dates. Unlike other fruits, he says, dates provides satiation, and therefore if one recited Birkat Ha’mazon after eating dates, he has fulfilled his obligation of Beracha Aharona. Moreover, dates are included among the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael. As such, the Magen Abraham writes, they suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda." Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagrees. He cites the Tosefet Shabbat who observed that the Gemara does not describe dates as providing satiation. The Gemara says that dates are "Zayni" – nourishing – but not satiating. And, the Shulhan Aruch explicitly rules that fruits do not suffice for "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda," without making an exception for dates. Therefore, eating dates does not suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda."
Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in Or Le’sion, discusses the question of whether eating noodles suffices for this requirement. Noodles differ from other "Mezonot" foods in that they are boiled, not baked, and, as such, eating a large quantity of noodles does not require one to recite Birkat Ha’mazon. Nevertheless, Hacham Bension concludes that one may eat noodles to fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Bi’mkom Se’uda," because their Beracha is "Mezonot" and they are made from grains included among the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael.
As mentioned in an earlier edition of Daily Halacha, when a Berit is performed in the synagogue after services on Shabbat, the one who recites the Beracha over wine – usually the Rabbi – should have in mind to fulfill the Kiddush obligation with this Beracha. He should then ensure to drink a Rebi’it of wine. The Ben Ish Hai mentions that this was the practice in Baghdad. If food is served after the Berit, then the Rabbi should have in mind that his recitation of the Beracha should fulfill the Kiddush obligation for the congregation, as well, and they must then eat a Ke’zayit of bread or of "Mezonot" food. Hacham Bension notes that this practice is acceptable despite the prohibition of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot" – that we do not group Misvot together into a single act. Firstly, he explains, there is no actual requirement to have a cup of wine at a Berit Mila, so strictly speaking, there is only one Misva involved (Kiddush). Secondly, the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) maintained that the rule of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot" applies only when performing two Biblical commands, and neither the cup of wine at Berit Mila nor the cup of wine for Kiddush is a Biblical requirement.
Summary: Kiddush must be recited in the context of eating, and thus one must eat after Kiddush either a Ke’zayit of bread or of "Mezonot" food. It also suffices to drink a Rebi’it of wine. Although the Beracha of "Mezonot" is recited over rice, eating rice does not suffice to fulfill this requirement.
