Kiddush Blessings
The weekly kiddush predates the celebration of Christian communion, as it was instituted 500 years earlier during the Babylonian exile, according to Tractate Brachot 33a of the Babylonian Talmud. The Didache, which was a first-century manual for Christian conduct in Gentile-based churches and was at least a contemporary of the Book of Revelation if not written earlier, uses the Jewish weekly kiddush as the basis for communion in Didache 9:1-10:7, ‘Christianizing’ its blessings. Now, of course, the Apostle Paul referred to Jesus’ words during the Passover to refer to the elements in 1 Corinthians 11:17-33, which is why the Christian Church has honed in on the body and blood of Jesus for their meaning, which is completely understandable. As Judeo-Christians, we take from both of these texts—and traditions—as a foundation for our observance of kiddush. Let’s explore these below.
The Didache
In order to understand what The Didache is doing here, we first have to look at the traditional Jewish kiddush. The focus of kiddush is on thanking the LORD for His provision of drink and food for us as part of Shabbat. (The word kiddush is derived from the word holy in Hebrew, but is used in the context of thanksgiving—as in something set apart specifically for thanksgiving.) The Didache mirrors the Jewish brachot (blessings) exactly, and in the same order as the weekly Jewish kiddush.
For the wine:
(Jewish): Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei peri ha’gafen. (Translation): Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the Vine.
(The Didache 9:2): We thank You, our Father, for the fruit of the Holy Vine of David, Your servant, which You made known to us in Jesus Your Son; to You be the glory forever.
For the bread:
(Jewish): Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam ha motzi lechem min ha’aretz. (Translation): Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
(The Didache 9:3-4) We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Son; to you be the glory forever. Even as this broken bread was once scattered over the hills by seed, and was brought forth from the earth to become one, so let Your people be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus our Messiah forever.
After drinking and eating:
(The Jewish Birchat HaMazon—Blessings after Meals—is quite lengthy, so I won’t reproduce the transliterated Hebrew or the translation in full here. You can read the entire thing at this site; however, here are the first few paragraphs for comparison): Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, with kindness, and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack [food], and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name.
For He, benevolent God, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You, Lord, who provides food for all. We offer thanks to You, Lord our God, for having given as a heritage to our ancestors a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, Lord our God, from the land of Egypt, and redeemed us from the house of bondage; for Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You have made known to us; for the life, favor, and kindness which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly nourish and sustain us every day, at all times, and at every hour.
For all this, Lord our God, we give thanks to You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of every living being, constantly and forever, as it is written: When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.
(The Didache 10:2-6) We thank You, holy Father, for Your holy name which You have caused to live in our hearts, and for Your knowledge, faith, and immortality, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Messiah; to You be the glory forever. You, Almighty Master, created all things through Your Word; You gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to You; but to us You freely gave spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Your Anointed One. We thank You that You are mighty and above all things; to You be the glory forever. Remember, LORD, Your assembly, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Your kingdom which You have prepared for it; for Yours is the power and the glory forever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Salvation belongs to the God of David! If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not so, let him repent. Our Lord is coming! Amen.
So, as you can see, the ideas in Jewish kiddush and The Didache’s kiddush are the same: the focus of the entire meal is God’s provision to us and His sustaining of us along with the entire world. The Didache obviously adds elements specifically pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, drawing from John 15:1-10 to show Jesus as the Vine with us as the branches, receiving nourishment from Him. Interestingly, when you read the entire Birchat HaMazon, you notice that it mentions the house of David and even Messiah at the end—so the Didache is literally tying all of these ideas together, providing a concise summary of the Jewish blessings in a clearly Christian way.