# Using a kiddush cup as a chalice.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690 "2017-05-15T21:14:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690/1 "2017-05-15T21:14:21Z")

</div>

My wife is a lay minister and takes holy communion to housebound parishioners. She wants to buy a silver chalice but they usually far too expensive.

She has seen a kiddush cup for sale that looks ideal and is affordable. Does anyone know if there is any objection to changing the use of this cup.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690/2 "2017-05-15T21:27:10Z")

</div>

I see no reason to object, personally as a Jew and although I don’t even play a Rabbi on TV, the kiddish cup, unlike the Torah scroll and individual verses (in a mezuzah, say) and even printed Bibles, “the” cup has no claim to sanctity whatsoever. It’s not a thing.

Kind of neat theologically for your wife, I must say.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690/3 "2017-05-15T22:09:53Z")

</div>

I don’t know about the Jewish end of things, but the rules of the Catholic church require that the communion vessels be made of precious materials. I don’t think that “precious” is explicitly defined, but something like pewter probably wouldn’t qualify. On the other hand, if the cup you’re looking at is a silver cup that just happens to be cheaper than other silver cups, that’d be fine.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690/4 "2017-05-15T22:13:14Z")

</div>

She is Anglican, and they have no such rule, but the cup in question is solid hallmarked silver, and as far as we can tell from the photographs, has nothing obviously Jewish on it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-a-kiddush-cup-as-a-chalice/786690/5 "2017-05-15T22:44:44Z")

</div>

“Funny, it doesn’t _look_ Jewish…”