DVAR HALACHA 30

DVAR HALACHA 30

The Shulchan Aruch in siman reish samech ches, se’if zayin, says that after everyone finishes Shemoneh Esrei on Friday night, the tzibur repeats Vayechulu together, standing.

The Mechaber explains that although Vayechulu was already said in Shemoneh Esrei, Chazal instituted that it be repeated because of a situation in which Yom Tov falls on Shabbos. On such a night, the Yom Tov Shemoneh Esrei is said in place of the regular Shabbos Shemoneh Esrei and does not contain Vayechulu. Chazal therefore established that Vayechulu should be recited after Shemoneh Esrei so that even on such a Shabbos this proclamation of Ma’aseh B’reishis would not be missing. The Mishnah Berurah explains that once Vayechulu was established at this point in the tefillah, the takanah remained in place every Friday night, even when it had already been recited in Shemoneh Esrei.

The Mishnah Berurah in se’if katan yud tes, explains that the reason the Mechaber specifically says to say Vayechulu standing is because in doing so we are considered, so to speak, as being me’id that HaKadosh Baruch Hu created the world. Since testimony is given while standing, as the pasuk says, “V’amdu shnei ha’anashim,” we stand while saying Vayechulu as well.

The Mishnah Berurah adds from the Magen Avraham that it is preferable to say Vayechulu with a minyan of ten. The basic model of eidus is two witnesses, as indicated by the pasuk of “V’amdu shnei ha’anashim.” Vayechulu, however, is an eidus for HaKadosh Baruch Hu regarding the Creation of the world, and Chazal derive from the pasuk “V’nikdashti b’soch Bnei Yisroel” that an eidus of this magnitude should be proclaimed with ten.

The Biur Halacha, citing the Pri Megadim, writes that one should therefore be careful not to unnecessarily lengthen his Friday-night Shemoneh Esrei if doing so will cause him to miss the opportunity to say Vayechulu together with the tzibur.

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach rules that if one is still davening Shemoneh Esrei when the tzibur begins Vayechulu, but has already reached the final section of “Elokai netzor…”, he may pause there and say Vayechulu together with them.

The Da’as Torah, cited in the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah, adds that even if one does not actually begin Vayechulu until within toch k’dei dibur of the chazzan finishing it, this is still considered as though he said Vayechulu together with the tzibur.

If one did miss saying Vayechulu with the tzibur, the Mishnah Berurah says that he should preferably find another person with whom to say it. Although he has missed the preferred recital with an eidah of ten, saying it together with another person retains the basic format of shnei eidim.

The Chazon Ish and Divrei Yatziv disagree and hold that although there is a preference to say Vayechulu with ten, if one missed the tzibur there is no particular accomplishment in specifically arranging to recite it with another person. The prevalent minhag, however, follows the Mishnah Berurah, and one who misses Vayechulu with the tzibur should preferably find another person with whom to say it.

The Mishnah Berurah also discusses the case of one who is davening b’yechidus and has nobody else with whom to say Vayechulu. He brings two opinions.

The Taz holds that an individual should not say this Vayechulu alone. Since Chazal gave its recital the character of eidus, a single individual cannot give testimony, just as regular eidus cannot be given by a lone witness.

The Eliyah Rabbah, however, holds that a yachid should still say Vayechulu. The original takanah was instituted because of Yom Tov that falls on Shabbos, when Vayechulu is absent from Shemoneh Esrei. That purpose remains even when one is davening alone, despite his inability to give it its full character of eidus.

The Mishnah Berurah concludes that a yachid should indeed say Vayechulu, but rather than saying it as one who is giving eidus, he should say it simply as one who is reading pesukim from the Torah.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Reuven Eidlitz

Yeshiva Eitz Chaim, Monsey NY 

This dvar halacha is l’zchus refuah sheleima for Avraham ben Chaya Leah and Shmuel Avigdor ben Rivka b’soch sha’ar choley Yisroel