Is Reciting Vayechulu Considered Proper Eidus Davening the Silent Shemonah Esrei Quickly to Be Able to Recite Vayechulu With the Tzibbur

There is a machlokes haposkim as to how much of a status of Hilchos Eidus the recital of “Vayechulu” has and there are proofs either way. However, the Mishnah Berurah seems to take on that it is considered proper eidus and he explains (268:18) the Shulchan Aruch which says, “One must recite ‘Vayechulu’ whilst standing”, that it is a din in Hilchos Eidus like it says: ועמדו שני האנשים – “And the two men should stand”. He also writes that if one is davening by himself there is a machlokes if he should recite “Vayechulu” after shemonah esrei as the rule is: אין עדות ליחיד – “Testimony can’t be given with just one witness”. Therefore, he writes: When davening alone it should be said, however, one should have intention that he isn’t giving eidus, rather he is simply reading pasukim from the Torah. Similarly, he brings (Biur Halachah 67 d.h. u’meumad) from the Pri Megodim (Eishel Avraham s.k. 11): שהמתפלל בלחש ימהר לסיים תפלתו כדי שיאמר ויכולו עם הקהל – “One should daven the silent shemonah esrei quickly so that he can recite ‘Vayechulu’ with the congregation.”

However, the Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim 38:10) takes issue with the Pri Megodim and Biur Halachah, as surely the advantage of reciting “Vayechulu” has already been fulfilled in the silent shemonah esrei, and doing it a second time after shemonah esrei is simply a hiddur mitzvah which is not mentioned in the Gemara, whereas the advantage of being ma’arich betefillah [praying lengthy tefillos] is mentioned in the Gemara (Berachos 32b), and surely an advantage mentioned in the Gemara outweighs one which isn’t?

However, he concludes that the implication from the Gemara in Shabbos (119b) which says: אפילו יחיד המתפלל בער ב שבת צריך לומר ויכולו – “Even an individual who davens on Friday night should recite ‘Vayechulu’”, is that an individual may say it, but it is better to say it together with the tzibbur. He ends off tzorich iyun [the matter needs looking into].

According to the Chazon Ish we can answer something which is seemingly very difficult. In Hilchos Eidus the halachah is: נמצא אחד מהם קרוב או פסול בטלה עדותם – “If one of the witnesses present is related or disqualified then all the testimony is invalidated”. Generally speaking, in one shul there are different family members davening together, yet we don’t find that this creates a concern when it comes to reciting “Vayechulu”, why not? It must be that reciting “Vayechulu” doesn’t have all the halachos of Hilchos Eidus, like the opinion of the Chazon Ish.

The Luach Eretz Yisroel writes: If an individual davens a long shemonah esrei and he recites “Vayechulu” after davening, he shouldn’t do it together with a young child. He seems to understand that the recitation of “Vayechulu” is considered proper eidus, if so, why doesn’t he mention that one shouldn’t say it with family members either? Tzorich iyun.