The Machlokes Mishnah Berurah and Chazon Ish About Whether to Say Vayechulu After Shemoneh Esrei with Two People

The Mishnah Berurah (268:19) writes: טוב לומר ויכולו ביחד בצבור דעדה של מה בעינן להעיד להקב״ ה ועכ״ פ יהי ה בשנים - “It is good to say ‘Vayechulu’ together with the congregation as ideally ‘a complete assembly’ is needed for testimony of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. One should make sure to have at least two people”. The Achronim already ask on the Mishnah Berurah that we don’t find in any of the early poskim that “Vayechulu” needs to be said with two people, and they explain that he is coming from the Magen Avraham (s.k. 10) who goes out his way to explain that “Vayechulu” is a type of eidus.

However, the Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim 38 s.k. 10) argues on the Mishnah Berurah and writes: אין להדר אחר שנים דלא מצינו בפוסקים הידור של שנים ויש לחוש כמעמיד עדים על מעשה בראשי ת - “There is no need to say it as two people as we don’t find in the poskim such a hiddur, moreover, doing it may even be problematic as it looks like one needs to come on to testimony to believe in the creation of the world”. (The Yalkut Yosef explains: Saying it with two makes it look like there is a doubt and we need eidus to prove otherwise, which is problematic.)

According to the Chazon Ish Is One Allowed to Say “Vayechulu” with Another Person, Or Is It Forbidden?

According to the Mishnah Berurah if one finishes his silent shemonah esrei after the tzibbur and is unable to say “Vayechulu” with the tzibbur, he should try and say it with someone else. According to the Chazon Ish, however, there is no need to look for someone to say it with, on the contrary: ויש לחוש כמעמיד עדים על מע שה בראשי ת – “There is room for concern, that doing so looks like one is giving testimony to the creation of the world”. In Ma’aseh Ish (Vol. 4, pg. 121) it’s brought down that they asked the Chazon Ish if he means: “There is no need to say it with someone else, or if it is forbidden to say it with someone else?” and he answered: “If there is no need, then it is forbidden”.

On the other hand, it is brought down that R’ Chaim Kanievsky said that the Chazon Ish told him that one should follow the widespread minhag, and if people are stringent to say it with someone else, one should do so. Additionally, R’ Elozor Tzodok Turshin zt”l (Ma’aseh Ish Vol. 7 pg. 145) testified that he has a kabbalah from the Chazon Ish that halachah lema’aseh he retracted from what he wrote in his sefer and in the end he held like the Mishnah Berurah. The Steipler also followed the Mishnah Berurah, and when he would daven alone at home, after davening he would ask one of his grandchildren to recite “Vayechulu” with him (Orchos Rabbeinu Vol. 4, pg. 161).