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Is vayechulu a required part of Kiddush? Can I just make borei pri hagefen and say the remaining text?
It’s the dramatic opening to the celebration of the Creator completing His creation. Why would you want to skip it?
I think you would be motzei your chiyuv without it if you couldn’t say it for some reason (forgot the text and didn’t have access to a bentcher, I guess?) but le’chatchila you should definitely say it.
Even if you skipped it for some reason, you should go back and say it.
Vayechulu is Kiddush. Borei Pri Hagefen is a Brocha.
abc: So you read it in the kitzur and now you’re satisfied? I think that once you ask such an interesting question you should find a real reason. Saying that we say it because it says to say it and therefore we say it isn’t very satisfying.
I had never thought about this so I looked it up. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 271:10 distinguishes between “Vaychulu”, “Borei Pri HaGafen”, and “Kiddush” and indicates that they are recited in that order, so strictly speaking the “Kiddush” is the blessing after the blessing on wine. Mishnah Berurah to the same states that one must repeat “Vaychulu” even though one has said it twice in shul, even saying that if one did not say “Vaychulu” at kiddush one says it during the meal over a cup of wine. MB also cites an opinion that it is required to recite “Vaychulu” three times every Friday night — twice in shul and once at the the meal. Interestingly, though, the reason given for saying it at the table is so that children and family members who presumably didn’t go to shul can hear it.
So I guess it technically isn’t part of Kiddush but you still have to say it?
This is an interesting question.
Without vayechulu, the brachah on the wine is unattached to any context. Vayechulu gives the brachah that context and perspective. On Shabbat morning there is no set introduction and so many minhagim have developed to put the brachah in a framework. There are those who only say the brachah without the introduction, perhaps because by then, an introduction to shabbat is superfluous.
However, on yom tov we do not have an introduction for context for kiddush at night (and some skip one in the morning)and suffice with starting with the brachah. Why the difference? I don’t know, but I will check it out bli neder.
Bottom line, is it halachically required? No. But I have never been to a formal wedding where the chatan didn’t say “harei at mekudeshet”, even though the context obviously announces the purpose of the ring giving, and if the chatan doesn’t say it, they are still married. It’s part of the package, and it’s traditional and beautiful. So too with Vayechulu.
“old man” said it very well.
Also – “Without vayechulu, the brachah on the wine is unattached to any context.”
There is a certain inyan not to say any brochos without saying some sort of psukim before it. Most people don’t do this, but maybe this is involved for kiddush as well.
‘”old man” said it very well.’
I disagree. the context is the kiddush bracha following.
the vayechulu is required for the reasons cited by other posters,
but would not be neccessary otherwise. the kidddush on yom tov eve
begins from borei pri hagefen without preamble.
same for birchas airusin. same for havdala after yomtov.
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