The M’ein Sheva is a mini-repetition of the Shabbat evening Amidah on Friday nights.
There were daily sacrifices in the Temple every morning and afternoon, and any leftovers had to be burned in the evening. Because the daily prayer services replaced the daily sacrifices of the Temple, it was clear that the morning and afternoon services were obligatory. The evening service was less obvious. To mark the fact that it was not based on a daily sacrifice, but rather only on sacrificial leftovers being burned (Brachot 26b:10), it was decided that the evening service would only have a silent Amidah without a repetition (though some think that at one time every evening Amidah had a repetition).
According to Rashi, in Babylonia, people who came late to Shabbat evening services had to walk home alone in the dark because they finished later than everybody else. To avoid this, the M’ein Sheva was put in place as a mini-repetition so that everybody could finish together. This mini-repetition also makes Shabbat different from the other days of the week where there is no recapitulation of the themes of the evening Amidah.
(1) The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. (2) On the seventh day God finished the work that had been undertaken: [God] ceased Or “rested.” on the seventh day from doing any of the work. (3) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from all the work of creation that God had done.
Vayechulu is included in the Shabbat Ma’ariv Amidah, and repeated in the M’ein Sheva because it is so important (Abudarham, 1300s Spain, says that it’s important to repeat the Vayechulu so that all Israel has heard and joined in it, regardless of gender or age). According to the Babylonian Talmud, it is important to say Vayechulu out loud (Shabbat 119b:2-3) as a testament to Shabbat and to G-d’s creation; because testimony in a Jewish court is offered while standing, this part is said while standing (and usually the rest is said standing too).
Things that are holy are different from those that are ordinary. How do you make Shabbat different from the rest of the week?
(א) חזן: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. אֱלהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלהֵי יַעֲקב. הָאֵל הַגָּדול הַגִּבּור וְהַנּורָא אֵל עֶלְיון. קונֵה שמַיִם וָאָרֶץ:
(ב) קהל וחזן: מָגֵן אָבות בִּדְבָרו. מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּמַאֲמָרו הָאֵל (בש"ת הַמֶּלֶךְ) הַקָּדוש שאֵין כָּמוהוּ הַמֵּנִיחַ לְעַמּו בְּיום שבַּת קָדְשו כִּי בָם רָצָה לְהָנִיחַ לָהֶם. לְפָנָיו נַעֲבוד בְּיִרְאָה וָפַחַד. וְנודֶה לִשמו בְּכָל יום תָּמִיד. מְעוֹן הַבְּרָכות, אֵל הַהודָאות אֲדון הַשּלום. מְקַדֵּש הַשּבָּת וּמְבָרֵךְ שבִיעִי. וּמֵנִיחַ בִּקְדֻשּה לְעַם מְדֻשּנֵי עונֶג. זֵכֶר לְמַעֲשה בְרֵאשית:
(1) Praised are You, O LORD our god and the god of our ancestors, god of Abraham, god of Isaac, and god of Jacob, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring god, the god Most High, creator of the heavens and the earth.
(2) Shield of [our] ancestors with the Divine word, Guarantor of life to the dead, holy God beyond compare, who bestows rest to God’s people on the holy Shabbat, who takes pleasure in them and invites them to rest. We will serve God with awe and fear, and offer our thanks to the Divine name day after day. The Source of blessings, God worthy of thanks, the Master of peace, sanctifies Shabbat and blesses the seventh day — causing to rest in holiness a people overflowing with delight — this day that recalls the act of Creation.
The introductory paragraph before “Magen Avot” starts the same way as the Avot (first) paragraph of the Amidah. It deviates after “Eil elyon” by going straight to “konei shamayim va’aretz” instead of “gomeil chasadim tovim v’konei hakol”. This is a more faithful quote from Gen. 14:22 (“Eil elyon konei shamayim va’aretz”) and connects back to the Vayechulu prayer which also references “shamayim” and “aretz” (heaven and earth). By doing this, the prayer makes the point that Shabbat is the culmination of the creation of the heavens and the earth (and everything in/on them).
Additionally, like the first blessing of the Amidah, the first part of "Magen Avot" is a quilt of quotes from the Bible. For instance, "Elohei Avraham, elohei Yitzchak, v'elohei Ya'akov" ("G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob") comes from the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:15) when G-d tells Moses to tell the Israelites that this is who sent him. The question could be raised why the Torah doesn't save words by saying "The G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob"; one answer is that each of them had their own relationship with G-d (like cousins might have their own relationship with a grandparent), so it was like different gods.
It is worth noting that there are two versions of the words for “Magen Avot”. Most texts use “mei-ein habrachot”, meaning “like the blessings” (as in “not the full blessing but something like them”). There was a version found in the Cairo Geniza that has “m’ohn habrachot”, meaning “Source of blessings”. This is probably the original version.
”Magen Avot” ends with “zeicher l’ma’aseh v’reishit”, “a memorial to Creation”. Abudarham points out that while Shabbat is also associated with the Exodus from Egypt (per the Deuteronomy version of the Ten Commandments), the most fundamental meaning of Shabbat is a commemoration of Creation. Creation came before the Exodus, and it’s also in the first version of the Ten Commandments (the Exodus version).
1. Magen Avot bidvaro - The first time the Torah describes G-d as “magein” (“shield”) is in Genesis 15, when Abraham is concerned about his legacy. What do you hope your legacy is?
2. M’chayei Meitim b’ma-amaro - One way that the dead get life is through how they are remembered. Who is somebody you knew that has died, and what do you remember about them?
3. Ha-el hakadosh she-ein kamohu - If G-d is holy and we are supposed to “walk in G-d’s ways” (Deut. 30:16), then what are holy actions that you can take as you interact with the world?
4. HaMeini-ach l’amo b’yom Shabbat kodsho - Shabbat is considered the Day of Rest. What are restful things that you could do on Shabbat?
5. L’fanav na-avod - One way that we can serve G-d is by making G-d’s world a better place. There are many ways to do that — which ones call to you?
6. V’nodeh lishmo - A Big Idea in Judaism is having “an attitude of gratitude”. Who are 3 people who have done something for you this week?
7. Adon HaShalom - Peace between people is often built on relationships. Whom has it been too long since you were in touch with them?
(ג) חזן: אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. רְצֵה בִמְנוּחָתֵנוּ. קַדְּשנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. שבְּעֵנוּ מִטּוּבֶךָ וְשמְחֵנוּ בִּישוּעָתֶךָ. וְטַהֵר לִבֵּנוּ לְעָבְדְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת. וְהַנְחִילֵנוּ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצון שבַּת קָדְשךָ. וְיָנוּחוּ בָהּ כָּל יִשרָאֵל מְקַדְּשי שמֶךָ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' מְקַדֵּש הַשּבָּת:
(3) Our god and the god of our ancestors, be pleased by our rest. Make us holy by Your commandments, and give us our portion in Your Torah. Sate us from Your goodness, and gladden us with Your deliverance. Purify our hearts to serve You in truth. O Lord our god, lovingly and willingly cause us to inherit Your holy Sabbath, and help to rest thereon all of the people Israel who make Your name holy. Praised are You, O LORD, who makes Shabbat holy.
Shabbat is described as an inheritance. Who passed on Shabbat to you (actual or spiritual parents), and/or who have you passed it on to (actual or spiritual “children”)?
אָמַר רָבָא, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: אֲפִילּוּ יָחִיד הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״, דְּאָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְאוֹמֵר ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ נַעֲשָׂה שׁוּתָּף לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״ — אַל תִּקְרֵי ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״ אֶלָּא ״וַיְכַלּוּ״. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מִנַּיִין שֶׁהַדִּיבּוּר כְּמַעֲשֶׂה — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בִּדְבַר ה׳ שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ״. אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא אָמַר מָר עוּקְבָא: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְאוֹמֵר ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״, שְׁנֵי מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת הַמְלַוִּין לוֹ לָאָדָם מַנִּיחִין יְדֵיהֶן עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ ״וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר״.
Rava said, and some say it was Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi who said: Even an individual who prays on Shabbat evening must recite the passage: “And the heavens and the earth were finished [vaykhullu]” (Genesis 2:1–3), as Rav Hamnuna said: Anyone who prays on Shabbat evening and recites the passage of vaykhullu, the verse ascribed him credit as if he became a partner with the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the act of Creation. As it is stated: “And the heavens and the earth were finished [vaykhullu].” Do not read it as: Were finished [vaykhullu]; rather, as: They finished [vaykhallu]. It is considered as though the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the individual who says this become partners and completed the work together. Rabbi Elazar said: From where is it derived that speech is like action? As it is stated: “By the word of God the heavens were made, and all of their hosts by the breath of His mouth” (Psalms 33:6). Rav Ḥisda said that Mar Ukva said: One who prays on Shabbat evening and recites vaykhullu, the two ministering angels who accompany the person at all times place their hands on his head and say to him: “And your iniquity has passed, and your sin has been atoned” (Isaiah 6:7).