Minyan
Encyclopedia
A minyan in Judaism
refers to the quorum
of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligation
s. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan.
The most common activity requiring a minyan is public prayer
. Accordingly, the term minyan in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service
.
root meaning to count or to number. The word is related to the Aramaic
word mene, numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall
in .
Babylonian Talmud
The Babylonian Talmud
(Megillah
23b) derives the requirement of a minyan of ten for Kiddush Hashem
and Devarim she-Bikdusha, "matters of sanctity", by combining three scriptural verses using the rule of :
The word "midst" in the verse:
also appears in the verse:
The term "congregation" is also used in another verse that describes the ten spies who brought back a negative report of the Land of Israel
:
From this combination, the Talmu concludes that "sanctification" should occur in the "midst" of a "congregation" of ten.
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud
(Megillah 4:4) offers two sources for the requirement, also using a :
The word "congregation" in the verse:
is also used in another verse:
Since the term "congregation" in the later verse refers to the ten spies, so too in the former verse: "You shall be holy" refers to a "congregation" of ten.
The second source is based on the term "children of Israel" which appears in the following two verses:
Just as the "children of Israel" in the later verse refers to the ten sons of Jacob
who descended to Egypt to obtain food during the famine, so too the former verse refers to sanctification among the “children of Israel” in the presence of ten.
in Megillah
(iv. 3):
Other instances which require the presence of a minyan include:
While the required quorum for most activities requiring a quorum is usually ten, it is not always so. For example, the Passover
sacrifice or Korban
Pesach (from the days of the Temple in Jerusalem
) must be offered before a quorum of 30. (It must be performed in front of kahal adat yisrael, the assembly of the congregation of Israel. Ten are needed for the assembly, ten for the congregation, and ten for Israel.) According to some Talmudic authorities, women counted in the minyan for offering the Korban Pesach (e.g. Rav, Rav Kahana, Pesachim 79b).
, his annotators, and the author of the Shulkhan Arukh, have unitedly given strength to this sentiment, and have thus, for more than a thousand years, made the daily attendance at public worship, morning and evening, to be conducted in a quorum of ten.
There is a disagreement between the medieval commentators on whether prayer with a minyan is preferable or obligatory. Rashi
is of the view that an individual is obligated to pray with a minyan, while Nahmanides
holds that only if ten adult males are present are they obliged to recite their prayer together, but an individual is not required to actively seek out a minyan.
Rashi and the Tosafot
on Talmud Bavli Pesachim 46a are both of the opinion that one is required to travel the distance of 4 mil to pray with a minyan. The Mishnah Berurah
writes that one who is sitting at home must travel up to one mil.
on the matter of who is eligible to be counted in a minyan. Some discussions revolve around whether or not a minyan should consist of individuals who are obligated in performance of that particular precept. Some authorities deduce who may constitute a minyan by drawing on the verses which are brought as the basis for minyan and their implication. For example, the verse, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" is referring to the ten spies, a congregation comprising Jewish adult males. It is understood from this that a minyan must likewise comprise ten Jewish adult males. Other classical sources base their rulings on discussions brought in the Talmud. Contemporary rabbinical authorities deal with a plethora of questions relating to qualification for minyan.
in Jewish law and is not obligated in the performance of religious precepts. However, if a child is over six years of age and has adequate comprehension of the significance of the precepts, his status may change. His inclusion in minyan is thus subject of Talmudic dispute. Based on the Talmudic passage in Berachot, Rabbeinu Tam
states that a minor can act as the tenth person and according to the Baal Ha-Maor, up to four minors would be permitted. Rosh
explains that those who permit the inclusion of a minor maintain that it is the Divine Presence
which actually constitutes the tenth member, thereby validating the minyan. (This may explain why some of these authorities require that the minor represent this fact by holding a chumash.) However the majority of poskim follow the conclusion of the Ri
who holds that a minor can never be counted in a minyan under any circumstances. This is the stance taken by the Shulchan Aruch
, who, although acknowledging some authorities do permit the inclusion of an astute six year old, writes that consensus rejects this view and only males over the age of thirteen may constitute a minyan. However, in extraordinary circumstances some are lenient and permit a minor over six years old holding a chumash or Sefer Torah
to complete a minyan.
The Talmud itself does not directly address the question of whether women may count as part of a minyan for devarim shebkdusha. Since the Talmud uses the same gezerah shavah for Kiddush Hashem as it uses for devarim shebkdusha, one may expect the laws for those two cases to be the same. Many authorities are of the opinion that women are included in the minyan for Kiddush Hashem and Hillul Hashem. However, traditional codifiers generally do not include women in the minyan for devarim shebkdusha.
The Talmud (Arakhin
3a) relates that women are required to recite zimmun of three participants, and Berakhot 45 says that women may recite the zimmun. However, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that ten women may not recite the additional form of zimun be-Shem, which is obligatory when ten men are present. The few authorities who do permit ten women to use the zimmun be-Shem formulation explain that the necessity for ten in this case is unique and cannot be compared to other instances requiring minyan. Only Rabbeinu Simcha among these authorities mentions the possibility of one woman joining with nine men to form a minyan for prayer. This isolated opinion is rejected by the codifiers. There are a number of cases, including reading of the megillah
, where a limited number of authorities count women towards the minyan. However, in these cases the reason why women are counted is not because they constitute a “congregation,” but rather because a public audience is required.
A possible reason why it is men who are obligated to form a congregation in order to convene the Divine Presence is that women are individually considered sufficiently holy and do not require the combination of a group and special prayers to achieve added holiness deficient in men. Due to the righteousness of the women in the wilderness, they did not suffer the same deadly fate as their male counterparts, and despite the spies’ negative report about the holy land, wished to enter it.
Others point to the sociological reality that women were traditionally expected to care for the house and children. The Jewish tradition did not require women to leave their social role to engage in public prayer.
who, despite having been put to death for his transgression, was still referred to as a Jew. However, the Pri Megadim explains that this is only true if he sins for self-satisfaction, but if a person sins to spite God or has openly severed his connection with his people by professing a hostile creed or by publicly desecrating the Shabbat, such a person is prohibited from constituting a minyan. Nevertheless, many contemporary authorities have been driven to adopt a lenient view in the face of widespread public non-observance of the Shabbat, on the presumption that it does not indicate a deliberate denial of faith, but is rather a result of ignorance and succumbing to the pressure of social and economic conditions.
deduce from the Tamud in Sukkah
38b that wherever the verse states “children of Israel” it comes to exclude a proselyte unless there is specific clause for inclusion, here with regard to minyan the sources state that there is no reasoning to exclude a full-fledged proselyte. Since he is permitted to act as a prayer leader, obviously he can count towards a minyan.
descends and it is feasible to pronounce a Dvar she'bekedusha. This includes someone who is in the middle of his prayers but is precluded from responding to the hazzan
’s incantations and someone who is mute
but can hear the prayers. (Someone who is deaf but has the ability and knows when to respond can also be included.) There is however a dispute regarding someone who is asleep or intoxicated. Such a person has sufficient intelligence, but at present can neither hear or respond. Ideally he should be woken to the extent that he is dozing, but in extraneous circumstances where it impossible to arouse him, it is permitted to include the maximum of one sleeping person in the minyan. In the case of a drunkard, the accepted view is that even if he has not reached the “drunkenness of Lot
”, he still cannot be included. A minimum of six of those gathered in the minyan have a duty to listen attentively and respond appropriately to the additional prayers and that at least nine are required to respond for the repetition of the Amidah
.
for those groups that consider themselves part of the Modern Orthodox community is "partnership minyan." Many of these groups have adopted the custom initially instituted by Shira Hadasha
in Jerusalem to wait for a "ten-and-ten minyan," made up of ten men and ten women.
Shira Hadasha has based many of its decisions on the writings of rabbis like Mendel Shapiro
and Daniel Sperber
. Some also use the Guide for the Halakhic Minyan
, a compendium of halakhic sources supporting increased participation by women in services, as a basis for discussions of practices like the ten-and-ten minyan.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
refers to the quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligation
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
s. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan.
The most common activity requiring a minyan is public prayer
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. Accordingly, the term minyan in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
.
Source
The source for the requirement of minyan is recorded in the Talmud. The word minyan itself comes from the HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
root meaning to count or to number. The word is related to the Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
word mene, numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall
The writing on the wall
"The writing on the wall" , an idiom, is a portent of doom or misfortune. It originates in the Biblical book of Daniel—where supernatural writing foretells the demise of the Babylonian Empire...
in .
Babylonian Talmud
The Babylonian Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Megillah
Megillah (Talmud)
Megillah is the tenth Tractate of Mishnah in the Order Moed. It and its Gemara deal with the laws of Purim and offers exegetical understandings to the Book of Esther. It also includes laws concerning the public reading of the Torah and other communal synagogue practices...
23b) derives the requirement of a minyan of ten for Kiddush Hashem
Kiddush Hashem
The sanctification of the Name The sanctification of the Name The sanctification of the Name (in Hebrew kiddush Hashem is a precept of Judaism. It includes sanctification of the name by being holy.-Hebrew Bible:...
and Devarim she-Bikdusha, "matters of sanctity", by combining three scriptural verses using the rule of :
The word "midst" in the verse:
- "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel"
also appears in the verse:
- "Separate yourselves from the midst of the congregation"
The term "congregation" is also used in another verse that describes the ten spies who brought back a negative report of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
:
- "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?"
From this combination, the Talmu concludes that "sanctification" should occur in the "midst" of a "congregation" of ten.
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
(Megillah 4:4) offers two sources for the requirement, also using a :
The word "congregation" in the verse:
- "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy"
is also used in another verse:
- "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?"
Since the term "congregation" in the later verse refers to the ten spies, so too in the former verse: "You shall be holy" refers to a "congregation" of ten.
The second source is based on the term "children of Israel" which appears in the following two verses:
- "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel"
- " And the children of Israel came to buy among those that came"
Just as the "children of Israel" in the later verse refers to the ten sons of Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
who descended to Egypt to obtain food during the famine, so too the former verse refers to sanctification among the “children of Israel” in the presence of ten.
Rituals requiring a minyan
The following instances which require a minyan are listed in the MishnahMishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
in Megillah
Megillah
Megillah may refer to:Bible:*The Scroll of Esther , read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.*Megillat AntiochusRabbinic literature:*Tractate Megillah in the Talmud....
(iv. 3):
- Public worship, which consists of the additional readings of KaddishKaddishKaddish is a prayer found in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy different versions of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between sections of the service...
, BarechuBarechuBarechu is a part of the Jewish prayer service. It is recited several times during Shacharit, including during Reading of the Torah, and in some congregations during Maariv....
, KedushaKedushaThe Kedushah is traditionally the third section of all Amidah recitations. In the silent Amidah it is a short prayer, but in the repetition, which requires a minyan, it is considerably lengthier...
and the Repetition of the Amidah. The treatise SoferimSoferim (Talmud)Soferim is a Talmudic treatise dealing especially with the rules relating to the preparation of the holy books, as well as with the regulations for the reading of the Law. It belongs to the so-called "smaller tractates," a term applied to about 15 works in rabbinical literature, each containing...
, written in Babylonia in the seventh century, contains a passage (10:7) often interpreted as asserting that in Land of IsraelLand of IsraelThe Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
at that time seven men were allowed to hold public services. Correctly interpreted it refers to the repeating of "Kaddish" and "Barechu" at the synagogue for the benefit of late comers, and declares that in Israel such a repetition is permitted only when seven (according to others, when six) men are present who have not yet heard these responsive readings. - The priestly blessingPriestly BlessingThe Priestly Blessing, , also known in Hebrew as Nesiat Kapayim, , or Dukhanen , is a Jewish prayer recited by Kohanim during certain Jewish services...
. - Reading from the TorahTorah readingTorah reading is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with special cantillation, and returning the scroll to...
and ProphetsHaftarahThe haftarah or haftoroh is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im of the Hebrew Bible that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice...
with the associated benedictions. - Seven benedictionsSheva BrachotSheva Brachot literally "the seven blessings" also known as birkot Nesuim , "the wedding blessings" in Jewish religious law are blessings that are recited for a bride and her groom as part of nissuim...
recited at a wedding, or at any meal of the bridegroom and bride within a week from the wedding. - Using the formulation "Let us bless our God, from whose wealth we have eaten," in preparing for Grace after meals.
- Ancient funeral ceremonies, no longer in use, which incorporated arranging the standing and sitting, reciting the benedictions of the mourners and the consolation of the mourners.
Other instances which require the presence of a minyan include:
- Kiddush HashemKiddush HashemThe sanctification of the Name The sanctification of the Name The sanctification of the Name (in Hebrew kiddush Hashem is a precept of Judaism. It includes sanctification of the name by being holy.-Hebrew Bible:...
- Recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of MercyThirteen Attributes of MercyThe Thirteen Attributes of Mercy or Shelosh-'Esreh Middot enumerated in Exodus 34:6-7 are the attributes with which, according to Jewish tradition, God governs the world...
- Recitation of Birkat ha-Gomel.
While the required quorum for most activities requiring a quorum is usually ten, it is not always so. For example, the Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
sacrifice or Korban
Korban
The term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
Pesach (from the days of the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
) must be offered before a quorum of 30. (It must be performed in front of kahal adat yisrael, the assembly of the congregation of Israel. Ten are needed for the assembly, ten for the congregation, and ten for Israel.) According to some Talmudic authorities, women counted in the minyan for offering the Korban Pesach (e.g. Rav, Rav Kahana, Pesachim 79b).
Prayer with a minyan
It was the firm belief of the sages that wherever ten Israelites are assembled, either for worship or for the study of the Law, the Divine Presence dwells among them. In rabbinical literature, those who meet for study or prayer in smaller groups, even one who meditates or prays alone, are to be praised. However, the stress is put upon the merits and sacredness of the minyan of ten. The codifiers, such as MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, his annotators, and the author of the Shulkhan Arukh, have unitedly given strength to this sentiment, and have thus, for more than a thousand years, made the daily attendance at public worship, morning and evening, to be conducted in a quorum of ten.
There is a disagreement between the medieval commentators on whether prayer with a minyan is preferable or obligatory. Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
is of the view that an individual is obligated to pray with a minyan, while Nahmanides
Nahmanides
Nahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:"Nahmanides" is a Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Naḥman"...
holds that only if ten adult males are present are they obliged to recite their prayer together, but an individual is not required to actively seek out a minyan.
Rashi and the Tosafot
Tosafot
The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
on Talmud Bavli Pesachim 46a are both of the opinion that one is required to travel the distance of 4 mil to pray with a minyan. The Mishnah Berurah
Mishnah Berurah
The Mishnah Berurah is a work of halakha by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan , also colloquially known by the name of another of his books, Chofetz Chaim "Desirer of Life."...
writes that one who is sitting at home must travel up to one mil.
Eligibility
There is much discussion in rabbinic literatureRabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
on the matter of who is eligible to be counted in a minyan. Some discussions revolve around whether or not a minyan should consist of individuals who are obligated in performance of that particular precept. Some authorities deduce who may constitute a minyan by drawing on the verses which are brought as the basis for minyan and their implication. For example, the verse, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" is referring to the ten spies, a congregation comprising Jewish adult males. It is understood from this that a minyan must likewise comprise ten Jewish adult males. Other classical sources base their rulings on discussions brought in the Talmud. Contemporary rabbinical authorities deal with a plethora of questions relating to qualification for minyan.
Minors
Before a boy turns thirteen, he is considered a minorMinor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
in Jewish law and is not obligated in the performance of religious precepts. However, if a child is over six years of age and has adequate comprehension of the significance of the precepts, his status may change. His inclusion in minyan is thus subject of Talmudic dispute. Based on the Talmudic passage in Berachot, Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam , born Jacob ben Meir, was one of the most renowned French Tosafists and a foremost halachic authority of his generation...
states that a minor can act as the tenth person and according to the Baal Ha-Maor, up to four minors would be permitted. Rosh
Rosh
Rosh may refer to:*Rosh, a minor Biblical figure, mentioned in the Book of Genesis and a nation listed in Ezekiel*"The ROSH", Rabbi Asher ben Jehiel a prominent Talmudic scholar*Rosh Hashanah, the day of the Jewish New year...
explains that those who permit the inclusion of a minor maintain that it is the Divine Presence
Shekhinah
Shekinah is the English spelling of a grammatically feminine Hebrew word that means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:Shekinah is derived...
which actually constitutes the tenth member, thereby validating the minyan. (This may explain why some of these authorities require that the minor represent this fact by holding a chumash.) However the majority of poskim follow the conclusion of the Ri
Isaac ben Samuel
Isaac ben Samuel the Elder, also known as the Ri ha-Zaken, was a French tosafist and Biblical commentator. He flourished at Ramerupt and Dampierre, France in the twelfth century.- Biography :On his father's side Isaac was a grandson of R...
who holds that a minor can never be counted in a minyan under any circumstances. This is the stance taken by the Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
, who, although acknowledging some authorities do permit the inclusion of an astute six year old, writes that consensus rejects this view and only males over the age of thirteen may constitute a minyan. However, in extraordinary circumstances some are lenient and permit a minor over six years old holding a chumash or Sefer Torah
Sefer Torah
A Sefer Torah of Torah” or “Torah scroll”) is a handwritten copy of the Torah or Pentateuch, the holiest book within Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of production. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish services...
to complete a minyan.
Women
Although the issue of whether women are permitted to make up a minyan has been noted in early works, the matter has only come to the fore in past few decades, a reaction to an enhanced role of women in modern society and to the demand for their inclusion in all areas of religious life.The Talmud itself does not directly address the question of whether women may count as part of a minyan for devarim shebkdusha. Since the Talmud uses the same gezerah shavah for Kiddush Hashem as it uses for devarim shebkdusha, one may expect the laws for those two cases to be the same. Many authorities are of the opinion that women are included in the minyan for Kiddush Hashem and Hillul Hashem. However, traditional codifiers generally do not include women in the minyan for devarim shebkdusha.
The Talmud (Arakhin
Arakhin
Arakhin is the fifth tractate in Seder Kodashim .Only chapters 1–6 based on Leviticus 27:1–8, deals with the vows of donating one's prescribed value as part of the dedication to the Temple, as well as other gifts to bedek habayis, or the treasury of the Temple...
3a) relates that women are required to recite zimmun of three participants, and Berakhot 45 says that women may recite the zimmun. However, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that ten women may not recite the additional form of zimun be-Shem, which is obligatory when ten men are present. The few authorities who do permit ten women to use the zimmun be-Shem formulation explain that the necessity for ten in this case is unique and cannot be compared to other instances requiring minyan. Only Rabbeinu Simcha among these authorities mentions the possibility of one woman joining with nine men to form a minyan for prayer. This isolated opinion is rejected by the codifiers. There are a number of cases, including reading of the megillah
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther is a book in the Ketuvim , the third section of the Jewish Tanakh and is part of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim...
, where a limited number of authorities count women towards the minyan. However, in these cases the reason why women are counted is not because they constitute a “congregation,” but rather because a public audience is required.
A possible reason why it is men who are obligated to form a congregation in order to convene the Divine Presence is that women are individually considered sufficiently holy and do not require the combination of a group and special prayers to achieve added holiness deficient in men. Due to the righteousness of the women in the wilderness, they did not suffer the same deadly fate as their male counterparts, and despite the spies’ negative report about the holy land, wished to enter it.
Others point to the sociological reality that women were traditionally expected to care for the house and children. The Jewish tradition did not require women to leave their social role to engage in public prayer.
Transgressors
The question of whether a sinner can be counted for a minyan has become much more pertinent in recent generations, where a general malaise in religious observance among the majority of Jews has occurred. The Shulchan Aruch states that though a person may be a notorious and habitual sinner and has even committed a capital offense, unless a person has been placed under a religious ban due to his sinful behaviour, he is counted among the ten. The source provided for this sentiment is from the incident with AchanAchan (Bible)
Achan , also called Achar, is a figure mentioned by the Book of Joshua in connection with the fall of Jericho and conquest of Ai.According to the narrative of Joshua chapter 7, Achan pillaged an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly garment, from Jericho; the text states "But all the...
who, despite having been put to death for his transgression, was still referred to as a Jew. However, the Pri Megadim explains that this is only true if he sins for self-satisfaction, but if a person sins to spite God or has openly severed his connection with his people by professing a hostile creed or by publicly desecrating the Shabbat, such a person is prohibited from constituting a minyan. Nevertheless, many contemporary authorities have been driven to adopt a lenient view in the face of widespread public non-observance of the Shabbat, on the presumption that it does not indicate a deliberate denial of faith, but is rather a result of ignorance and succumbing to the pressure of social and economic conditions.
Proselytes
Even though TosafotTosafot
The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
deduce from the Tamud in Sukkah
Sukkah
A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes...
38b that wherever the verse states “children of Israel” it comes to exclude a proselyte unless there is specific clause for inclusion, here with regard to minyan the sources state that there is no reasoning to exclude a full-fledged proselyte. Since he is permitted to act as a prayer leader, obviously he can count towards a minyan.
Those who are unable to respond
As long as a person is of sufficient intelligence, he can be included in the minyan, even if he is unable to respond to the prayers which make the presence of ten a necessity. According to some sources, this is because as long as ten are gathered the Divine PresenceDivine presence
Divine presence, presence of God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the omnipotent ability of a god and/or gods to be "present" with human beings...
descends and it is feasible to pronounce a Dvar she'bekedusha. This includes someone who is in the middle of his prayers but is precluded from responding to the hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
’s incantations and someone who is mute
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
but can hear the prayers. (Someone who is deaf but has the ability and knows when to respond can also be included.) There is however a dispute regarding someone who is asleep or intoxicated. Such a person has sufficient intelligence, but at present can neither hear or respond. Ideally he should be woken to the extent that he is dozing, but in extraneous circumstances where it impossible to arouse him, it is permitted to include the maximum of one sleeping person in the minyan. In the case of a drunkard, the accepted view is that even if he has not reached the “drunkenness of Lot
Lot (Bible)
Lot is a man from the Book of Genesis chapters 11-14 and 19, in the Hebrew Bible. Notable episodes in his life include his travels with his uncle Abram ; his flight from the destruction of Sodom, in the course of which Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; and the seduction by his...
”, he still cannot be included. A minimum of six of those gathered in the minyan have a duty to listen attentively and respond appropriately to the additional prayers and that at least nine are required to respond for the repetition of the Amidah
Amidah
The Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
.
Arrangement
It is not just the status of the individual which dictates eligibility; the physical arrangement of the minyan is also a factor. Maimonides delineates the confines which are placed on the arrangement of the people making up a minyan. Ideally all the members of the minyan should be gathered in one room. However, if they are within hearing distance of one another, it is permitted for the ten to be distributed in two adjoining rooms. Later authorities limit the extent of this opinion and rule that even if there is an opening between the two rooms, the two groups are still considered separate entities. Only in extraneous circumstances is it permitted, as long as some of the men in each room can see each other.Ten-and-Ten Minyan (Ten Men and Ten Women)
Over the last decade or so, more and more lay-led worship communities have formed that attempt to combine commitment to traditional Jewish law with a push for increased participation and recognition of the role of women. While many are simply referred to as "independent minyanim," the term used by the Jewish Orthodox Feminist AllianceJewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance
The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance was founded in 1997 with the aim of "expand[ing] the spiritual, ritual, intellectual, and political opportunities for women with the framework of halakha," or Jewish law...
for those groups that consider themselves part of the Modern Orthodox community is "partnership minyan." Many of these groups have adopted the custom initially instituted by Shira Hadasha
Shira Hadasha
Kehillat Shira Hadasha in Jerusalem was founded in 2002 by a group of Jerusalem residents, including Tova Hartman. Its website describes its purpose as the creation of "a religious community that embraces our commitment to halakha, tefillah and feminism" in response to "the growing need of many...
in Jerusalem to wait for a "ten-and-ten minyan," made up of ten men and ten women.
Shira Hadasha has based many of its decisions on the writings of rabbis like Mendel Shapiro
Mendel Shapiro
Mendel Shapiro, a Jerusalem lawyer and Modern Orthodox Rabbi, is the author of a halakhic analysis in which he argued that women could be called to read from the Torah in prayer services with men on Shabbat under certain conditions. He and his viewpoint became the subject of extensive dispute...
and Daniel Sperber
Daniel Sperber
Daniel Sperber is a professor of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and an expert in classical philology, history of Jewish customs, Jewish art history, Jewish education and Talmudic studies.-Biography:...
. Some also use the Guide for the Halakhic Minyan
Guide for the Halakhic Minyan
is a work published to provide Jewish worship groups, especially Partnership minyans, with halachic sources that support the participation of women in leadership roles in traditional worship services, including the reading from the Sefer Torah , Haftarah , and other special biblical readings, such...
, a compendium of halakhic sources supporting increased participation by women in services, as a basis for discussions of practices like the ten-and-ten minyan.
See also
- Jewish servicesJewish servicesJewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
- Torah readingTorah readingTorah reading is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with special cantillation, and returning the scroll to...
- AmidahAmidahThe Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
- KaddishKaddishKaddish is a prayer found in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy different versions of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between sections of the service...
- Birkat HaMazonBirkat HamazonBirkat Hamazon or Birkath Hammazon, , known in English as the Grace After Meals, , is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish Law prescribes following a meal that includes bread or matzoh made from one or all of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt...
- MegillahMegillahMegillah may refer to:Bible:*The Scroll of Esther , read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.*Megillat AntiochusRabbinic literature:*Tractate Megillah in the Talmud....
- Partnership minyanPartnership minyanPartnership minyan is a term used by the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance to describe a prayer group that, according to its adherents, conforms to the strictures of Orthodox Judaism while still allowing for parts of the services to be led by both men and women...
- Tzadikim NistarimTzadikim NistarimThe Tzadikim Nistarim or Lamed Vav Tzadikim , often abbreviated to Lamed Vav, refers to 36 Righteous people, a notion rooted within the more mystical dimensions of Judaism. The singular form is Tzadik Nistar .-Origins:...
Further reading
- Adler, RachelRachel AdlerRachel Adler is associate professor of Modern Jewish Thought and Judaism and Gender at the School of Religion, University of Southern California and the Hebrew Union College Rabbinical School at the Los Angeles campus...
. "Innovation and authority : a feminist reading of the "women’s minyan" responsum" In Gender Issues in Jewish Law (2001) 3-32 - Broyde, Michael JMichael BroydeMichael J. Broyde is a professor of law and the academic director of the Law and Religion Program at Emory University. He is also a senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. His primary areas of interest are law and religion, Jewish law and ethics, and...
.; Wolowelsky, Joel B. "Further on women as prayer leaders and their role in communal prayer; an exchange." Judaism. 42,4 (1993) 387-395. - Feinstein, Moses. "Splitting the worshipers into two minyanim for the sake of two mourners." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Yoreh Deah vol. 4, ch. 61:4.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Including one who dwells in the Land of Israel for a minyan on second day yom-tov." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach ChayimOrach ChayimOrach Chayim "manner of life" is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of Halakha , Arba'ah Turim. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law primarily pertinent to the Hebrew calendar...
vol. 4, ch. 106, pg. 196-199. - Feinstein, Moses. "Including a person who is praying a different prayer." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 4, ch. 20, pg. 31.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Including a minor in extraneous circumstances." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 2, ch. 18, pg. 188-189.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Forming a minyan of minors for the purpose of religious instruction." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 2 ch. 98, pg. 290.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Is it sufficient for the minyan to contain a majority of those who have not already prayed?" (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 1, ch. 28-30, pg. 72-76.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Including one who profanes the Sabbath." (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 1, ch. 23, pg. 66-67 & Orach Chayim vol. 1, ch. 19, pg. 189.
- Feinstein, Moses. "Is praying with a minyan obligatory or just preferential?" (Heb.) Iggrot Moshe, Noble Press Book Corp. Brooklyn, New York (1982); Orach Chayim vol. 1, ch. 31, pg. 77; Orach Chayim vol. 2, ch. 27, pg. 200-202; Orach Chayim vol. 3, ch. 7, pg. 305 & Orach Chayim vol. 4, ch. 2, pg. 27.
- Hauptman, JudithJudith HauptmanJudith Rebecca Hauptman is a feminist Jewish Talmudic scholar. She grew up in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, United States....
. "Some thoughts on the nature of halakhic adjudication; women and "minyan"." in Judaism 42,4 (1993) 396-413. - Oppenheimer, Steven. "The breakaway minyan" in Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society 46 (2003) 41-59
- Safrai, Chana. "The "minyan" : gender and democracy" (Heb.) in Men and Women; Gender, Judaism and Democracy. Ed.: Rachel Elior. Jerusalem: Van Leer Jerusalem Institute; Urim Publications, 2004
- Schachter, Zvi. (Essay on women’s minyan) "Bet Yitzhak" 17 (1985).
- Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Is it better to include someone who profanes the Sabbath or dissolve the minyan?" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 469. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Counting the Omer with a minyan" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 310. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including a person whose hearing is assisted with a hearing aid" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 101. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including someone who lives with a non-Jewish lady" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 113. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including someone who has not yet finished the silent prayer" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 104. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including worshipers who are praying outside the synagogue" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 163. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Sanctifying the new moon with a minyan" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 1, ch. 205. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Reciting Birkat ha-Gomel in the presence of ten people" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 2, ch. 143. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Going on holiday to place where there is no minyan" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 2, ch. 63. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Leaving an exact minyan during prayer" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 2, ch. 62. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including an Israeli for the Reading of the Law on second day yom-tov of the diaspora" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 2, ch. 89. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Including a despondent person with the worry that he may not respond" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 2, ch. 61. - Sternbuch, MoisheMoishe SternbuchMoishe Sternbuch is the Vice-President of the Rabbinical Court and Chief Rabbi Ra'avad of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem. He resides in Har Nof where he is the rabbi of the local GR"A Synagogue, named after the Vilna Gaon of whom he is a direct descendant...
. "Annulment of vows on New Year’s eve with a minyan" (Heb.) Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Frank Publishing, Jerusalem (1997); vol. 3, ch. 161. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "In an unenclosed area, how close together must people be to be considered part of the minyan?" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 2, ch. 44. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Can one person make up two separate minyanim simultaneously?" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 2, ch. 45. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Including a person who desecrates the Sabbath." (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 3, ch. 26:4; vol. 6, ch. 9. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Including a person who married out" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 3, ch. 65. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Can people in a corridor be included in a minyan?" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 4, ch. 9. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Regarding a small congregation who need to hire out people to make up the minyan" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 9, ch. 1, pg. 17-18. - Weiss, Yitzchok YaakovYitzchok Yaakov WeissDayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss , also known as the Minchas Yitzchak, was a prominent Dayan, Halachic authority and Talmudic scholar...
. "Can women make up their own minyan" (Heb.) Minchat Yitzchak, Minchat Yitzchak Publishing, Jerusalem (1991); vol. 9, ch. 11a, pg. 17. - Wolowelsky, Joel B.Joel B. WolowelskyDr. Joel B. Wolowelsky is on the Faculty at the Yeshiva of Flatbush, and an author on topics pertaining to the role of women in Judaism and Jewish medical ethics. He is the Associate Editor of Tradition, the Journal of Jewish Thought and of the Toras HoRav Foundation, which is bringing to print the...
. "Women's Participation in Sheva Berakhot" in Modern Judaism, Vol. 12, No. 2 (May, 1992) - Zuckerman, Phil. "Gender Regulation as a Source of Religious Schism" in Sociology of Religion, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Winter, 1997), pp. 353–373
External links
- Minyan - Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
article. - The Minyan Project by Mechon Hadar
- GoDaven.com Find an Orthodox Minyan anywhere in the world.
- What is a Minyan? on Ask Moses (OU.org)
- Minyan in the Jewish Knowledge Base on Chabad.org
- Frimer, A., Women and Minyan. Tradition 23:4, pp. 54-77 (1988) (Modern Orthodox view of women in minyan for various purposes)