Minyan

Minyan (Hebrew: מנין) means count or number, from the root manah (to count)[1]. In Jewish usage the term refers specifically to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain communal prayers and rituals in classical halakhah[2]. The number ten derives from the biblical story of Abraham bargaining with God over Sodom and from rabbinic interpretation of various biblical texts.

the rules and social meaning of minyan differ across Jewish communities and legal interpretations.

A minyan is required in classical halakhah for the recitation of certain prayers including the public repetition of the Amidah, the Kaddish (especially the mourner's Kaddish), the Barchu, and the public reading of the Torah. Without a minyan, the service can still take place but with the public portions omitted; individuals can pray alone but cannot lead these public elements.

Traditional Orthodox practice counts only Jewish men age 13 and over (after bar mitzvah) toward the minyan. Conservative Judaism has generally moved to count both men and women in minyan, though specific communities vary. Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism count men and women equally and may not require a minyan in the technical sense.

The minyan requirement structures Jewish communal life. The need to assemble ten adults shapes synagogue schedules, the development of communities, and the practical life of observant Jews. The shacharit (morning), mincha (afternoon), and ma'ariv (evening) services traditionally seek to gather a minyan. Daily morning minyan is a major commitment for those who maintain it.

The Mourner's Kaddish, recited by mourners during the year of mourning following the death of a parent, requires a minyan. The institution of the daily minyan in many synagogues exists in significant part to provide the context for mourners to fulfill this religious obligation.

The minyan structure has also produced creative responses across history when ten could not be gathered[2]. Specific provisions allow incorporation of a person under bar mitzvah age holding a Torah scroll (Talmudic), the use of the masculine pronoun in counting (in some traditions), and various other adaptations. Modern contexts including small congregations, traveling Jews, and military service settings have generated additional considerations.

Jewish legal studies treats the minyan as a foundational institution of Jewish communal prayer[2]. The history of the minyan, its development through rabbinic literature, and its variations across communities and movements have all been studied extensively.

• Essential Judaismby George Robinson
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• To Pray as a Jewby Hayim Halevy Donin
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