What is the Need for a Minyan?

Question

I understand that we need a minyan for the following:
Torah reading, Barchu, Kaddish, Kedusha (repetition of Amidah)

Please explain why a minyan is required for these prayers.

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Due to their communal nature, there are certain parts of our daily prayers that require a Minyan. The Sages instituted that a minimum of ten people is required in order to be able to read from the Torah, recite Kaddish, repeat the Amidah and say Borchu. Why ten? The Talmud explains in Tractate Megillah 23b that the Torah uses the word “eidah” (congregation) to refer to a group of ten people. Ten is the smallest group about whom such a term is used. Moshe sent 12 spies to scout out the Land of Israel. Ten of the spies returned with an evil report. The verse refers to these ten as an “evil congregation.” We know this refers to only ten of the twelve because two of the spies – Calev and Joshua – were righteous and gave a good report about the Land.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team