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In more traditional streams of Judaism, only men 13 and older may constitute a minyan; The minimum of 10 Jews needed for a meeting has its origin [citation needed] in Abraham's prayer to God in Genesis 18:23. The most common activity requiring a minyan is public prayer.
There are certain prayers or rituals that can only take place in public. Jewish law defines this as the presence of 10 males of 13 years or older. This is known as a minyan, quorum. The quorum is so important, that the prayer service itself can be referred to as a minyan.
Minyan is the Hebrew word for "number" and refers to the 10 males needed to form a Jewish community for liturgical purposes. Learn about the origins, functions and variations of minyan in Judaism, as well as the role of women and children in some movements.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Minyan is the Hebrew word that describes the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. The word itself comes from the Hebrew root maneh (מנה) meaning to count or to number.
The biblical source for the requirement of ten men to complete a minyan (lit., “count” or “number”) is Numbers 14:27. Moses sent spies to scout the land of Canaan.
The shiva minyan–because it occurs in the home, because it is composed of friends and fellow congregants–does more than remind the mourner of membership in a larger community. It creates that community–precisely where it is most needed.
The Power of Minyan. How praying daily with ten strangers helped me recover after my wife's miscarriage. By Rabbi Elisha Friedman
