What is a Minyan?

What is a minyan?⁠

A minyan is the assembly of 10 Jewish men that meets the minimum requirement for certain religious obligations, such as public prayer and worship, especially necessary when certain blessings and benedictions are being recited.⁠

In traditional Judaism, any male age 13 and older can be included in a minyan after he has completed his bar mitzvah. However, in non-Orthodox sects of Judaism, sometimes women can be counted towards a minyan in modern day.⁠

While there are some exceptions, a general requirement for a minyan is that all participants must be assembled in the same room. ⁠

Why are minyanim (plural) considered to be important?

It was strongly believed by the Jewish sages of the Talmud that wherever ten Israelites were assembled (for worship or studying Torah), the Divine Presence dwelt among them. Rabbinical literature (Jewish texts outside of Scripture) praises those who meet for study or prayer in smaller groups, or even someone who prays alone. However, it is believed there is a sacredness of the minyan of ten.⁠

So if you ever attend a Jewish service or wedding, play close attention to see if you can spot the minyan! Even if you can't, it's extremely likely there are ten men (or women) in the room that have been designated as part of the quorum! ⁠

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Our purpose in sharing these tidbits is not to imply that these traditions have to be followed by believers in Jesus/Messianic Jews, but in order to help others better learn about and understand their Jewish neighbors and friends so that they can better build bridges and connections with them.