- published: 13 Dec 2013
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A minyan (Hebrew: מִנְיָן lit. to count, number; pl. מִניָנִים minyanim) in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. 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.
The source for the requirement of minyan is recorded in the Talmud. The word minyan itself comes from the Hebrew root maneh מנה meaning to count or to number. The word is related to the Aramaic word mene, numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25.
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 gezerah shavah:
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:
Well tragedy's appealing
Disaster an addiction
Waiting for the good in everything
While the world keeps feeling
There's safety in this distance
This painting, entertainment
Waiting for the good in everything
While the world keeps feeling
Cause distance
With these problems
I'm not a failure now
Anxiety's misleading
It's kosher, yet revealing
Waiting for the good in everything
While the world keeps feeling
And shine a light down on this
And shine a light down on everyone and everything we see
While the world keeps feeling
This distance
With these problems
I'm not a failure now
You wonder why
And realize what we're made of
Afraid of
Failing
Failing now
In spite of this
I'm not a failure now
In light of this
I'm not a failure