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Davening with a Minyan: Difference between revisions
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==Who Counts for a Minyan?== | ==Who Counts for a Minyan?== | ||
# A minimum of ten Jewish free adult men are necessary to form a [[minyan]]<Ref>Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 55:4</ref>. | # A minimum of ten Jewish free adult men are necessary to form a [[minyan]]<Ref>Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 55:4</ref>. | ||
# A child can't be counted for a minyan. There is an opinion who allows counting a child for the tenth person if there's nine other adults. Ashkenazim can rely on that upon in an extenuating circumstance.<ref> Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi (Brachot 47b) said that a child can be counted for a minyan. The Rif doesn't count this statement. The Ramban (Milchamot 35b) explains that the Rif held it wasn't accepted since the gemara on 48a says we don't follow any of the earlier statements on the topic of minyan and zimmun. Ravyah (cited by Mordechai Brachot 172), Rambam Tefillah 8:4, and Rashba Brachot 48a s.v. veleyt agree. However, Tosfot 48a s.v. veleyt quotes Rabbenu Tam who held that Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi was never rejected. The Ri disagreed and adds that Rabbenu Tam himself never followed his opinion in practice. Rosh Brachot 7:20 and Mordechai Brachot 172 quote the dispute of Rabbenu Tam and Ri and add that Rav Hai Goan agreed with Rabbenu Tam. Baal Hameor Brachot 35b agrees with Rabbenu Tam. (Raavad on Rif implies he disagrees with the Raavad.) | |||
* Orchot Chaim (Tefillah 73) records a story in which the Rabbenu Shimshon put a town in excommunication for disobeying his ruling and counting a child for a minyan. On the the opposite extreme the Kolbo ch. 11 at the end writes that the minhag of all of Yisrael is to count a child for a minyan. Bet Yosef 55:4 writes that this is an exaggeration. | |||
* Tosfot s.v. veleyt writes that even according to Rabbenu Tam you can only count one child and not multiple children. However, the Baal Hameor suggests that you can even count up to four children as long as there's six adults. Mordechai Brachot 172. Magen Avraham 55:5 writes that even in extenuating circumstances we only follow Rabbenu Tam and not the Baal Hameor. Mishna Brurah 55:24 agrees. | |||
* Tosfot writes that there's no advantage of having the child hold a sefer torah because a sefer torah isn't a person and doesn't add anything for a minyan. The Rama 55:4 writes that those who counted a child for a minyan didn't have them hold a sefer torah. Magen Avraham 55:4 writes that in his day the minhag was to count a child specifically holding a sefer torah. | |||
* Shulchan Aruch 55:4 rules that one can't count a child for a minyan at all. Rama argues that there's what to rely upon in extenuating circumstances.</ref> Many poskim say not to rely on that opinion even in an extenuating circumstance.<ref>Mishna Brurah 55:24 writes that the Levush writes that the minhag is that we never rely on counting a child and also many poskim hold that one shouldn't count a child even in extenuating circumstances.</ref> | |||
# Though a deaf-mute is generally assumed to have the status of a Shoteh, there is much debate as to whether or not he is considered a Bar Da'at and can count for a [[minyan]] if he attended a special education school and learned how to communicate. As such, if there are only ten people, one may count him for a [[minyan]] but should only do a short Chazara, so as not to risk too many Berachot Levatala.<ref>Yechave Daat 2:6</ref> | # Though a deaf-mute is generally assumed to have the status of a Shoteh, there is much debate as to whether or not he is considered a Bar Da'at and can count for a [[minyan]] if he attended a special education school and learned how to communicate. As such, if there are only ten people, one may count him for a [[minyan]] but should only do a short Chazara, so as not to risk too many Berachot Levatala.<ref>Yechave Daat 2:6</ref> | ||
===If Some of the Minyan Left Early=== | ===If Some of the Minyan Left Early=== | ||
