The Need for Ten Good Individuals

The word minyan signifies a quorum in Judaism, the number of adult Jews (13 and older) who assemble for purposes of fulfilling a public religious obligation.

Only when one has a minyan, can one recite the barechu, the kedusha, have a public reading of the Torah, and say mourner's kaddish.  The Rabbis used the number 10 for various reasons:  1) The word eidah(congregation) was used to describe the 10 spies who gathered to report on Canaan; 2) Psalm 82:1 states, "G-d stands in the congregation of G-d."; 3) It was assumed that assemblying a minyan would not be a hardship on any community; 4) In the story of Sodom and Gommorah, G-d would not save the community with less than 10 righteous individuals.

So if ten is considered the minimum for a critical mass of a community to be able to daven an entire service together, is it reasonable to think that we should be able to revive our Friday evening service on a weekly basis?   Our special programming of potlucks in homes brings out wonderful numbers of individuals who always seem to enjoy being together.  Our numbers on regular Shabbat evenings have declined as a result of the death or illness of many of our former attendees. 

I guess my question is, what can we do to make sure that those who want to say kaddish for a loved one on Friday night can still do so?  Is it possible for a few extra individuals to commit themselves to attending a service once every month?  If not, we will continue to follow the Jerusalem Talmud's recommendation that one consider 6 a critical mass....but we will still be falling short of that number if things continue as they are right now. Does special programming on erev Shabbat make a difference to you?  Would we better off offering fewer Friday evening services and focusing on our Shabbat morning gatherings?

Let me end on a positive note, however.  I am delighted that our members gather on Shabbat morning making our davenning experience/ability to read Torah not only a reality, but a pleasure! Thank you to all who have made this part of the weekly routine. There is something so special about being with others, sharing time/stories, and kiddush lunch each week.