Minyan, Minayin

(3) One does not recite the introductory prayers and blessing [poresin] before Shema; nor does one pass before the ark to repeat the Amida prayer; nor do the priests lift their hands to recite the Priestly Benediction; nor is the Torah read in public; nor does one conclude with a reading from the Prophets [haftara]. And one does not observe the practice of standing up and sitting down for the delivery of eulogies at a funeral service; nor does one recite the mourners’ blessing or comfort mourners in two lines after the funeral; or recite the bridegrooms’ blessing; and one does not invite others to recite Grace after Meals, i.e., conduct a zimmun, with the name of God, with fewer than ten present...

(7) ...nor may ḳaddish and bareku be said with fewer than 10...

From where do we derive these things [in the mishna]? Rabbi Chiyya son of Abba said Rabbi Yochanan said: For the verse says, “And I will be sanctified within [be-toch] the children of Israel” (Vayikra 22:32). Every davar she-bikdusha [matter of sanctity] should not be with fewer than ten. What implies this? For Rabbi Chiyya taught: We learn from “toch“-“toch.” Here it is written “And I will be sanctified within [be-toch] the children of Israel.” There it is written, “Separate from within [mi-toch] the assembly [eida]” (Bemidbar 16:21). And we learn from “eida“-“eida.” For it is written there [regarding the spies], “until when will this wicked assembly [eida] persist?” (Bemidbar 14:27) Just as there [eida] is ten, so too here it is ten.

Rav Ba and Rav Yosei in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: It is said here “eida” and it is said there (Bemidbar 14:27) “until when will this wicked assembly [eida] persist?” Just as eida there [in the case of the spies] refers to ten, so too here it is ten. Rabbi Simon said: It says here “toch” and it says there (Bereishit 42:5) “The sons of Israel came to purchase food among [be-toch] those who came [to Egypt].” Just as toch that is said there is ten, so, too, here it is ten…

(1) אולי ימצאון שם עשרה — For a smaller number he did not plead because he knew already of two instances where less than ten had failed to save the wicked. He said to himself: In the generation of the Flood there were eight righteous people, viz., Noah, his sons and their wives, and they could not save their generation (Genesis Rabbah 49:13), and for nine in association with God he had already pleaded but had found no acceptance.

(5) As soon as Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons: Get you down thither, and buy for us from them, etc. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down (ibid. 42:2–3). Why did all ten go? Because in that number resides the power to set aside retribution.⁴Because ten comprise a minyan and so they could beseech God as a congregation. For example, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to destroy Sodom, our patriarch Abraham pleaded for heavenly mercy in their behalf. He spoke first of fifty men, but finally reduced the number to ten, as it is said: Peradventure ten shall be found there (ibid. 18:31). Ten men also comprise a congregation, as is said: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (Num. 14:27), and God standeth in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). Hence Scripture states: Joseph’s ten brethren went down (Gen. 42:3).

(1) A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the divine assembly; among the divine beings He pronounces judgment.

(32) You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people—I the LORD who sanctify you,

(27) “How much longer shall that wicked community [the 10 spies?] keep muttering against Me? Very well, I have heeded the incessant muttering of the Israelites against Me.

(21) “Stand back from this community [Korah and his assembly] that I may annihilate them in an instant!”

Even to change the strap of a sandal. There was a Jewish custom with regard to sandal straps. If the gentile authorities were to decree that Jews must change their practice and wear sandal straps like those worn by the gentiles, one would be obligated to give up his life rather than veer from the accepted custom. The Gemara asks: And the presence of how many people is required so that it should be deemed a public act? Rabbi Ya’akov says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: An action is not considered a public act if it is performed in the presence of fewer than ten people. The Gemara clarifies this point: It is obvious that we require that these ten people be Jews, as it is written in the verse from which we derive the requirement of ten for the sanctification of God’s name: “And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32). Rabbi Yirmeya asks: What is the halakha if there were nine Jews and one gentile present? The Gemara answers: Come and hear an answer from what Rav Yannai, the brother of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, teaches in a baraita: This is derived by means of a verbal analogy between the word “among” written with regard to the sanctification of God’s name, and the word “among” written with regard to Korah and his assembly. Here, with regard to the sanctification of God’s name, it is written: “And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel,” and there, with regard to Korah, it is written: “Separate yourselves from among this congregation” (Numbers 16:21). The meaning of the word “congregation” written with regard to Korah is derived by means of a verbal analogy to the word “congregation” written with regard to the spies sent out by Moses to scout the land: “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation” (Numbers 14:27). Just as there, the congregation of spies numbered ten, and all were Jews, so too here, concerning the sanctification of God, there must be ten, all of them being Jews.

(6) Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “God stands in the congregation of God” (Psalm 82:1).

Ravin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is located in a synagogue? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God;” (Psalms 82:1). And from where is it derived that ten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God."

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: When the Holy One, Blessed be He, enters a synagogue and does not find ten people there, He immediately becomes angry, as it is stated: “Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, there was no one to answer…Behold, with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness” (Isaiah 50:2). Concerning another aspect of the constancy of prayer, Rabbi Ḥelbo said that Rav Huna said: One who sets a fixed place for his prayer, the God of Abraham assists him. Since prayer parallels the Temple service, it is a sign of respect to set a fixed place for this sacred rite (Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto). The God of Abraham assists him because this pious custom evokes Abraham’s conduct.

Rabbi Yitzḥak said to Rav Naḥman: Why did the Master not come to the synagogue to pray? Rav Naḥman said to him: I was unable to come. Rabbi Yitzḥak said to him: Let the Master gather ten and pray. Rav Naḥman said to him: It is difficult for me. Rabbi Yitzḥak suggested another option: The Master should tell the congregation to send a messenger when the congregation is praying to come and inform the Master so you may pray at the same time. He asked: What is the reason for all this fuss? Rabbi Yitzḥak said to him: As Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: What is the meaning of that which is written: “But as for me, let my prayer be unto You, Lord, in a time of favor; O God, in the abundance of Your mercy, answer me with the truth of Your salvation” (Psalms 69:14)? When is a time of favor? It is at the time when the congregation is praying.

Rav said: One may read the Megilla in its proper time, i.e., on the fourteenth of Adar, even privately. However, when it is read not at its proper time, e.g., when the villages advance their reading to the day of assembly, it must be read with a quorum of ten, because the enactment allowing the Megilla to be read before its proper time was only made for a community. Rav Asi disagreed and said: Both at its proper time and not at its proper time, the Megilla must be read with a quorum of ten. The Gemara relates that there was an incident where Rav had to read the Megilla on Purim, and he was concerned for this opinion of Rav Asi and gathered ten men even though he was reading the Megilla in its proper time, on the fourteenth of Adar.

Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: With regard to a kneader, i.e., one who kneads dough for others and should maintain the ritual purity of the dough; and similarly, with regard to washing one’s hands for prayer (Arukh), and with regard to washing hands before eating, one must search either for a ritual bath to immerse the vessel he is using to knead the dough, or for water to purify his hands, provided that water is accessible within the time it takes to walk four mil, eight thousand cubits... Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: They taught that one must search for water to wash one’s hands before eating or prayer for the amount of time it takes to walk four mil only when the water is before him, in the direction that he is traveling. However, when it is behind him, he need not return even a mil. Rav Aḥa said: From this statement one may infer that he need not return a mil, but he must return less than one mil in order to obtain water.

On your way - 4 mil - about 72 minutes.
Not on your way - 1 mil - about 18 minutes.

(1) Congregational prayer is always heard [by the Almighty]. Even if there are sinners among them, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not reject the prayer of a multitude. Hence, a person should associate himself with the congregation, and never recite his prayers in private when he is able to pray with the congregation. One should always attend Synagogue, morning and evening; for only if recited in a synagogue, are one's prayers heard at all times. Whoever has a synagogue in his town and does not worship there is called a bad neighbour.

(9) A person should make an effort to pray in the synagogue with a congregation, and if he is unable (lit. "anus", coerced) - that one is not able to come ot the synagogue, one should intend to pray at the time that the congregation are praying [This also applies to people living in small settlements, that do not have a minyan -- they, in any case, should pray Shacharit and Aravit during the time that the congregation are praying - Sefer Mitzvot haGadol] And similarly if one is unable and did not pray at the time when the community prayed, and prays as an individual, despite this, one should pray in the synagogue.

(10) When one stands [in prayer] with the community, it is forbidden to advance/accelerate one's prayer [i.e. Amidah] [ahead of] the prayer of the community, [in any case] other than if the time [of prayer] is passing and the community are not praying [in time] since they lengthen [the Amidah] with poems or for other reasons. [But, if the time [of prayer] is not passing, one must pray the poems and the pleas with the community and not separate from the community, even to busy oneself in words of Torah - and see above, Siman 68]

(11) One who has a synagogue in their city and does not enter it to pray is called a bad neighbor and one who causes exile for oneself and one's children.

(12) It is a mitzvah to run, when one travels to synagogue and to every other matter of a mitzvah -- even on Shabbat, when it is [otherwise] forbidden to take big steps! But when one leaves the synagogue, it is forbidden to run

(14) A person should get up early to go to synagogue, in order to be counted with the first ten.

(16) One who travels and reaches a city and wishes to spend the night there, if there is a place up to 4 mil ahead of them where the inhabitants pray in a minyan, the traveller needs to go there. And if the place is behind them, they need to go to it up to a distance of 1 mil, in order to pray in a minyan...

(19) One should fix a place to pray and not change it if one does not need to. And this is not enough, to fix a synagogue for oneself to pray in, rather one must also fix a place within the synagogue.

(1) They say Kaddish, and it is not said with less than ten males, who are free and have grown two [pubic] hairs, and this is the rule for Kedushah and Barchu that are not said with less than ten.