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As we have seen (20:13 above), certain mitzvot are meant to express our faith publicly in the context of a community. These mitzvot are obligatory for men and optional for women. They include the rabbinic requirement for men to pray in a minyan (a prayer quorum of ten Jewish males over age 13). Only within a minyan is it permitted to recite the special prayers called devarim she-bikedusha (holy matters). These include Barkhu (section 5 below), the ĥazan’s repetition of the Amida (section 6), the priestly blessing (section 7), Kaddish (section 11), and the Torah reading (section 12). Ideally, a minyan should pray in a synagogue, which is designated for sanctity and prayer. When necessary though, a minyan can take place anywhere. Even a sinful Jew may participate in a minyan if he wishes. However, those who have rejected Judaism for idol worship and those who desecrate the Sabbath publicly to rebel do not count for a minyan, as they have turned their backs on Jewish tradition.
A minyan is an expression of the sanctity of the community as manifested in the Jewish people. Of course, there are also righteous non-Jews, but they illuminate the world as individuals. What is unique about the Jewish people is their ability to express sanctity on the communal level as well, through the Torah and the Temple. The Torah is meant to repair the world in all its complexity, while the Temple is meant to spread divine light throughout the world. Now that the Temple is no longer, the synagogue takes its place (20:1 above).
As we mentioned above (21:13), a man should have a particular synagogue and have a designated place for prayer within it. However, if a guest sits in someone’s seat, and he might be bothered if asked to move, he should not be moved.
A man should make efforts to attend synagogue if there is one nearby (within a kilometer of his home). Someone who has urgent business to take care of during the time of the minyan may pray on his own.
