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The mishna, M'gila 23 amud 2 as described by Rashi, says we don't say the mourners' outdoor blessing without the presence of ten people, and the mourners themselves don't count toward the requisite ten. Rashi explains that the mourners aren't included in the count

because he's saying a blessing for the consolers separately ("Our brothers, may the master of payback pay you your good recompense. Blessed are you, God, who pays back.") and for the mourners separately ("Our brothers, may the master of consolations console you. Blessed are you, God, who consoles mourners.") and doesn't combine them.

If that's the reason we need ten non-mourners then we should need ten mourners, too. Why don't we? Or do we? Or am I missing something?

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  • Sourced answers only? I had a theory when I learned that Gemara, but did not look around.
    – Y     e     z
    Mar 11, 2019 at 20:14
  • Maybe because a standard bracha is expected to be for >=10 people, but the understanding is an exception was made here because there aren't usually 10 mourners.
    – Heshy
    Mar 11, 2019 at 20:16
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    Maybe there should, m’ikkar hadin, be 10, mourners but since there (usually) aren’t 10, we allow with less than 10
    – Lo ani
    Mar 11, 2019 at 20:47
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    @Yez if there's no source then an argument for the theory would obviously boost its credibility
    – msh210 ♦
    Mar 11, 2019 at 21:55

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