16
votes
Accepted
Why do many non-Orthodox Jews come to shul regularly only after a parent's death?
It's something like that, based on my observations of my local Reform and Conservative communities. What I notice in particular with the Conservative daily minyan is that there are some regulars, some ...
- 56.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Davening with a Minyan in China
I don't know if there's such a system available at the moment but I came across a project on Kickstarter [ JPal ] that aims to automate this process.
According to the developers people can create a ...
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9
votes
Why do many non-Orthodox Jews come to shul regularly only after a parent's death?
I wholly agree with Monica's excellent answer, but I would like to point out another phenomenon. Many non-Orthodox Jews go through a portion of their adult lives without giving much thought to ...
- 5,263
9
votes
Pregnant woman with male fetus in a minyan?
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 55:4) talks about adding a Katan to a minyan:
יש מתירים לומר דבר שבקדושה בתשעה וצירוף קטן שהוא יותר מבן שש ויודע למי מתפללין ולא נראין דבריהם לגדולי הפוסקים וה"ה ...
- 3,765
8
votes
Online tool for minyan management?
JPal should solve this issue.
Please check this thread on SE: Davening with a Minyan in China
Details:
Minyan On Demand let's you create a minyan anywhere in the world and
instantly have ...
- 324
8
votes
Is a minyan required for Sheva Brachot?
The Mishna in Megillah (23b) says they need a Minyan, and the Gemara there clarifies that the groom himself can count as one of the 10. The Gemara (Kallah Rabbati 1:3, Ketubbot 7a) derives this ...
- 97.4k
8
votes
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Why is no prayer better when there is no Minyan present than praying with less than 10 people?
The public requirement for certain prayers is based on Vayikra 22:32: "I will be hallowed (ונקדשתי) among the children of Israel". Prayers that specifically sanctify God therefore need to be said ...
- 56.4k
8
votes
Is a Minyan allowed to count a man that does not keep Shabbos?
Historically a non-shomer Shabbat Jew did not count as part of a minyan, however in recent generations, a number of halachic decisors taught that the status of Shabbat-desecrators is different today. ...
- 48.1k
8
votes
Do you need a minyan for Kol Nidrei?
No, not according to the answer on this site:
Although it is preferable to join a minyan where this is possible, both Kol Nidrei and Yizkor can be recited in private. The reason for this is that ...
- 37.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Comprehensive map/list of active Orthodox synagogues in the U.S
Check out this site.
Click on each state to get cities and then click on each city to get a list of just about (if not all) the minyanim in that city.
- 480
7
votes
Must one pray with a minyan?
Indeed there are sources that praying with a minyan is not strictly obligatory. Perhaps the most explicit is R. Aryeh Pomeranchik in Emek Beracha, Birchot Keriat Shema:
אמנם אשר נ"ל בזה דבאמת תפלה ...
- 49.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Can a robot count in a minyan?
R. Tzvi Hirsch Ashkenazi has a responsum (Shu"t Chacham Tzvi siman 93) about whether a being created using the Sefer Yetzira can count for a minyan, and his conclusion is that it cannot.
אלא ודאי ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
Silent Amidah when praying without a minyan
You may encounter opinions that recommend not doing that, based on kabbalistic sources:
Pri Etz Hayyim - Sha'ar Ha-Amidah - Chapter 2
אין להתפלל תפלה שבלחש
בקול רם, כי בלחש אנו מעמידין יעקב ...
- 4,881
6
votes
Tenth arrives during or after the silent shemonei esreh - sources
I don't know about responsa, but it's an entire Siman in Shulchan Aruch - and it's called Pores Al Shma - Orach Chaim 69 - דין פורס על שמע.
In short: Once the tenth man arrives, one says Kadish, ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Is a Minyan allowed to count a man that does not keep Shabbos?
Rav Aharon Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel in Baltimore, was once returning to Baltimore on an early morning flight. He was leaving too early to daven with a minyan before he left, and he was not ...
- 58.4k
6
votes
Count a Torah scroll as the tenth in a minyan?
R David Sperling at yeshiva.co here addresses your question and brings a number of rejected opinions - to be clear the halacha remains that a Torah scroll does not count as a tenth in a minyan
In ...
- 48.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Mincha ketana vs just before shekia
Aruch HaShulchan Orach Chaim 233:7 writes that ideally, one ought to pray mincha between mincha ketana (9:30) and plag hamincha (10:45).
This is based on Rambam Hilchot Tefilla 3:4. Aruch HaShulchan ...
- 41.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Does it count as "praying with a minyan" you are saying a different service?
The Minchas Yitzchak (2:132) brings the Magen Avraham in Orach Chayim 90:17 and 235:2 with an understanding that not only isn't it considered תפילה בציבור but it is not even considered בשעה שהציבור ...
- 2,064
5
votes
Accepted
Torah was taken out for reading, when you discover you had no minyan. What now?
This article from Daily Halacha by Rabbi Eli J Mansour discusses the case where the torah service started with a minyan and then somebody left. In that case, he writes (without citing sources, ...
- 56.4k
5
votes
Can a man miss tefilah with a minyan because his wife is overwhelmed with the children?
Nice question, the SA in 90:9 says a person should try to pray in a shul with a minyan, then says if he is anus the mishna berurah says eg he doesnt have strength or if he will lose money, he is ...
5
votes
How can we get people to stop talking (much, loudly) during minyan?
My personal experience, as Shaliach tzibur, to silence the Schul talkers has been to stop as soon as I sensed any utterances coming from the congregation. Following a few seconds of showing my "...
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a "Jew" P.S. app for Android or iPhone?
Rustybrick makes such an app for both Android and iOS. Here are the links:
iOS Android
Here is a description from their site:
Minyan Now For iOS & Android
Minyan Now lets you quickly ...
- 593
4
votes
Accepted
What does cantillation do to prayer's status?
The issue is not just whether something is or is not a prayer, but also whether it is a דבר שבקדושה.
The Beit Yosef brings (OC 565:5) in the name of Rashba that an individual (not in a minyan) ...
- 9,777
4
votes
Accepted
Is a minyan required for Sheva Brachot?
According to chabad.org the answer is yes because all seven of the brachos (from the wedding) are said - hence the name. Here is the relevant paragraph. Note that if there are other sheva brachot ...
- 42.9k
4
votes
Why do many non-Orthodox Jews come to shul regularly only after a parent's death?
This answer is solely based on my own personal experience with no Halachic references available.
When my sister died I took it very hard. Closure seemed impossible, because of a tangled web of ...
- 386
4
votes
Accepted
A minyan made entirely of cohanim
I'm summarizing some points found in the text as well as Mishnah Berurah commentary to O.C. 128:25
If there are only 10 people and they are all Cohanim, all of them duchen and they bless those that ...
- 70.1k
4
votes
Davening with a Minyan in China
Based on my analysis it seems you can choose from the following services:
JPal (most promising, in development)
Minyan Now (Rusty)
GoDaven (unreliable)
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Priestly blessing for a different minyan - any need for kohen to participate?
It's strongly implied (S"A O"C 128:2) that if a Kohen is in the room when the Chazzan calls "Kohanim" (or some other form of the Kohen being called up to give the blessing), he has an obligation to ...
- 6,753
4
votes
Can a robot count in a minyan?
The Orach Chayim says that in order to say kaddish, we must have at least 10 men (not robots) in the room.
Orach Chayim 55:1
אומרים קדיש וא"א אותו בפחות מי' זכרים בני חורין גדולים שהביאו ב'
...
- 3,849
4
votes
Accepted
Do all 10 men that form a minyan need to be "alert"?
If one person is sleeping or otherwise not paying attention, he can still be included for kadish. (שו"ע או"ח נה/ו) More than one sleeping should not be counted. מ"ב נה/לב
Regarding chazoras ha'shatz ...
- 6,123
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