"I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel." This verse is connected to the verse by Korach which states, "Remove yourselves from the midst of, this wicked congregation." We know that the minimum number for a congregation is 10 because of the statement about the spies who were sent out to investigate Canaan as well as the story of Abraham pleading for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah where the final number was 10 righteous to be considered a community. How do we know the importance of communal prayer over personal prayer and that Hashem never rejects communal prayer? It is written "You have redeemed me from my foes, because there were many with me."

Don’t be a bad neighbor. Reish Lakish said, "Anyone who has a synagogue in town and does not frequent it, is called a bad neighbor." The story goes in the Talmud that Rav Yitzchak asked Rav Nachman, Why didn't you come to synagogue to pray?" Rav Nachman answered, "I was too weak." Rav Yitzchak asked, "So why didn't you gather a minyan where you were?" Rav Nachman answered, "It was too difficult to do so." Rav Yitzchak asked, "So why didn't you ask that someone should notify you when the communal prayers began?" Rav Nachman asked, "What is concerning you?" Rav Yitzchak explained, "The verse states: May my prayer come before Hashem at a favorable time. Rabban Shimon bar Yochai taught, 'When is it a favorable time? When the public is praying.'" (Talmud, Brachos 8a) Rav Nachman was a bad neighbor.

Don’t you be a bad neighbor. One may pray in any language that he understands. This is true in communal prayer. But privately, one may not pray in Aramaic. This is because communal prayer goes straight to God, while private prayer goes through the angels, and they don't like to deal with Aramaic (Shulchan Aruch 101:4, and Mishnah Berurah (4,15,18). This is one of the reasons why the Kaddish, which is written in Aramaic must be said in a Minyan. Having said this, the main application of communal prayer is when the 10 people are reciting the Amidah together. Not as people think, that the main goal of communal prayer is to be able to say Kaddish, Kedusha, and Barchu (Mishnah Berurah 90:28, see however Ishei Yisroel 12:7 and 8:13, and Teshuvot V'Hanhagot 1:102 teffila bitzibur, teffilat hatzibur).

I was asked by a member of the shul; "If we can't get a Minyan every day, but can gather eight or even nine people, as is sometimes the case, is there any point in doing so." As long as there are three people, they are within the statement "God does not reject the prayers of a group", as is the case for Birkat HaMazon. Also coming together to pray to God with others of like mind has benefit even if some prayers are not said because the main reason as stated above, to bring a community together for prayer is not just the saying of Kaddish.

Don’t be a bad neighbor. At least twice in our lives, it is incumbent upon all of us to recite Kaddish for our parents for eleven months and thereafter once a year. You don’t know how many time those of us who are regulars to the Minyan have heard someone who comes once a year, to say Kaddish, "How come we didn’t make a minyan today?" If you want a Minyan there for your time of need, be there for others. Come and help make the Minyan. During the winter months when many of our regulars are in warmer climates we have trouble making 10 for services, especially, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. One of the main reasons for having a synagogue is to guarantee to the community a place to come in fellowship and worship daily and not just on Shabbat.

So what is the essence of this message? It is to try and get more people to come to shul and to let you know that you don’t have to be saying Kaddish to benefit from weekday prayers. The difference between 10 and 20 people at a weekday Minyan is the equivalent of going from 100 to 200 people on a Shabbat morning.

Be a good neighbor and be part of the solution. Come and daven. Services at B’nai Moshe take place twice a day, every day; Monday thru Friday mornings as 7 a.m.; Shabbat, Sunday and Civil Holidays at 9 a.m.; and evenings during the winter at 5 p.m.