The Talmud Yerushalmi (Megillah 3:4) utilizes different verses to deduce the gezerah shavah on which the rulings pertaining to davar shebi’kedushah are based (see the commentary of Korban Ha’edah,ad loc.). The first is a verse from Parshat Kedoshim in which G-d addresses Moses and Aaron after the tragic death of two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 19:2): “Dabber el kol adat Bnei Yisrael ve’amarta aleihem, Kedoshim tih’yu ki kadosh ani Hashem Elokeichem – Speak to the entire congregation of the Children of Israel and say unto them, You shall be holy, for I, the L-rd your G-d, am holy.” The second is a verse in Parshat Miketz in which Jacob sends his 10 sons to Egypt to purchase food (Genesis 42:5): “Va’yavo’u Bnei Yisrael lishbor betoch habba’im, ki haya hara’av be’eretz kena’an – The sons of Israel came to buy provisions amidst those that came, for there was a famine in the land of Canaan.”
R. Ba and R. Yosei say in the name of R. Yochanan that the analogy is drawn between “edah” in the verse in Parshat Kedoshim (“Dabber el kol adat Bnei Yisrael”) and “edah” in the verse about the incident of the spies (“Ad matai la’edah hara’ah hazot”). Since the second verse clearly refers to 10 people, we have to assume that sanctification (i.e., Kedushah) also requires 10.
R. Simon derives the analogy from the word “betoch.” Since Jacob’s sons numbered 10, the verse “Venikdashti betoch Bnei Yisrael” in Parshat Emor also must refer to a quorum of 10. R. Yosei b. R. Bun questions drawing an analogy from “betoch” since the sons of Jacob were clearly amid (“betoch” and not “mitoch”) a multitude. He, therefore, suggests instead that the gezerah shavah is drawn from the expression “Bnei Yisrael” found both in Parshat Kedoshim and Parshat Miketz (where the sons of Jacob are referred to as “sons of Israel”).
Although the analogy that serves as the source of this ruling – that any davar shebi’kedushah requires a quorum of 10 – is debated, the ruling itself is unanimous. We now have to determine which situations are defined as “matters of sanctity.”
The Gemara (Megillah 23b) lists in detail what we may not recite without the presence of 10 men: “Ein porsin al Shema,” which refers to the half-Kaddish before Barchu of Shacharit; “Ein ovrin lifnei ha’teivah,” which refers to chazaras ha’shatz; “Ve’ein nos’in et kappeihem,” which refers to the Priestly Blessing; “Ve’ein korin baTorah,” which refers to Keriat haTorah; “Ve’ein maftirin be’navi,” which refers to reading the haftarah; “Ve’ein osin ma’amad u’moshav,” which refers to the custom during a funeral procession to make at least seven stops, with the mourners being told repeatedly to rise and sit down to deliver and listen to eulogies for the departed before resuming to walk after the funeral bier; “Ve’ein omrim birkat aveilim,” which refers to the mourners’ blessing; “Vetanchumei aveilim,” which refers to the consolations for mourners; “U’virkat chatanim,” which refers to the wedding blessings; “Ve’ein mezamnin baShem pachot me’asarah,” which refers to mentioning G-d’s name when inviting others to bentch; and “U’vekarka’ot tish’ah ve’kohen,” which refers to appraising consecrated land and requires nine men plus a kohen.
Now if the Birkat HaGomel is a blessing that one is only able to recite in the presence of a minyan – which it surely is – it seems like you should’ve been able to recite in during the week. Why did your shul instruct you to wait until Shabbos?
(Continued next week)