The Importance of One: Minyan and My Responsibility
By Rabbi Sternstein

Perhaps you are familiar with the adage, “there is no “I” in the word “we”. Very often, this saying is invoked to encourage a person to sublimate his own importance, so that he participates in “teamwork” as opposed to engaging in self-aggrandizement. 

I’ve often wondered about the wisdom of that maxim. Is it really a good thing to minimize one’s own importance? Perhaps, if arrogance is the ill it’s supposed to cure. But, human beings need to know that they are needed; that they are respected; that they are valued. Without this assurance, people feel rejected and worthless.

Judaism teaches both the significance of the individual and the importance of sublimation to the larger group. This idea has many applications; at work, in a marriage, in other family settings. One application of this idea is here at our shul. It finds its religious expression in the minyan. A minyan is a minyan only when 10 adult Jews gather for prayer. As such, the importance of one cannot be overestimated. The quip is true: nine Rabbis do not constitute a minyan. One more individual is needed to complete the quorum. The importance of one speaks for itself.

While we at the YJC have a small group of dedicated volunteers who agree every year to help us complete a minyan when necessary, the responsibility should be borne by the entire community. In that regard, every member over the age of 13 ought to believe that our minyan is entirely dependent on his or her help. Imagine someone’s sadness, who wants to say Kaddish for a loved one, and waits in vain for a tenth person. What would you say to him to ease his pain? Would you understand her disappointment? Could you ignore the hurt of someone who comes to others’ minyanim, and, when his or her need arises, cannot count on 9 other Jews in all of Yorktown to help out?

These issues are real, and, we must not, God forbid, become complacent about them. I have pledged to attend all minyanim (unless I am out of town). I do this, because, as a member of the Yorktown Jewish community I must be Jewishly responsible. I, therefore, feel free to ask every member to become a “minyanaire”.  Our system is set up so that you would be asked to commit to only 8 weeks A YEAR. Some weeks may not require any attendance at all.  Your wide response to this call will help to reduce the 8-week commitment.  You do not need to know how to lead a minyan (although I am happy to teach anyone how to do so). All we ask is your presence for about 15-20 minutes. I, or a member of the Religious Affairs committee may call you in the near future to ask for your help. Please seriously consider your responsibility to fellow Jews.

This article, I know, has been quite serious. I refer you to a light-hearted approach to this problem, that will drive home my point, and, hopefully, further motivate you to join me in strengthening our Jewish community.