(The following are not done with fewer than ten:) The Shema is not "parceled" (porsin) with fewer than ten. [If ten came to the house of prayer, after the congregation had recited the Shema, one (of them) rises and says "Kaddish," "Barchu," and the first blessing before the Shema. "porsin," from "p'rusah," half a thing, i.e., of the two blessings before the Shema, he says only one.], and they (the Cohanim) do not lift their hands [for the priestly blessing], and they do not read the Torah [(congregational reading)], and they do not read the haftarah (in Prophets), and they do not perform "standings and sittings" (over the dead), and they do not recite the mourners' blessing and the mourners' consolations and the grooms' blessing, and they do not say grace with His name (— with fewer than ten.) [All of these are not done with fewer than ten because it is written (Leviticus 22:32): "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel" — Every matter of sanctity requires at least ten (participants). It is written here: "in the midst of the children of Israel," and, elsewhere (Numbers 16:21): "Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation." Just as there, ten (there being no "congregation" fewer than ten), here, too, ten. ("and they do not perform 'standings and sittings'":) for the dead. When the dead were taken out to be buried, they would sit seven times in honor of the deceased and say at each interval of eulogy: "Rise, dear ones, rise; sit dear ones, sit." And this is not seemly with fewer than ten. ("the mourners' blessing":) the blessing in the open place (rechavah). They would recite a blessing for the consolers and a blessing for the mourners (Kethuvoth 8b). ("and the mourners' consolations":) They would stand in a row upon returning from the grave and console the mourners. And there is no row fewer than ten. ("and the grooms' blessing":) the seven blessings addressed to the groom. ("and they do not say grace, etc.":) Since "Let us bless our G-d" must be stated, this is not seemly with fewer than ten.] And with land [of hekdesh (consecrated to the Temple), if one wishes to redeem it], there must be nine and a Cohein, [i.e., ten, (at least) one of whom is a Cohein; for "Cohein" is written ten times in the section on valuations (Leviticus 27): three (times) in respect to dedications: three in respect to valuations, three in respect to beasts, and three in respect to land.]; and a man, like it [i.e., If a man dedicates his worth (to the Temple), he is assessed as a bondsman. And a bondsman is likened to land, viz. (Leviticus 25:46): "And you shall cause them to be inherited, etc." So that just as land requires ten (assessors), one of them a Cohein; so, a man.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
אין פורסין את שמע – Ten [men] who came to the synagogue after the congregation had recited the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41), one stands up and recites Kaddish and Barchu (i.e., the call to worship), and first blessing that is before the Shema. [The word] פורסין means “a piece,” that is to say, half of the matter; from two blessings that are before the Shema, a person recites one blessing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Introduction This mishnah teaches what rituals require a minyan of ten men in order to perform them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין עוברין לפני התיבה – the emissary of the congregation.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
They do not recite the Shema responsively, In the time of the mishnah they recited the Shema in a way that we might call responsively the leader would recite one half of the verse and the congregation would respond with the second half. This practice changed some time during the talmudic period. There are actually many different explanations for what they did, but this seems to be the most accepted by scholars.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין נושאין כפים – to recite the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:22-26).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not pass before the ark; Passing before the ark refers to reciting the Sh’moneh Esrei or Amidah. Without a minyan there is no public Amidah or repetition everyone just does it silently.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין קוראין בתורה – in a community/congregation, and all of these, they are not done with less than ten [men], as it is written (Leviticus 22:32): “[You shall not profane My holy name,] that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people…”every matter of holiness does not take place with less than ten;.. It is written here, בתוך בני ישראל/in the midst of the Israelite people, and it is written there (Numbers 16:21): “Stand back from this community that I may annihilate them in an instant!” Just as there, it is ten, so here too, it is ten. (Interestingly, while the Bartenura commentary quotes the Talmud Megillah 23b, it omits the more familiar derivation for a Minyan being ten male Jewish adults, even as the Talmud does quote it there from Numbers 14:27: “How much longer shall that wicked community keep muttering against Me?” The community/עדה mentioned in the verse clearly refers to ten individuals, the ten spies who brought a negative report about their spy mission to the Promised Land. That analogy, based upon the word עדה /congregation or community is often then compared with Numbers 35:24 and 25, as is found in the Mishnah, Tractate Sanhedrin Chapter 1:6. Whereas, the interpretation quoted by Bartenura is based upon analogy of the word “בתוך/in the midst of.”).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And the [the priests] do not lift up their hands; The priestly blessing is recited before the end of the Amidah, but only with a minyan.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין עושין מעמד ומושב – for the deceased, when they carry the dead to bury him, they would sit (today – we “stop”) seven times in honor of the deceased. And we recite on each and every period of eulogy: “Arise dear ones, arise; sit dear ones, sit.” But with less than ten, it is not the way of the world.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not read the Torah [publicly]; Without a minyan there is no public reading of the Torah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ברכת אבלים – a blessing of consolation pronounced in the open air on the mourners’ return from burial, for they would recite a blessing corresponding to the mourners and a blessing corresponding to those who comfort the mourners, etc., as it is explained in the first chapter of [Talmud] Ketubot (8a).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not conclude with a haftarah from the prophets; Nor is there a haftarah, lest one think that although they can’t read from the Torah, they might be able to read from the prophets.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ותנחומי אבלים – who stand in a row when they return from the grave and comfort the mourners and this line is [made up of] not less than ten.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not make stops [at funeral] processions; On the way to the cemetery and on the way back they would make formal stops at which they would recite eulogies. They would do this seven times, but it was only done with a minyan.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
וברכת חתנים – Seven blessings that they recite to the groom.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not say the blessing for mourners, or the comfort of mourners, or the blessing of bridegrooms; The blessing for mourners was recited in the public square, whereas “comforting mourners” was done on the return from the cemetery. The blessing of the bridegrooms refers to the blessings recited under the huppah (the wedding canopy). In mishnaic times they probably recited three blessings, but by the time of the Talmud this had been increased to seven. None of these blessings is recited without a minyan.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין מזמנין – since they are required to say, "נברך אלהינו"/”we will bless our God”; less than ten is not the way of the world.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
And they do not mention God’s name in the invitation [to say Birkat Hamazon]; Except in the presence of ten. Before Birkat Hamazon, the blessing after the meal, there is an invitation to bless. This invitation is recited with God’s name only if there are ten present.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ובקרקעות – of הקדש/that which is dedicated to the Temple; one who comes to redeem them requires ten and one of them is a Kohen, for ten Kohanim are written in the portion of Dedications to the Temple/הקדשות; three in evaluation [of land],and three [with regard to] the cattle, and four for the land [that is dedicated].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
[For redeeming sanctified] land nine and a priest [are sufficient], and similarly with human beings. If someone wishes to dedicate a piece of land to the Temple they estimate the value of the land and then he must pay that amount. The estimate is carried out by ten people, only one of whom must be a priest. Similarly, if a person dedicates himself or someone else to the Temple, and he can’t afford to pay the price mandated in Leviticus 27, then they estimate how much he can afford. This estimate is again done by nine regular men and one priest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואדם כיוצא בהן – if he said, “these monies are upon me,” we assess him like a servant. And there is an analogy made between servants and property, as it is written (Leviticus 25:46): “You may keep them as a possession for your children after you [for them to inherit as property for all time….].” For just as we require ten for property, and one of their number is a Kohen, this also [applies] for a person.
