HEBREW TEXTS  .  HEBREW LANGUAGE  .  JUDAISM

In 3 more weeks, we will have gone through Taanit Esther, the half-fast that we observe from dawn on the eve of Purim until the festival actually begins. This year, the fast is being moved up to avoid conflicting with Shabbat, so we will be fasting on Thursday, March 21st, from 5:36 am until 7:37 pm.

Ki Tisa, the Torah portion we read this Shabbat contains one of the most dramatic events in all of Biblical narrative: the incident of the Golden Calf. Moses has been on Mount Sinai for a long time, far too long for one human group to who still carries Egypt engraved on their skin, in their hearts and souls, manages to sustain their faith in an invisible God without the corporeal presence of their leader. So in despair they convince Aaron to build them a golden calf.

Where does the concept of Minyan come from?

Of course from the Torah. Some take the fact of the merraglim, the spies sent by Moshe to investigate how good the land they were going to conquer would be, as the origin of this mitzvah, since when they returned from the expedition, there were 10 who gave an unfavorable opinion of the Promised Land . And it was the Creator who told Moshe and Aharon "How long will I put up with this perverse congregation that complains about me?" Tradition defined from this passuk that 10 is the number necessary to form a Congregation or Minyan.