A Group of Ten-Minyan

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only a minyan can be found there?”  He answered, “For the sake of a minyan, I will not destroy it (Sodom and Gomorrah).” When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.-Genesis 32-33

I am sure most readers are quite familiar with the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and how Abraham engaged in a little bargaining session with G-d prior to fire and brimstone being rained down on the doomed city.  Abraham concerned that the innocent might be destroyed right along with the wicked begins by asking G-d if He will destroy the city if there be 50 righteous people there. G-d’s answer is a firm no. So Abraham continues to bargain down until he reaches the number 10 or a minyan in Hebrew.  Again G-d assures Abraham that if there be at a minimum 10 righteous, He will not destroy the city.

Now within the realm of biblical numerology, the number 10 holds special significance.  It is considered to be the number of fullness or perfect completeness.  It is a number that represents G-d’s perfect order as opposed to utter confusion. That is why giving one-tenth or a tithe from all of our earnings is considered to be the perfect just amount owed G-d.  What is also interesting is that for the past approximate 500 years, Jewish mystical teachings have maintained that according to the Bible, the universe is comprised of ten dimensions and recently modern physics is also beginning to come to the same conclusion.  Even today, religious Jews will usually not hold a service or a group prayer if there are not at least 10 people in attendance.  So this number is considered to be an ideal minimum.  G-d was telling Abraham that unless this divine quota was met, Sodom and Gomorrah was toast. 

Hence, when you come across the number 10 while reading Scripture, realize that something of divine significance is about to unfold.  For example, when Absalom, the third son of King David, rebelled against his father’s throne, it was divinely determined that he was to be killed.  This was represented by the presence of exactly ten armed warriors that were sent out to slay him.  Or when G-d created man, He gave him 10 fingers and 10 toes.  Yom Kippur, the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar, takes place on the 10^th day of the 7^th month and so on and on.  By the way, the number 7 also holds great significance in Scripture.  However, we won’t get into that here.

Our Heavenly Father,

Please open up our hearts and minds so we may be able to fathom the wondrous mysteries entwined in your Holy Word.

Amen