The Minyan

Traditionally in Judaism a quorum of ten adult men is required for certain ritual acts, including public prayer: the term for such a gathering of ten men is a “minyan.” My cursory investigation suggests that the origins of the requirement are to be found in the story of the destruction of Sodom, which includes a section in which Abraham bargains with God to prevent the divine wrath from falling on that city and its people. “Suppose ten [righteous men] are found there,” Abraham beseeches God. To which the Lord responds, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” Alas, for Sodom things still went badly.

I was thinking of a minyan a week ago Sunday after a group of ten friends came to paint the condo I have just had the good fortune to move into in the Callowhill Industrial Historic District of Philadelphia, in a former hat factory. My place has 13-foot-high ceilings, and, by my calculation, about 1950 square feet of walls that needed to be painted. When the first of my friends to arrive that morning showed up, I confided that I was worried that I’d made a big mistake, and that we’d never get the place painted. Secretly, I feared I’d end up having to hire painters to finish a partially completed paint job. I had only one ladder tall enough to reach the high places, and one section of wall (behind the A/C duct) that I suspected we could not reach. I had no idea who exactly would show up. I wasn’t counting on a minyan.

As the day progressed, and the two Labradors managed not to track paint across the maple floors, it became clear that my anxieties were ill-founded. Long before the sun set, a first coat had been applied to almost every wall, and every single one of the edges had been cut-in. I was flabbergasted and overcome with gratitude for my friends, who had accomplished for me (with me) what I could never have accomplished on my own, and had doubted we could accomplish at all.

My purchase of and move into this condo is, in fact, a testament to the value of relying on help. I would not be making this move without the encouragement of my sister, and could not have done it without the help of her and her husband, my parents, and the family in Philadelphia who have provided me with love and care and support over these past two-plus years as if I were their own kin. If my gratitude has any bounds, I don’t know how to describe them. I do know that I had been reluctant to accept help, when I was making my forced exit from the bosom of the church, thinking I should rely on my own fortitude, resourcefulness, and grit. How glad I am that I learned to do otherwise!

On reflection, the painting party I held on Sunday took on some characteristics of an act of worship - and maybe even sacrament, as it provided for me an outward and visible sign of remarkable gifts of grace being shared with me by people from various regions of my life. As such, it seems to me as though it was an occasion of worship, and those ten men comprised a minyan bearing brushes and rollers dipped in paint.

At the age of 58, I am a homeowner for the first time in my life, and it seems to me like an incomparable blessing to begin my time in this home with a minyan who showed me a substantial measure of God’s goodness.