Why Pray with a Minyan Instead of Alone at Home?

One of the steps in the journey of a person who strengthening their faith, is the shift from individual prayer to communal prayer. This step may seem a bit daunting because, until now, one could pray whenever desired (subject to the times of prayer, of course) without the need to arrive at the synagogue precisely on time and without needing to leave home at all. The convenience of such a method of prayer may delay the decision to take the next step towards praying with a minyan. What is so critical about praying with a minyan, and is there really a significant difference between them?

The Rambam rules: "A person should include himself with the public and not pray alone whenever he can pray with the public, and he should always go to the synagogue morning and evening as his prayer is only heard at all times in the synagogue" (Laws of Prayer, Chapter 8, Halacha 1). Additionally, from the Gemara, we learn that the mitzvah of "I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel," which includes communal prayer as an act of sanctifying Hashem's name in public, overrides the Torah prohibition of freeing a Canaanite slave for the sake of completing a minyan (Tosafot on Tractate Berachot, page 47b, and also Ramban Gittin 38b, Responsa of Radbaz Chelek 4, Siman 13, and more extensively in Shdei Chemed Klalim System T, Rule 37). Thus, in the "Shulchan Aruch HaRav," the Alter Rebbe wrote about prayer with a minyan, "Even though it is a rabbinic commandment, it is greater than a positive Torah commandment because it sanctifies Hashem's name in public, for one is allowed to violate a positive Torah commandment to emancipate one's slave to complete the ten." (Orach Chayim, Part I, Laws of Prayer, Siman 90, Section 17)

1. Together – We Gain More
There are parts of the prayer that involve sacred elements that can only be said with a minyan such as the repetition of the Amidah (including Kedushah), Priestly Blessing, Barchu, Kaddish, and the Torah reading. It is noteworthy that responding "Amen, may His great name be blessed" in Kaddish, whose main part is in honoring Heaven, arouses mercy for the exile of Israel, as mentioned in the Gemara: "When the Israelites enter the synagogues and houses of study and answer 'May His great name be blessed,' Hashem nods His head and says: Happy is the King who is praised in His house, thus, what does the father have when He sent His sons into exile, and woe to the sons who were exiled from their father's table." (Tractate Berachot, page 3a).

Additionally, in communal prayer, the worshipper merits saying 'Amen': 4 Amens before the silent Amidah (Baruch She'amar, Yishtabach, Yotzer Or, and Ahava Rabba), and 19 Amens during the repetition of the Amidah. The "Chafetz Chaim" writes about this in his book "Shemirat HaLashon": "Should one calculate, he will strengthen himself to pray with the community every day. Because, in one day alone, from Shacharit and Mincha prayer, he has 38 'Amens' (from the 19 blessings of the Amidah), 8 'Amen, may His great name be blessed' and 16 'Amens' from the Kaddishes, 2 'Kedushahs', and 'Barchu'. And behold, all of this is from one day, so calculate how many there are from a week, and from a month, and certainly from a whole year. There is no count for the multitude of merits that a person accumulates by regularly praying with the community. Especially on Mondays and Thursdays, one also fulfills the commandment of the Torah reading."

2. Attaining Divine Presence
When ten Jews (over the age of Bar Mitzvah) who study Torah or pray together, the divine presence rests on them, as it is said "G-d stands in the congregation of the mighty" (Psalms 82:1). When ten Jews are together, the divine light present in all of creation shines more intensely in that place, helping the prayer to be accepted directly without emissaries needed to elevate the individual's prayer.

3. The Prayer is Accepted
At times, unfortunately, we may lose concentration during prayer; our mind is distracted, and the heart's intent does not settle as hoped. Also, the sins and transgressions of the worshipper might prevent their prayer from being accepted. When a person prays alone, Hashem examines both the prayer and the person praying, and therefore if neither is deserving enough, their prayer may be rejected. In communal prayer, it is accepted before Hashem despite the individual's shortcomings, as mentioned in the Gemara: "Hashem does not despise the prayer of the many" (Tractate Berachot, page 8a). The power of communal prayer can elevate with it the "weaker" prayers of the other worshippers. Of course, this does not exempt one from concentrating and having intention in prayer, as the more a person prays with exertion, the more their prayer will be effective and accepted. In the words of the "Baal HaSulam" concerning the Zohar (Parashat Vayechi, 134b) on this matter: "A single prayer does not enter before the holy King, except with strong force. Before the prayer is crowned in its place, Hashem observes it, examines it, and examines the person's sins and merits. It is not so with communal prayer, as there are many prayers that are not from righteous people, yet they all enter before Hashem, and He does not examine their sins."

4. Being in a "Mini Temple"
The Shulchan Aruch explains that the prayer's completeness is with a minyan and in the synagogue because the synagogue is referred to as a "mini temple" because the prayer serves as a replacement for the sacrificial service in the Temple, as it is said "And I was to them as a mini temple" (Ezekiel 11:16), and Rabbi Isaac explained: "These are synagogues and study halls" (Tractate Megillah, page 29a). For this reason, holiness resides in this place, and therefore the prayer there is more readily accepted before the One who dwells on high, as stated in the Gemara "A person's prayer is only heard in the synagogue" (Tractate Berachot, page 6a).
It is a mitzvah to arrive at the synagogue early and stay late upon leaving to show endearment to the mitzvah, as it is said "Let us pursue the knowledge of Hashem" (Hosea 6:3), and those who do so merit long life (Tractate Berachot, page 8a; Shulchan Aruch 90:11).

5. Who Comes to Whom?
Rabbi Aharon from Karlin compares the lone prayer to a poor person in need of a loan, who instead of going himself to the wealthy person's house with his request, invites the wealthier to his own home. And so, we all come with supplications and many requests in prayer, and instead of going to the synagogue, called the "mini temple" which is like Hashem's house, we ask for our needs in our own home. The rabbi added that when we desire to obtain something from an important person who has control over a certain matter, one does not come alone but assembles a delegation, thus honoring the position and the person themselves. Therefore, how can we present our request before the King of Kings alone? (Based on "The World of Father," page 390).

We have seen that much has been said about praying in the synagogue, and even more so about praying with a minyan. Those growing in their faith who are not yet accustomed to praying with the community may at least occasionally enter and pray in the synagogue, to gradually become more comfortable with it.