CCAR RESPONSA
Contemporary American Reform Responsa
189. A Minyan at a Wedding
Ceremony
QUESTION: Is a minyan required to be present at a
wedding ceremony? (P. L., Pittsburgh, PA)ANSWER: The traditional requirement
for a minyan is based upon the Talmudic interpretation (Ket. 7b) of Ruth (4.2), “He took
ten men of the elders of the city.” The Talmud felt that they were taken to act as
witnesses. Eight of these may be relatives, and two must be unrelated so that they can attest to
the value of the ring and the propriety of the ketubah. Jacob Moelln (Hilkhot
Nisuin) required two additional witnesses for the ketubah. The assembled witnesses
and relatives could later be called as witnesses in case the legality of the wedding was
questioned. Two witnesses are used for our ketubah in keeping with the
tradition. A minyan provides a more formal and public setting for the wedding (A.
Freimann, Seder Qidushin Venisuin, p. 16; P. Dykan, Dinei Nisuin Vegerushin, p.
29). Medieval authorities repeatedly felt the need for a minyan in order to prevent
misrepresentation and deception (Adret and others; see Freimann, op. cit., pp. 50 f, 102
ff, 160 f). Although every effort to have a minyan should be made, it is not essential that
a minyan be present in keeping with the old tradition that a service can also be conducted
with a lesser number, and it is certainly valid b’diavad (Sof. 10.8; Shulhan Arukh
Even Haezer 34.4). If a minyan is constituted, men and women would count equally in
keeping with our Reform traditions.February 1977
If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.