<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 124:4) writes that if 9 men don&rsquo;t answer &ldquo;omein&rdquo; to a berachah during chazoras hashatz it is close to a berachah l&rsquo;vatalah. There is also a halachah that if men leave the shul during the chazoras hashatz, and only 6 men remain, the shaliach tzibur can continue until (at least) the end of the amidah (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 55:2), and this applies even if they leave during the course of the first berachah (Mishnah Berurah 55:8). In such a case it will be impossible for 9 men to answer &ldquo;omein&rdquo; to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">even one</span> of the berachos.</span></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Although the Bavli only gives the 10 evil meraglim as the source of the number 10 for a minyan, the Yerushalmi (Megillah, perek 4, halachah 4) gives a second source, again using the word &ldquo;betoch&rdquo; (Bereshis 42:5). Here the number 10 is derived from the sons of Ya&rsquo;akov, (minus Yosef and Binyamin), who went down to Egypt to purchase food.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>