[Avodah] Chazarat hashatz

[Zev Sero]

Yisrael Medad wrote:
>  >Not to nickpick, but we only need nine to avoid "karov l'bracha
>  >l'vatalah" (in the words of the Sh"A). The Sh"Tz counts as one.
>  >-- Mike Miller
>  
> But he can't answer amen.

He doesn't need to.  The requirement is for *nine* answerers, not ten.
And RMM is right to point out that little word "karov"; if there are
not nine answerers it's not an actual beracha levatala, it's just
"close" to being one.  The nafka mina is that even if nobody answered
a beracha, the chazan doesn't have to repeat it.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas