If there are fewer than ten men, what changes in the shacharit service on Monday and Thursday?

When a minyan (quorum of ten Jewish men) is not present, the Torah cannot be read publicly. This means that on Monday and Thursday mornings — days when the Torah is normally read as part of Shacharit (the morning prayer service) — the Torah reading is omitted entirely. The rest of the Shacharit service continues as normal, but without the Torah reading and its associated blessings.

Key Takeaways

• A minyan of at least ten free adult Jewish men is required for a public Torah reading.
• On Mondays and Thursdays without a minyan, the Torah reading is skipped entirely.
• The brachot (blessings) before and after the Torah reading are also omitted, as there is no reading.
• The rest of Shacharit — Pesukei D'Zimra, Shema, and Amidah — continues without a minyan (though certain parts like Kaddish and Kedushah also require a minyan).
• A Torah scroll should not be taken out and read without a minyan, as doing so would be a disrespect to the Torah (bizayon ha-Torah).

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The Requirement of a Minyan for Torah Reading

The Shulchan Arukh rules explicitly on this matter:

"אֵין קוֹרִין בַּתּוֹרָה בְּפָחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה גְדוֹלִים בְּנֵי חוֹרִין" "One does not read from the Torah with fewer than ten free adult [men]." [Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 143:1]

This ruling is the foundation: the Torah reading on Mondays and Thursdays requires a full minyan of ten adult free Jewish men. If even one short of ten, the Torah is not taken out.

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What Still Happens Without a Minyan?

Even without a minyan, several parts of Shacharit are recited:

• Birkot HaShachar (morning blessings) — recited individually
• Pesukei D'Zimra (verses of praise, including Ashrei and Hallel passages) — recited individually
• Shema and its blessings — recited individually
• The silent Amidah — recited individually

However, the following require a minyan and are omitted:

• Torah reading (on Mondays, Thursdays, Shabbat, and holidays)
• Kaddish in any form
• Kedushah within the repetition of the Amidah
• The chazzan's repetition of the Amidah (according to many opinions)
• Barchu

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The Source of the Minyan Requirement

The requirement of ten men for a Torah reading is rooted in the concept of davar shebekedushah — a matter of holiness requiring a communal quorum. The Talmud derives this from the word "ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל" — "I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel" [Leviticus 22:32], from which the Sages learn that any public sanctification requires a minimum of ten [Megillah 23b].

The Mishnah in Megillah (3:6) establishes that communities read the Torah on Mondays and Thursdays, a practice attributed to Ezra HaSofer, who instituted regular Torah readings so that no three days would pass without Torah being heard publicly.

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If the Minyan Disperses Mid-Reading

The Shulchan Arukh adds an important nuance:

"וְאִם הִתְחִילוּ בַּעֲשָׂרָה וְיָצְאוּ מִקְצָתָן, גּוֹמְרִין" "If they began with ten and some left, they may complete [the reading]." [Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 143:1]

So if a minyan was present at the start of the Torah reading and then fell below ten, the reading may be completed. The key is that it must have begun with a full minyan.

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For personal guidance on your specific community's practice, consult your local rabbi or posek.