A Minyan is Greater than the Tefillos of the Biggest Tzaddik of the Generation
The Beis Aharon writes, "I have received the following rule: When one prays with a minyan, the Shechinah is there, and it accomplishes and corrects all matters, just as it is when the greatest tzaddik of the generation davens."
We see the power of a minyan in halachah. A great tzaddik cannot say kedushah when he is alone. Even if the nine greatest tzaddikim of our nation daven together, they still cannot say kaddish or chazaras hashatz. Yet, a minyan of simple people can say kedushah and kaddish, etc. This proves the uniqueness of a minyan, which even the greatest tzaddikim cannot compare to.
The Yaaras Dvash (vol.2 drush 9) teaches that Esther told Mordechai that he needed to daven with a minyan to bring salvations. It states (Esther 2:5) ושמו הבירה בשושן היה יהודי איש מרדכי , "There was a Jewish man in Shushan HaBirah (Shushan the capital) whose name was Mordechai..." The Yaaras Dvash explains that הבירה בשושן היה יהודי איש means that Mordechai was the only Yid living there. This is because there were two parts of Shushan: Shushan and Shushan HaBirah. Achashverosh and the high-ranking officials lived in Shushan HaBirah, while most Yidden lived in Shushan. Mordechai, a high-ranking official also lived in Shushan HaBirah, and was the only Yid living there. Esther told him (Esther 4:16) היהודים כל את כנוס לך בשושן הנמצאים , "Go, assemble all the Yidden that are found in Shushan...." to pray for Esther when she approaches Achashverosh to plead for their lives. The Yaaras Dvash explains that Esther told Mordechai his prayers in Shushan HaBirah were insufficient. He must gather all the Yidden and daven together.
Reb Yishmael Kohen Gadol said (Brachos 7.), "Once I came into the Kodesh Kadashim to offer the ketores [on Yom Kippur], and I saw Hashem...sitting on His exalted throne. He said to me, 'Yishmael, my son, bless Me.' I told him, מלפניך רצון יהי, 'May it be your will that Your compassion should overcome Your anger... and You should act with Your children with compassion and treat them beyond the letter of the law,' and He nodded to me with His head.'"
The Gemara concludes, "This teaches us, בעיניך קלה הדיוט ברכת תהי אל, 'The brachos of a simple person should be a light matter in your eyes.'"
Why does the Gemara call Reb Yishmael Kohen Gadol a simple person? He was from the holiest people of his generation!
The Maharasha (ל"אכתריא ה"סוד) explains that it was a simple brachah, a הדיוט ברכות, because it was said without a minyan. So, we see that the brachah of the holiest person in the world can be considered a birchas hedyot, a simple blessing, when it is given without a minyan!
Yet another indication of the importance of tefillah with a minyan is that Rav Yitzchak taught Rav Nachman the importance of davening with a minyan. So, we see that even the greatest people of the generation benefit from tefillah b'tzibbur. It is the most exalted form of tefillah.
