3. Minyan – Can one be Yotzei a blessing without a Minyan?[1]

Depends. There is no requirement to have a Minyan present in order to be Yotzei a blessing of Birchas Hamitzvos, or Birchas Hanehnin with another person. However, Birchas Hashevach and the blessings of Davening, one can only be Yotzei if a Minyan is present.

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[1] Admur 59:4 “An individual may not be Motzi another individual with a blessing with exception to Birchas Hanehnin and Birchas Hamitzvos. And the like of all other blessings, however by Birchas Shema and Birchas Hashevach, a Minyan is required”; Admur 8:11 “If a few people are wearing the Tallis simultaneously, each one says their own blessing each person is to say the blessing on his own, although if they want, they can choose to have one person say the blessing, and the remainder will listen and answer Amen.” See regarding Shofar: Admur 591:1; Michaber 591:1; M”B 594:1; See Admur 213:6 regarding if a Minyan is not present by Megillah reading, it is still better for one person to read and say the blessing on behalf of all; M”A ibid and Admur 8:11 and 213:6 never conditions being Yotzei with someone on a Minyan being present

The ruling in Admur 489:1: Admur 489:1 writes that one may be Yotzei with the blessing of the Chazan being that “As when there are ten Jews doing a Mitzvah together one Jew is able/allowed to say the blessing on behalf of all the congregants, as explained in 8:11.” This implies that if a Minyan is not present [ten Jews] then one may not be Yotzei, or is not allowed to be Yotzei, with another person’s blessing. This clearly contradicts the notion established in all the other sources in Admur and Poskim that a Minyan is never a prerequisite to being Yotzei a Mitzvah or blessing. To note that in M”A ibid, as well as 8:11 no mention is made of that this is limited to the presence of a Minyan. In truth however, one can explain as follows: Admur here in 489:1 never intended to say that a Minyan is required in order to be Yotzei. Rather the intention is to say that in order for it to be initially allowed to be Yotzei with another rather than say it on one’s own, one needs a Minyan present, as otherwise there is not as much of a Berov Am, and the advantage of increasing in necessary blessings overrides the advantage of Berov Am of less than a Minyan. Only when there is a Minyan do we say the advantage of Berov Am is equal to the advantage of increasing in necessary blessings, and hence there is no precedence to one over the other. [See Admur 213:6 for a discussion of the advantage of Berov Am versus the advantage of increasing in necessary blessings] On this Admur ibid intended to say that when there is a Minyan one can choose to be Yotzei with the Chazan, as if there isn’t a Minyan it is better to say it oneself. See more sources for this distinction in next footnote.