Week 1: Chavruta

The two once had a disagreement, and Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended. This in turn affected Reish Lakish, who was so devastated about having offended his chavruta that he fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan’s sister, who was Reish Lakish’s wife, came crying to Rabbi Yoḥanan, begging that he pray for Reish Lakish’s recovery... Rabbi Yohanan refused, and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish (aka Reish Lakish) died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was sorely pained over losing him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to engage Rabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his reasoning is sharp, so he will be able to serve as a substitute chavruta instead of Reish Lakish. Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went and sat before Rabbi Yoḥanan. With regard to every argument that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in another source that supports your argument. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are you anything like Reish Lakish? In my discussions with the Reish Lakish, when I would make an argument, he would raise twenty-four rebutttals against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the issue would therefore become broadened and clarified. And yet you say to me: There is a ruling which is taught that supports your opinion. Do I not know that what I say is good? Being rebutted by Reish Lakish served a purpose; your bringing proof to my statements does not. Rabbi Yoḥanan went around, rending his clothing, weeping and saying: Where are you, son of Lakish? Where are you, son of Lakish? Rabbi Yoḥanan weeped until the lack of a chavruta led his mind to become unstable.

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written in the Bible: “As iron sharpens iron, so too does a man sharpens the wisdom of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17)? This verse tells you that just as with these iron implements, one sharpens the other when they are rubbed against each other, so too, when Torah scholars study together and not alone, they sharpen one another in knowledge. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Why are matters of Torah compared to fire, as it is stated: “Is not My word like fire, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29)? To tell you: Just as fire does not ignite in a lone stick of wood but in a pile of kindling, so too, is there no new understanding of Torah by a lone scholar who studies by oneself, but by a group of Sages.

Ḥoni HaMe'aggel once woke up from a nap and realized that he had been asleep for seventy years, and indeed he saw that his donkey had sired several herds during those many years. Ḥoni went home and said to the members of the household: Is the son of Ḥoni HaMe’aggel alive? They said to him: His son is no longer with us, but his son’s son is alive. He said to them: I am Ḥoni HaMe’aggel. They did not believe him. He went to the study hall to find a chavruta to learn with, and he heard the Sages say about one scholar: His knowledge is as enlightening and as clear as in the years of Ḥoni HaMe’aggel, for when Ḥoni HaMe’aggel would enter the study hall he would resolve for each Sage any difficulty they had. Ḥoni said to them: "I am he," but they did not believe him and did not pay him proper respect and did not study with him. Ḥoni became so upset that nobody would study with him that he prayed for mercy and died. Rava said: This is why people say: Either friendship or death, as one who has no friends is better off dead.

Rabbi Yehoshua taught "acquire for yourself a friend". He said it with an expression of acquisition and not, "Make for yourself a friend," or "Befriend others." The intention of this is that a person must do the work to acquire a friend for himself, so that all of his deeds and all of his matters be refined through the friend. Someone must make efforts to find this friend with all their heart... And there are three types of friends: a friend for benefit, a friend for enjoyment and a friend for virtue. Indeed, a friend for benefit is like the friendship of two [business] partners and the friendship of a king and his servant; and the friendship for enjoyment has two components - pleasure (i.e. fun) and trust. Indeed, the friend for pleasure is like the friendship of people who know one another well and the friend for confidence is when a person has a friend to whom they can confide their soul. But there is even a higher level of friendship than this. A friend for virtue is when the desire of both of them and their intention is for one thing, and that is to be good. And each one wants to be helped by his friend in reaching this good for both of them together. And the good is reached by disagreeing and when one friend questions another. This is the friend which Rabbi Yehoshua commanded us to acquire.