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The Chavrusah: Yea or Nay

Chazal strongly admonish us not to learn alone. Many advantages are cited for learning b’chavrusah (with a partner): A person learning alone may make mistakes and no one will catch them; pilpul (back-and-forth argument) is a major feature of chavrusah study that greatly enhances learning; studying b’dibbur (via speech) is a central aspect of talmud Torah (the mitzvah of Torah study) that is practiced far more when learning with a partner, whereas learning solo is primarily in thought.

Yet, it is still quite popular to learn alone; Pirkei Avos teaches that even a single individual who is osek b’Torah (involved in Torah study) merits the presence of the Shechinah (Divine presence). How do we resolve this seeming contradiction?

The lone learner in the Mishnah has no one with whom to learn and has no chavrusah simply by circumstance. On the other hand, a person who has many opportunities to partner with others in learning but shuns them for solitary study is violating the above premise of Chazal.

Torah shebik’sav (the Written Torah, i.e. Tanach), some poskim maintain, which does not benefit in the same way from pilpul as does the Talmud, can be studied in solitude.

Preliminary study can be explored alone, but we are enjoined to reevaluate Torah material many times over, and this review should be done b’chavrusah.

Sefarim are our friends. The holy books, according to many halachic opinions, may replace a flesh-and-blood chavrusah. This approach is valid in circumstances where the individual does a comprehensive study in the annals of the subject—from its origins to its present day application—not merely a perusal of bottom-line halachah.