Masechet (tractate) Avot, Perek (chapter) Gimel (three), Mishnah Vav (six). The Mishnah says: This rabbi said the following: If ten people are together and they’re studying Torah, the divine presence rests amongst them.
Like the Pasuk (verse) tells us from Tehillim, Elim Shene'emar (as it is said), “Elohim nitzav ba'adat El.” Hashem stands together with an adat El, with a congregation. What we say over here is a congregation, and edah automatically refers to ten people. We see that when the Torah is describing the spies, they’re called “edah hara'ah,” an evil congregation. There were twelve spies, minus the two spies who spoke in a favorable way about Eretz Yisrael, who were Yehoshua and Kalev. So there were ten spies left over. So ten spies are called edah. So we see that the word edah means ten people, and that God stands with ten people who are discussing His Torah.
We find that even when five people study Torah together, the divine presence rests amongst them. The Pasuk in Amos says that Hashem builds His high places in heaven, but He’s also found in His bundle on earth. We say here that aguda refers to five people. Aguda is a bundle. A bundle could be grabbed with one hand, which has five fingers. So that is an allusion to the five people who worship Hashem and study His Torah together. Hashem is still found amongst them.
Where do we find that even when three people study Torah together, the Shechinah, the divine presence, is found amongst them? The Pasuk in Tehillim says that Hashem is a judge with other judges, and there’s no question, there’s no judgment without three judges there. So when judges are together, discussing the laws of the Torah and trying to deliberate on a matter, Hashem is found with them as well. So Hashem is found with three.
Where do we know that even two people who are studying Torah together have the Shechinah together with them? Shene'emar, “Az nidberu yir'ei Hashem ish el re'ehu, vayakshiv Hashem vayishma.” The Pasuk in Malachi says those who fear Hashem spoke one man to another, and Hashem paid attention and listened. So we see here that when one man speaks to another, there are two people, and Hashem is there with them.
Where do we know that even if one person is studying Torah, the Shechinah rests there with them as well? Shene'emar: The Pasuk in the Torah, in Sefer Shemot, says, “In every place that I cause my name to be mentioned by giving you the words of the Torah, I will come to you and I will bless you.” So we see from here that the word Elecha, which is you, is in the singular, and the Pasuk is referring to one person, and Hashem is with that person.