The Sages, peace be upon them, taught in the Mishnah: “If ten people sit together and engage in the study of Torah, the Shechinah rests among them.” “For this is the whole purpose of man.” As the Gemara* interprets this verse: “The entire world was created solely for this purpose.” Moreover, [the soul’s] very descent to this world was for the purpose of this ascent, which is accomplished through public Torah study, and no ascent is higher than this.
[The ultimate ascent of the soul, the reason for which the soul initially descended, is attained not only after it completes its descent, after it leaves the body; rather, through public Torah study, while the soul is still within the body, it causes the Shechinah to rest in this lower world, and is thereby elevated more than by any other means.]
For the Shechinah of G-d’s might, which is in the supernal heights and Whose awesomeness “the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain,” dwells and becomes magnified among the Children of Israel, as it is written, “For I, G-d, dwell among the Children of Israel,” as a result of [their] study of the Torah and observance of the commandments in groups of [at least] ten, for ten Jews constitute a congregation. Thus, for the holiness of the Shechina to be within you, it is necessary that the Torah be studied in groups of at least ten...
At the end of the Siman, the Baal Hatanya advises having a shiur with at least ten people...
==== Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh, Siman 26. Based on chabad.org and Lessons in Tanya.
* Brochos 6,2
Editor’s Note: The bottom line is, Joining a shiur of 10 Yidden, Number one: It is the most powerful way to bring G-dliness into this world – “dirah betactonim.” Number 2: A Shiur attended by ten Jews is usually very interesting.
