| Shabbat Shalom! |
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I pray this finds you all well. |
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In chemistry class they’re known as “lab partners”; in a plane it’s the pilot and co-pilot; in the Navy SEALS they’re known as “swim buddies”; and in tennis they’re “doubles”. |
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What do these relationships all have in common? Essentially, it’s two people who work together…but yet it’s more than that. They share ideas, they throw ideas past one another, they respectfully criticize, they motivate and inspire one another, and they support one another during some trying moments. In these truly effective and much sought-after partnerships, each person knows the strengths and faults of one another, and both help draw out the best in one another. |
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This idea of loyal partnership is on full display in this week’s parsha of Shemot (Exodus 1:1-6:1). When God tells Moses that He has called him to appear before Pharaoh and demand the freedom of the Jewish people, Moses responds: |
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“Please, O my lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue…Please, O my lord, make someone else Your agent.” (*Exodus 4:10, 4:13) |
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God reassures him: |
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“There is your brother Aaron the Levite. He, I know, speaks readily. Even now he is setting out to meet you, and he will be happy to see you. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth—I will be with you and with him as you speak and tell both of you what to do—and he shall speak for you to the people. Thus, he shall serve as your spokesman, with you playing the role of God.” (*Exodus 4:14-16) |
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Moses and Aaron will develop an effective and enduring partnership that will lead not only to the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, but will continue through the mountain of crucibles, trials, glories, and victories that take place during the sojourn in the wilderness. |
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This idea of sacred partnership between two colleagues is an ancient and much beloved concept in Judaism, so much so that it has a name: “chevruta”, literally “fellowship.” This idea of peer-learning, debate, support, and mutual growth is in fact the prized method of learning Talmud.[1] |
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To this end, Rabbi Hama bar Hanina declared “[Just as] a knife is sharpened only on the side of its counterpart, so, a Torah scholar is sharpened only by his counterpart.”[*2] The prophet Isaiah taught, “Each one helps the other, saying to his fellow, ‘Take courage!’” (*Isaiah 41:6) Finally, in Ecclesiastes we are told, “Two are better off than one, in that they have greater benefit from their earnings. For should they fall, one can raise the other; but woe to someone who is alone and falls with no companion to assist!”(*Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) |
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Whether it’s helping out on a home improvement project, grabbing up a beer after a breakup, or helping edit a resume when there are a zillion other things going on, showing up as a loyal friend is priceless. True friends will always be there for you, will always tell you like it is, and will always have your back. |
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Ken yi Ratzon, may it be God’s will, that each of us is blessed with solid, dependable friends; and bizrat HaShem, with God’s help, inspiration, and guidance, may we ourselves be such solid and dependable friends in this new year of 2026. |
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Wishing you all a Good Shabbos and a great weekend. |
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| Bivrakha, |
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| Rabbi Aaron |
