יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:
Yehoshua ben Perachiah and Matai of Arbel received [their Torah] from them. Y'hoshua ben Perachiah says: Make a teacher for yourself; acquire a friend for yourself; and judge everyone favorably.
1) What do you think of the word "acquire" in this text?
2) How are these three pieces of knowledge connected?
3) What is the overall message the text is trying to say?
2) How are these three pieces of knowledge connected?
3) What is the overall message the text is trying to say?
We live ineffably alone in this world. The first existential dilemma in the Torah, and central to the first chapters of Genesis is, lo tob haadam l'vado, "it is not good that the man be alone" (Genesis 2:18). We may not think of ourselves as alone, because we may be surrounded by family, friends, and community. But consider that each of us has millions of thoughts daily that no one else can ever truly know or understand.
- Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
- Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Are these three pieces of advice a good anecdote to loneliness?