Jewish Texts found in this source sheet:
- Bible (TaNaKH)
- Mishnah - first major redaction of Oral Torah, compiled around 200 CE
- Talmud - composed of both Mishnah and Gemara (500 CE)
(יז) לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא. (יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה.
(17) Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. (18) Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
1. How does this text direct your actions and feelings towards neighbors?
2. What does this text tell us about love and hate?
3. What should we learn about friendship from this?
יהושע בן פרחיה אומר, עשה לך רב, וקנה לך חבר , והוי דן את כל האדם לכף זכות.
2a. Yehoshua ben Perachia said, Make for yourself a teacher, and acquire for yourself a friend; and judge every person in their favor.
הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי
2b. "I have learned much from my teachers, but more from my friends than my teachers." -Talmud Bavli, Taanit 7a
- According to text 2a and 2b, why do you think it is important to have friends? Do the two texts differ in any way?
- What does it mean to judge every person "in their favor"? How would it change your interactions with others if you did this? Is it even possible?
- Why do you think the first text uses different verbs: "make" for a teacher, and "acquire" for a friend?
(כד) אַל תִּתְרַע אֶת בַּעַל אָף וְאֶת אִישׁ חֵמוֹת לֹא תָבוֹא. (כה) פֶּן תֶּאֱלַף ארחתו [אֹרְחֹתָיו] וְלָקַחְתָּ מוֹקֵשׁ לְנַפְשֶׁךָ.
(24) Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go; (25) Lest thou learn his ways, And get a snare (trap) to thy soul.
- According to the text, what is the danger of having a friend who is full of anger? Do you agree with this reasoning?
- How can you choose not to be friends with someone without hurting them? Is this the behavior of a mensch?
- Why do you think this text specifically refers to anger, rather than another negative trait?
(ד) וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוֹנָתָן בְּדָוִד טוֹב אֶל שָׁאוּל אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל יֶחֱטָא הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַבְדּוֹ בְדָוִד כִּי לוֹא חָטָא לָךְ וְכִי מַעֲשָׂיו טוֹב לְךָ מְאֹד.
(4) And Jonathan spoke good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him: ‘Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his work hath been very good towards thee;