Jewish Texts found in this source sheet:
- Bible
- Mishnah - first major redaction of Oral Torah, compiled around 200 CE
- Talmud - composed of both Mishnah and Gemara (500 CE)
- Mishneh Torah - halachic code composed by the Rambam (Maimonides) 1170CE
(ו) יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:
(6) Yehoshua ben Perachiah and Nitai of Arbel received from them. Yehoshua ben Perachia says: Make for yourself a Rabbi, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person as meritorious.
Taanit 7a
הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי
(2) "I have learned much from my teachers, but more from my friends than my teachers."
- What is the difference between a teacher and a friend?
- What does one learn from a teacher versus what one learns from a friend?
- Can they ever be the same person?
(יב) הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁלְאַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
(12) Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel says: Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving the creatures and bringing them closer to Torah.
- Why does the Talmud tell us to be disciples of Aaron, when Moses is who they call Rabboteinu (our Rabbi)?
- What does this tell us about the nature of friendship?
(14) He (Hillel) would say: If I am not for me, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?
(י) רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרָךְ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ
(10) Rabbi Eliezer says: The honor of your friend should be as precious to you as your own.
- What are the qualities one should seek in a friend?
(א) דרך ברייתו של אדם להיות נמשך בדעותיו ובמעשיו אחר ריעיו וחביריו ונוהג כמנהג אנשי מדינתו לפיכך צריך אדם להתחבר לצדיקים ולישב אצל החכמים תמיד כדי שילמוד ממעשיהם ויתרחק מן הרשעים ההולכים בחשך כדי שלא ילמוד ממעשיהם הוא ששלמה אומר משלי יג כ [הוֹלֵךְ] אֶת חֲכָמִים וחכם [יֶחְכָּם] וְרֹעֶה כְסִילִים יֵרועַ ואומר אשרי האיש וגו' וכן אם היה במדינה שמנהגותיה רעים ואין אנשיה הולכים בדרך ישרה ילך למקום שאנשיה צדיקים ונוהגים בדרך טובים ואם היו כל המדינות שהוא יודעם ושומע שמועתן נוהגים בדרך לא טובה כמו זמנינו או שאינו יכול ללכת למדינה שמנהגותיה טובים מפני הגייסות או מפני החולי ישב לבדו יחידי כענין שנאמר ישב בדד וידום
(1) It is human nature to be attracted to the ideas and actions of one's neighbors and friends and to follow the customs of the people of his land. Therefore, a person needs to bind himself to the righteous and always dwell in the midst of the wise in order that he might learn from their deeds and keep far from the evil ones who walk in darkness so as not to learn from their deeds. As Solomon says in Proverbs 13:20, "He who walks with the wise becomes wise and he who befriends fools will suffer." As it says, (Psalms 1:1), Happy is the man (who has not followed the advice of the wicked). And thus, if one lives in a land whose customs are evil and people do not follow a straight path, one should go to a land where the people are righteous and are accustomed to following a good path. And if all the lands that he knows and hears reports of are accustomed to follow a path that is not good, like our time, or it is not possible to go to a land where people are accustomed to do good, because of troops or health, he should remain alone by himself, as it says, "Sit alone and be silent (Lamentations 3:28).
- What warnings does Maimonides give us about friendship?
One day Rabbi Yochanan was swimming in the Jordan. Resh Lakish saw him and leapt into the Jordan after him. Rabbi Yochanan said "Your strength for Torah." Resh Lakish said, "Your beauty for women." Rabbi Yochanan said "If you return also, I will give you my sister who is more beautiful then me." Resh Lakish accepted and he tried to go back and collect his weapons but he was not able to go back.
Rabbi Yochanan taught Resh Lakish scripture and he taught him Oral Torah and he made him a great man. One day they diverged in the Beit Midrash. "The sword and the knife and the military spear and the hand sickle and the harvesting sickle, from when do they acquire tumah (ritual impurity)? From the time when their production is complete. And when is their production complete?" {The halachic principle is that only fully completed objects can become impure.}
Rabbi Yochanan said, "From when they are tempered in the furnace."
Resh Lakish said, "From when they are polished with water."
Rabbi Yochanan said to Resh Lakish, "A thief knows about [the tools of] thievery."
Resh Lakish said to Rabbi Yochanan, "And how have you benefited me? There they called me 'master' and here they call me 'master.'"
Rabbi Yochanan said to Resh Lakish, "I have benefited you by bringing you under the wings of the Shechinah." Rabbi Yochanan became very upset, and Resh Lakish became weak. His sister came and cried, and she said to Rabbi Yochanan, "Do it [pray for healing] for the sake of my sons!" He said to her, "Leave your orphans, I will sustain them."(Jeremiah 49:11)
She said "Do it for the sake of my widowhood!" He said to her, "Put your widow's trust in me."(Jeremiah 49:11)
Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish died, and Rabbi Yochanan grieved over him greatly. The Rabbis said, "Who shall we send to ease his mind? Let us send Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, whose ideas are very sharp." Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went and sat before Rabbi Yochanan. Every statement that Rabbi Yochanan would say he [Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat] would say to him, "There is a baraita that supports you."
Rabbi Yochanan said, "Are you like Bar Lakisha? Bar Lakisha, when I would believe a thing, would challenge me with 24 objections, and I would answer him with 24 answers, which led to a fuller understanding of the law. And you say, 'there is a baraita that supports you?!' Do I not already know how good my belief is?!" He went out and tore his clothes and he cried and said, "Where are you, Bar Lakisha? Where are you, Bar Lakisha?" And he shouted until his mind left him. The Rabbis asked for mercy for him, and he died.
- Why did Reish Lakish die?
- What was it about their friendship that Rabbi Yochanan valued?
- Why did the rabbis pray for mercy for Rabbi Yochanan and why did it result in his death?
- What does the last interaction of Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish tell us about friendship?