The Secret, M’vaseret Zion Absorption Center, Israel, 1990 © Zion Ozeri
...יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:
Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for yourself a teacher, and acquire for yourself a friend and judge all people with the scale weighted in their favor.
1) How would you describe the relationship between these two boys? What elements of the photograph give you clues about their relationship?
2) What other title and caption or midrash might you suggest for this image?
Understanding:
1) In this Mishnah, Rabbi Joshua ben Perachia, who lived in the second half of the 2nd century BCE, provides three pieces of advice. What do you think these three things have in common? Why might these be important recommendations?
2) Think about the friendships in your life. How do you decide who might make a good friend, and how do you go about becoming friends with them?
Reflecting
Help build a digital scrapbook by adding your own image or Midrash, with a caption, here, in response to these questions:
1) What does friendship look like in your own life?
2) What do you think are the most important skills or building blocks that are involved in building a friendship?
