One of our basic human needs is friendship, but you don’t want to just choose any old friend, because friends can build you up or tear you down. They can influence you to improve yourself and the world around you, or they can pressure you to behave in ways you know you shouldn’t.

 

The Jewish Way to Acquire a Friend

 

Rabbi Siddur stars in this video about the Jewish way to acquire a friend. This doesn’t mean to buy a friend, of course, but rather to choose your friends wisely, so that they help you be the person you want to be and bring out the best in you.

 

True Friendship According to Pirkei Avos 

 

When Pirkei Avos talks about friendship, it uses the word “chaver,” which comes from the root ch-v-r, meaning to attach. True friendship, according to Pirkei Avos, is when a person will be with you through thick and thin. In this video, Rabbi Siddur explains how to know when friendship is real and how to be a good friend yourself.