Make
for
Yourself
a
Rav
and
Buy
Yourself
a
Friend
-
1
Article
No.
1,
1985
In
the
Mishnah
(Avot,
1),
Yehoshua
Ben
Perachia
says,
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav
[great/teacher],
buy
yourself
a
friend,
and
judge
every
person
favorably.”
We
see
that
there
are
three
things
here:
1)
Make
for
yourself
a
rav;
2)
buy
yourself
a
friend;
3)
judge
every
person
favorably.
This
means
that
besides
making
for
himself
a
rav,
there
is
something
more
that
he
must
do
in
relation
to
the
collective.
In
other
words,
engaging
in
love
of
friends
is
not
enough.
Additionally,
he
should
be
considerate
toward
every
person
and
judge
them
favorably.
We
must
understand
the
difference
in
wording
between
“make,”
“buy,”
and
“favorably.”
Making
is
a
practical
thing.
This
means
that
there
is
no
mind
involved
here,
only
action.
In
other
words,
even
if
one
does
not
agree
with
the
thing
he
wishes
to
do,
but
on
the
contrary,
the
mind
makes
him
see
that
it
is
not
a
worthwhile
deed,
this
is
called
doing,
meaning
sheer
force,
with
no
brains,
since
it
is
against
his
reason.
Accordingly,
we
should
interpret
in
relation
to
the
work,
that
the
fact
that
one
needs
to
assume
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
called
“an
act.”
It
is
like
putting
the
yoke
on
an
ox
so
it
would
plow
the
ground.
Although
the
ox
does
not
wish
to
take
this
work
on
itself,
we
force
it
nonetheless.
Similarly,
with
the
kingdom
of
heaven
we
should
also
force
and
enslave
ourselves
because
it
is
the
Creator’s
commandment,
without
any
rhyme
or
reason.
This
is
so
because
man
must
accept
the
kingdom
of
heaven
not
because
the
body
feels
that
some
benefit
will
come
to
it
as
a
result,
but
in
order
to
give
contentment
to
the
Creator.
But
how
can
the
body
agree
to
it?
This
is
the
reason
why
the
work
must
be
above
reason.
It
is
called,
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav,”
since
there
should
be
the
kingdom
of
heaven
because
“He
is
great
and
ruling.”
It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar”),
“‘Fear
is
the
most
important,
for
man
to
fear
the
Upper
One
because
He
is
great
and
ruling,
the
essence
and
the
root
of
all
the
worlds,
and
all
are
of
no
consequence
compared
to
Him.’
Thus,
one
should
fear
the
Creator
because
He
is
great
and
rules
over
everything.
He
is
great
because
He
is
the
root
from
which
all
the
worlds
expand,
and
His
greatness
is
seen
by
His
actions.
And
He
rules
over
everything
because
all
the
worlds
that
He
created,
both
upper
and
lower,
are
regarded
as
nothing
compared
to
Him
for
they
add
nothing
to
His
essence.”
Therefore,
the
order
of
the
work
is
for
one
to
begin
with
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav,”
and
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
above
logic
and
above
reason.
This
is
called
“doing,”
meaning
action
only,
despite
the
body’s
disapproval.
Afterwards,
“Buy
yourself
a
friend.”
Buying
is
just
as
when
a
person
wishes
to
buy
something;
he
must
let
go
of
something
that
he
has
already
acquired.
He
gives
what
he’s
had
for
some
time
and
in
return
purchases
a
new
object.
It
is
similar
with
the
work
of
God.
For
one
to
achieve
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
Creator,
which
is
equivalence
of
form,
as
in,
“As
He
is
merciful,
so
you
are
merciful,”
he
must
concede
many
things
that
he
has
in
order
to
buy
bonding
with
the
Creator.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Buy
yourself
a
friend.”
Before
a
person
makes
for
himself
a
rav,
meaning
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
how
can
he
buy
himself
a
friend,
meaning
bond
with
the
rav?
After
all,
he
has
no
rav
yet.
Only
after
he
has
made
for
himself
a
rav
is
there
a
point
in
demanding
that
the
body
make
concessions
to
buy
the
bonding,
that
he
wishes
to
give
contentment
to
the
Creator.
Moreover,
we
should
understand
that
he
has
the
strength
to
observe
“buy
yourself
a
friend”
to
the
same
extent
as
the
greatness
of
the
rav.
This
is
so
because
he
is
willing
to
make
concessions
so
as
to
bond
with
the
rav
to
the
very
same
extent
that
he
feels
the
importance
of
the
rav,
since
then
he
understands
that
obtaining
Dvekut
with
the
Creator
is
worth
any
effort.
It
turns
out
that
if
one
sees
that
he
cannot
overcome
the
body
because
he
thinks
that
he
is
not
strong
enough
and
was
born
with
a
weak
nature,
it
is
not
so.
The
reason
is
that
he
is
not
feeling
the
greatness
of
the
rav.
In
other
words,
he
still
does
not
have
the
importance
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
so
he
has
no
strength
to
overcome
for
something
that
is
not
very
important.
But
for
an
important
thing,
anyone
can
concede
important
things
that
he
loves
and
receive
what
he
needs.
For
example,
if
a
person
is
very
tired
and
goes
to
sleep
at
around
11
pm,
if
he
is
awakened
at
three
in
the
morning,
of
course
he
will
say
that
he
has
no
energy
to
get
up
to
study
because
he’s
very
tired.
And
if
he
feels
a
little
weak
or
has
a
slight
temperature,
the
body
will
certainly
have
no
power
to
rise
at
the
time
he
is
accustomed
to
rising.
But
if
a
person
is
very
tired,
feeling
sick,
and
goes
to
sleep
at
midnight,
but
is
awakened
at
one
in
the
morning
and
told,
“There
is
a
fire
in
the
yard;
it’s
about
to
come
into
your
room,
quick,
get
up
and
you’ll
save
your
life
in
return
for
the
effort
you
are
making,”
then
he
will
not
make
any
excuses
about
being
tired,
mindless,
or
sick.
Rather,
even
if
he
is
very
sick,
he
will
make
every
effort
to
save
his
life.
Evidently,
because
he
will
obtain
an
important
thing,
the
body
has
the
energy
to
do
what
it
can
to
get
what
he
wants.
Therefore,
while
working
on
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav,”
a
person
believes
that
it
is,
“For
they
are
our
lives
and
the
length
of
our
days.”
To
the
extent
that
he
feels
that
this
is
his
life,
the
body
has
enough
strength
to
overcome
all
the
obstacles,
as
written
in
the
allegory.
For
this
reason,
in
all
of
man’s
works,
in
studying
or
in
praying,
he
should
focus
all
his
work
on
obtaining
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
rav.
Much
work
and
many
prayers
should
be
made
on
that
alone.
In
the
words
of
The
Zohar,
this
is
called
“Raising
the
Shechina
[Divinity]
from
the
dust,”
which
means
raising
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
which
is
lowered
to
the
dust.
In
other
words,
one
does
not
place
an
important
thing
on
the
ground,
while
something
that
is
unimportant
is
tossed
to
the
ground.
And
since
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
called
Shechina,
is
“Lowered
to
the
very
bottom,”
it
is
said
in
the
books
that
before
every
spiritual
action
one
must
pray
to
“raise
the
Shechina
from
the
dust.”
This
means
that
we
should
pray
that
we
will
regard
the
kingdom
of
heaven
as
important
and
that
it
will
be
worthwhile
exerting
for
it
and
raising
it
to
its
importance.
Now
we
can
understand
what
we
say
in
the
Rosh
Hashanah
[New
Year’s
Eve]
prayer,
“Give
the
glory
of
God
to
Your
people.”
This
seems
quite
perplexing.
How
is
it
permitted
to
pray
for
honor?
Our
sages
said,
“Be
very,
very
humble,”
so
how
can
we
pray
for
the
Creator
to
give
us
glory?
We
should
interpret
that
we
pray
that
the
Creator
will
give
the
glory
of
God
to
Your
people,
since
we
have
no
glory
of
God,
but
“The
city
of
God
is
lowered
to
the
very
bottom,”
called
“Shechina
in
the
dust.”
Also,
we
do
not
have
the
real
importance
in
the
matter
of
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav.”
Hence,
on
Rosh
Hashanah,
the
time
when
we
take
upon
ourselves
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
we
ask
of
the
Creator
to
give
the
glory
of
God
to
Your
people,
for
the
people
of
Israel
to
feel
the
glory
of
the
Creator.
And
then
we
will
be
able
to
keep
the
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments]
in
full.
Hence,
we
should
say,
“Give
the
glory
of
God
to
Your
people,”
meaning
that
He
will
give
the
glory
of
God
to
the
people
of
Israel.
This
does
not
mean
that
He
will
give
the
glory
of
Israel
to
the
people
of
Israel,
but
that
the
Creator
will
give
the
glory
of
God
to
the
people
of
Israel,
for
this
is
all
we
need,
to
feel
the
importance
and
greatness
of
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
If
we
have
this
importance,
each
person
will
be
able
to
make
efforts
and
there
will
be
no
one
in
the
world
saying
he
has
no
strength
to
save
his
life,
so
he
wishes
to
remain
dead,
if
he
feels
that
life
is
a
very
important
thing
because
he
can
enjoy
life.
But
if
a
person
does
not
feel
that
life
has
meaning,
many
people
choose
to
die.
This
is
so
because
no
person
can
experience
suffering
in
his
life
because
it
is
against
the
purpose
of
creation,
since
the
purpose
of
creation
was
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
meaning
that
they
would
enjoy
life.
Hence,
when
one
sees
that
he
cannot
be
happy
now,
or
at
least
later,
he
commits
suicide
because
he
does
not
have
the
goal
of
life.
It
follows
that
all
we
lack
is,
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav,”
to
sense
the
greatness
of
the
Creator.
Then,
everyone
will
be
able
to
achieve
the
goal,
which
is
to
adhere
to
Him.
And
we
should
also
interpret
the
words
of
Rabbi
Yehoshua
Ben
Perachia—who
says
three
things:
1)
Make
for
yourself
a
rav.
2)
Buy
yourself
a
friend.
3)
Judge
every
person
favorably—in
regards
to
love
of
friends.
It
would
make
sense
to
think
that
friendship
relates
to
two
people
with
equal
skills
and
qualities,
since
then
they
find
it
easy
to
communicate,
and
they
unite
as
one.
And
then,
“They
helped
everyone
his
friend,”
like
two
people
who
make
a
partnership
and
each
invests
equal
energy,
resources,
and
work.
Then
the
profits,
too,
are
divided
equally
among
them.
However,
if
one
is
superior
to
the
other,
meaning
he
invests
more
money
or
more
expertise
or
more
energy
than
the
other,
the
division
of
profits
is
unequal,
too.
This
is
called
“one-third
partnership”
or
a
“one-quarter
partnership.”
Thus,
it
is
not
considered
a
real
partnership
because
one
is
of
higher
status
than
the
other.
It
turns
out
that
real
friendship—when
each
makes
the
necessary
payment
to
buy
his
friend—is
precisely
when
both
are
of
equal
status,
and
then
both
pay
equally.
It
is
like
a
corporeal
business,
where
both
of
them
give
everything
equally,
or
there
cannot
be
a
real
partnership.
Hence,
“Buy
yourself
a
friend,”
since
there
can
be
bonding—when
each
buys
his
friend—only
when
they
are
equal.
But
on
the
other
hand,
it
is
impossible
to
learn
from
one
another
if
one
does
not
see
that
his
friend
is
greater
than
him.
But
if
the
other
one
is
greater,
he
cannot
be
his
friend,
but
his
rav
[teacher/great],
while
he
is
considered
a
student.
At
that
time,
he
can
learn
knowledge
or
virtues
from
him.
This
is
why
it
is
said,
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav
and
buy
yourself
a
friend”;
both
have
to
exist.
In
other
words,
each
should
regard
the
other
as
a
friend,
and
then
there
is
room
for
buying.
This
means
that
each
must
pay
with
concessions
to
the
other,
like
a
father
concedes
his
rest,
works
for
his
son,
spends
money
for
his
son,
and
all
is
because
of
the
love.
However,
there
it
is
natural
love.
The
Creator
gave
natural
love
for
raising
children
so
there
would
be
persistence
to
the
world.
If,
for
instance,
the
father
would
raise
the
children
because
it
is
a
Mitzva
[commandment],
his
children
would
have
food,
clothing,
and
other
things
that
are
necessary
for
children
to
the
extent
that
a
person
is
committed
to
keep
all
the
Mitzvot
[plural
of
Mitzva].
At
times
he
would
keep
the
Mitzvot,
and
at
times
he
would
only
do
the
very
minimum,
and
his
children
could
starve
to
death.
This
is
why
the
Creator
gave
parents
natural
love
for
their
children,
so
there
would
be
persistence
to
the
world.
This
is
not
so
with
love
of
friends.
Here
everyone
must
make
great
efforts
by
himself
to
create
the
love
of
friends
in
his
heart.
It
is
the
same
with
“And
buy
yourself
a
friend.”
Once
he
understands,
at
least
intellectually,
that
he
needs
help
and
he
cannot
do
the
holy
work,
to
the
extent
that
he
understands
it
in
his
mind,
he
begins
to
buy,
to
make
concessions
for
his
friend’s
sake.
This
is
so
because
he
understands
that
the
work
is
primarily
in
bestowing
upon
the
Creator.
However,
it
is
against
his
nature
because
man
is
born
with
a
desire
to
receive
only
for
his
own
benefit.
Hence,
we
were
given
the
cure
by
which
to
go
from
self-love
to
love
of
others,
and
by
that
he
can
arrive
at
the
love
of
the
Creator.
Therefore,
he
can
find
a
friend
at
his
level.
But
afterwards,
making
the
friend
a
rav,
meaning
for
him
to
feel
that
his
friend
is
at
a
higher
degree
is
something
that
one
cannot
see,
that
his
friend
is
like
a
rav
and
he
is
like
a
student.
But
if
he
does
not
regard
his
friend
as
a
rav,
how
will
he
learn
from
him?
This
is
called
“Make,”
meaning
a
mindless
action.
In
other
words,
he
must
accept,
above
reason,
that
his
friend
is
greater
and
this
is
called
“Make,”
meaning
acting
above
reason.
In
the
essay,
“A
Speech
for
the
Completion
of
The
Zohar,”
it
is
written,
“To
receive
the
first
condition,
each
student
must
feel
as
the
smallest
among
all
the
friends.
In
that
state,
one
can
receive
the
appreciation
of
the
exaltedness
of
the
great
one.”
Thus,
he
is
explicitly
stating
that
each
one
should
see
himself
as
the
smallest
among
the
students.
And
yet,
how
can
one
see
oneself
as
the
smallest
of
the
students?
Here,
only
above
reason
is
pertinent.
This
is
called
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav,”
meaning
that
each
of
them
is
considered
a
rav
compared
to
him,
and
he
is
regarded
as
merely
a
student.
This
is
a
great
exertion,
since
there
is
a
rule
that
the
other’s
deficiencies
are
always
visible
while
his
own
faults
are
always
hidden.
And
yet,
he
must
regard
the
other
as
being
virtuous,
and
that
it
is
worthwhile
for
him
to
accept
what
he
says
or
does,
to
learn
from
the
other’s
actions.
But
the
body
does
not
agree
to
it
because
whenever
one
must
learn
from
another,
meaning
if
he
has
high
regard
for
the
other,
the
other
commits
him
to
labor,
and
the
body
revokes
the
views
and
actions
of
the
other.
Because
the
body
wants
to
rest,
it
is
better
for
it
and
more
convenient
to
rule
out
his
friend’s
views
and
actions
so
he
will
not
have
to
make
an
effort.
This
is
why
it
is
called,
“Make
for
yourself
a
rav.”
It
means
that
for
the
friend
to
be
your
rav,
you
have
to
make
it.
In
other
words,
it
is
not
by
reason,
since
the
reason
asserts
otherwise,
and
sometimes
even
shows
him
the
opposite,
that
he
can
be
the
rav
and
the
other
his
student.
This
is
why
it
is
called
“Make,”
meaning
doing
and
not
reasoning.
3)
“And
judge
every
person
favorably.”
After
we
said,
“Buy
yourself
a
friend,”
there
remains
the
question,
“What
about
the
rest
of
the
people?”
For
example,
if
a
person
chooses
a
few
friends
from
his
congregation
and
leaves
the
rest
aside
and
does
not
bond
with
them,
the
question
is,
“How
should
he
treat
them?”
After
all,
they
are
not
his
friends,
and
why
didn’t
he
choose
them?
Clearly,
we
should
say
that
he
did
not
find
virtues
in
them
to
make
it
worth
his
while
to
bond
with
them,
meaning
he
does
not
appreciate
them.
Thus,
how
should
he
treat
the
rest
of
the
people
in
his
congregation?
And
the
same
applies
to
the
rest
of
the
people
who
are
not
from
among
the
people
of
the
congregation.
How
should
he
treat
them?
Rabbi
Yehoshua
Ben
Perachia
says
about
it,
“Judge
every
person
favorably,”
meaning
one
should
judge
everyone
favorably.
This
means
that
the
fact
that
he
does
not
find
merits
in
them
is
not
their
fault.
Rather,
it
is
not
in
his
power
to
be
able
to
see
the
merits
of
the
general
public.
For
this
reason,
he
sees
according
to
the
qualities
of
his
own
soul.
This
is
true
according
to
his
attainment,
but
not
according
to
the
truth.
In
other
words,
there
is
such
a
thing
as
truth
in
itself,
regardless
of
the
one
who
attains.
There
is
truth
that
each
attains
according
to
his
attainment,
meaning
that
truth
changes
according
to
the
ones
who
attain.
Meaning,
it
is
subject
to
change
according
to
the
changing
states
in
the
one
who
attains.
But
the
actual
truth
did
not
change
in
its
essence.
This
is
why
each
person
can
attain
the
same
thing
differently.
Therefore,
regarding
the
public,
it
could
be
that
the
public
is
just
fine,
but
he
sees
differently,
according
to
his
own
quality.
This
is
why
he
says,
“And
judge
every
person
favorably,”
meaning
he
should
judge
all
the
others
besides
his
friends
favorably—that
they
are
all
worthy
in
and
of
themselves
and
he
has
no
complaints
whatsoever
concerning
their
conduct.
But
for
himself,
he
cannot
learn
anything
from
them
because
he
has
no
equivalence
with
them.