Some Jewish Advice on How to Make a Friend

Part 14 in Jewish Wisdom for the Everyday Man: a “guide for the perplexed” through the modern maze of morality from ancient Jewish Sages.

I admit that I’ve always found it difficult to make real friends. Long-lasting, trustworthy friends have always been hard for me to find, except of course my wife, but what choice does she have?!

I always believed that true friendship should be possible outside my family, and would be a wonderful thing to have, so I turned to the Jewish sages to see if they had any advice (and find out if maybe the problem is with me?).

I was pleased to discover that I am not the only one with a problem making friends. The great Rambam (Maimonides) felt the need to make a passionate appeal to everyone that it is important to find at least one lifelong friend. He describes true friendship as being involved with and helping each other in every aspect of life. “And if a person does not yet...