11 myths
Sacred friendship in Jewish tradition, from David and Jonathan to the study partnerships of the Talmudic sages.
11 myths on JewishMythology.com retell how Jewish tradition imagines friendship, drawn from the Hebrew Bible, Midrash, Talmud, Kabbalah, and later Jewish literature. Each story below synthesizes primary sources into a single narrative; follow any myth to read it, and from there into the source passages behind it.
The prophet sank in mud and lime, and a voice called his name. He had been mocked too many times to trust a friendly sound. He did not answer.
Resh Lakish was working as a robber when he saw Rabbi Yohanan in the river, leapt across, and never went back to the life he left on the bank.
Ridya stands the size of a young ox, his lower lip split open, hooves resting on nothing. Rabbah swore he watched him tell the sky to drip its water down.
The exiles begged their guards for one thing. Take us past our uncle's country. They are our brothers. They will give us water.
One friend takes the others death seat as hostage. The condemned man settles his house and races back so his companion will not die for him.
A rich man buried gold among graves because the living still hoped. Years later the poor man he had tested sat as governor and ordered him never to despair.
An emperor crawled an underground passage to visit the redactor of the Mishnah in secret. Servants died for the friendship, and a disciple raised one back.
Courtiers made a king reclaim gifts from a poor friend who paid every coin back. Heaven then asked Abraham for more than wealth. It asked for Isaac.
When the king summoned him, money refused, family stopped at the door, and only neglected deeds went in to speak.
One friend stood under the rope for another. A horseman arrived mud-covered, and a king asked to be their third.
A youth who understood bird speech told a king his throne would fall, then learned that one lie can crack a city built on truth.
