Advanced Search

Friendship


Question:

 In the story of Shmuel I, we can see a strong friendship between David and Jonathan. Why is their friendship and loyalty to each other so important? Even as Jonathan goes against his father he sees it so important to help out his friend. Why is that



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

Because the friendship was based entirely on truth and nothing else. That means that even though Jonathan and David should have been natural enemies because David could not take over the monarchy if Jonathan laid claim to it since King Saul was Jonathan’s father. Nevertheless, they recognized the depth and truth of their friendship and they did not let anything get in between of it. When Jonathan realized that his father's hatred for David was irrational and based on falsehood he would not be a party to it.


Similar Questions
Relationships > Interpersonal
Violence
Definition of Love
Hosting Relatives
The Candy Truth
Interrupting
Naming Baby
Honor Thy Children?
"Lying"
Forgiveness
Communal Property
Shalom Aleichem
English Name / Hebrew Name
The “Old Man”
Long Distance Relationship
Long Time No See!
Pursuit of Peace
Feeling Hurt
Be My Guest
I-Sight
Ego-Tripping
To Forgive is Divine
Our Code of Honor
A Favorable Judgment
Judge Me Not
Friends
Responding to Insults
All in the Family
Tell Me Something New
The Ten Tenets
The Jewish Vote
Winning by a Nose
And Let Us Say “Amen”
Challenge with Observance
Words from the Heart
Staying by Relatives
Speech Therapy
Will They Look Down on Me?
Mercy and “Richer Fruits”
Honor
“Morality and Haughtiness”
Helping a Friend
Upgraded Me
“The Eleventh Commandment”
"To Tell the Truth"
A Family Dilemma
Best Friends Forever
The Whole Picture
Criticism
A Diary Dillema
Happy 120th Birthday!
“Office Politics”
Words and Hurt
Returning Theft “After Death”
Physcial Abuse
Keeping a Kosher Family
History > Patriarchs, Matriarchs & Leaders
Leprosy and Slander
Forefather Performing Mitzvot
Noah’s Wife
How Moses Knew Hebrew
Tzippora and Ruth
Moses - Most Humble Man
Rabbinical Movement
Hebron
Moses' Mother
Gaza
Joseph and Faith in God
Rabbi Chaim of Brisk
Sanhedrin
Joshua and Jericho
Abraham's Significance
Judaism’s Ancestry
David's Height
A “Great” Name
Our Father and Our Teacher
Apportioning the Land of Israel
Tree of Life
Torah Before Sinai
Birthright and Brothers
Abraham Keeping the Commandments
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
The Unknown Tomb of Moses
Abraham, the First Jew
Inauguration Prayer of King Solomon
Ecclesiastes
Sarah - Princess
Sanhedrin II
Song - David Melech Yisrael
The Twelve Tribes
The High Standard of Leadership
King Solomon’s Special Ring
Moshe (Moses)
King David’s Mother
The First Jew
“Inventions”
Jonah and Suicide
The Myth of Moses’ Mountain
Chazal
Twinkle, Twinkle, Like the Stars
Rachel, Rabbi Akiva's Wife
Have a question?
 
Gateways - Your Key to Jewish Continuity

AskTheRabbi.org is a service of the Gateways Organization © 2024
Technical problems? Please contact the AskTheRabbi Support team