Have you ever walked into a room full of people and felt all alone? Can you remember a time where you felt left out from the crowd?
There is a story in the Talmud about a man named Choni who slept for 70 years and woke up to find that all his friends had died and a new generation had developed in his town. He was devastated; he prayed for mercy and died.
The rabbis explain this episode as follows: “Either friendship or death!” We are social beings and we all crave friendship. In this fast paced world, with social media and long work hours, studies have shown that we are more lonely than ever.
In this week’s parashah, Metzora, we read about the affliction of tzara’at and the requirement for a person affected with the disease to go outside of the tent.
