| How to Be a Truly Good Friend
Inspiration: "Love your friend like you love yourself" (Vayikra 19:18).
The secret of being a good friend is to be aware of what your friend really needs, and to provide support for him where he needs it most. Yet, how can we be really sure if we are giving our friend what he truly needs and wants? The Torah gives us a path to attain the clarity of how we can best understand the needs of our friend. Imagine that you are in your friend's shoes. Consider his challenges, responsibilities, and hardships. What would you want for yourself if you were in his place? By seeing your friend through the lens of your own eyes, you will attain the knowledge of how to most powerfully benefit your friend.
Lesson: By imagining ourselves experiencing the challenges of our friend, we grow wise on how to be sensitive to our friends and how we can best serve, help, and encourage them.
Visualization: Imagine a husband reflecting on his wife's heartfelt care and service for the family. He realizes that if it were him performing the constant and countless acts of kindness for his family, he would want a reciprocal amount of appreciation and encouragement in return. By seeing her goodness through his own eyes, the husband is inspired to love, appreciate, respect, and help his wife more than ever before.
(Based on the commentary of the Seforno) | 
