Marriage

Parshat בראשית devotes a fair amount of emphasis on the relationship between a husband and wife. There is a strange Midrash that says that male and female were once one entity. Later, Hashem separated them. The bond of marriage was meant to create that same connection, as if they were one entity. There is the famous story of a great rabbi, who took his wife to the doctor for a leg ailment. The rabbi said to the doctor, “Our leg is hurting.” A couple needs to feel that closeness. They need to feel each other’s pain and joy. They are one. The deeper the love and trust that a couple have, the more harmonious is the relationship. The Torah says, לא טוב היות האדם לבדו, “It is not good that man is alone.” He should realize that all of his achievements in this world, are because of his wife. Rabbi Akiva said it best when he told his students about his loving wife, Rachel. שלי ושלכם שלה, “all that I am, and all that you are, is because of her!”