Parshas Nasso – Shalom Bayis
I wanted to start by expressing my appreciation to all those who participated in making this past Shavuos so Toradik and inspiring. It was such a tremendous Kiddush Hashem and a real show of our love for Hashem and his Torah. My mind keeps cycling through the images of the passionate learning of the teens and youth, along with the images of members of the shul sitting at the edge of their chairs drinking up every word they can get. We must appreciate what we experienced and think of ways to recreate it on a nightly basis.
In this week’s Parsha, the portion of the Torah that deals with the laws of a Sotah, a woman who was suspected by her husband of being disloyal, is followed by the portion of the Torah that deals with a Nazir, one who accepts upon themselves to abstain from wine and grape products. The Ralbag explains that by juxtaposing the two portions, the Torah is conveying the message that the way to reach peace in the home, which was missing from the home where the suspected wife came, is achieved through the process of abstaining. The Balei Mussar expound that when one is focused on the self, it is inevitable that their spouse will be slighted and hurt, which can lead to serious divides in the home and perhaps lead to a case of sotah. However, if a person learns to abstain, which practically means that they learn to put their personal needs aside and those of their spouse ahead, then a wholesome and loving relationship will fill the home, leaving no need to look elsewhere to fill any void.
It is important that we heed the message of the Ralbag, and may we be zoche to create homes in which the Shechinah resides.
HAVE A WONDERFUL SHABBOS!
Rabbi Anton
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