Why does the gemara say, kosho isha ra'ah k'yom sagrir, a bad wife is like a rainy day. Isn't a rainy day a good thing?
ANSWER:
Let me explain to you. There was a man, Rav Chiya, whose wife would aggravate him, nevertheless when he would find something in the market fitting for his wife, he would wrap it up in his shawl and bring it to her. Rav asked Rav Chiya, "but does she not aggravate the master?" R' Chiya said to him, "it is sufficient that they raise our children and save us (from sin), therefore I show her affection".
It means this: if a person has the sense to utilize a rainy day, water is falling min hashomayim!! They're diamonds, the drops that fall from the clouds. Each drop..al kol tipah vtipah, it's a nusach we say, for every drop I thank You. It's a miracle, where did it come from?
It comes from the ocean, you can't drink ocean water. It's distilled by the sun and rises up as water vapor and it's beautiful water, clear now, perfectly clear to drink. If you understand what a blessing rain is, certainly a rainy day is a great blessing, but many people are unhappy on a rainy day. You're not able to go out, you're restrained from doing good things, so in a certain sense a rainy day can sometimes be a disadvantage. Now, a rainy wife is a big brocho if you make use of her, certainly you appreciate her, she's doing so many good things for you. The fact that she opens her mouth frequently and scolds you, what about it? Lfum tzara agra, the more you're able to control yourself the bigger the reward.
Toleh eretz al blima, al mi sh'bolem piv b'shas meriva, how big is the zechus for the man that keeps his mouth closed during the time of a quarrel, a very big zechus to keep your mouth closed. You're the winner! If you didn't have a wife like that you wouldn't have that zechus. Everytime she scolds you and you keep quiet, toleh eretz al blima, that zechus is tremendous. Of course a wife who encourages you all the time, who praises you and gives you kavod, alright… there are certain benefits there too.
And so, it's a beautiful moshol to compare a scolding wife to a rainy day.
Good Shabbos To All
Parshas Noach 5777 This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
