Our Sages say that the Jewish wife and mother is the sole source of blessing in the home (Bava M’tzia 59a). While every member of the family has his or her unique role and responsibility to play, it is the Jewish wife and mother who has the power to not only frame what is happening but write the script. It is she who sets the tone in the home. What her family will become is to a large extent dependent on who she is, what she knows, and where she is going. This is a woman’s strength and the key to shalom bayis.
Our Sages tell us that “Everything comes from the woman” (B’reishis Rabbah, Parshas B’reishis). The Midrash records the account of a righteous man and a righteous woman who were married but had no children. They eventually decided to get divorced. The righteous man married a wicked woman, and he became “wicked like her,” whereas the righteous woman married a wicked man, and he became “righteous like her.”
This means that even though it is ideal for both the husband and wife to make a joint effort and accept equal responsibility for improving their relationship, on occasion it is only one partner who takes the initiative and responsibility. If that one partner is the woman, then she alone can still accomplish a complete transformation in the marriage even without her husband’s initial full commitment, effort, or understanding. The Torah tells us that it simply won’t work the other way around.
Chazal also tell us that just as the g’ulah of Mitzrayim was initiated by the women of that generation, that our future redemption will be initiated by the nashim tzidkaniyos, as well. May we merit to participate in and experience that g’ulah b’karov!
Material was previously published on www.ShiratMiriam.com.
List of People Who Need
a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Shmuel ben Monavar
Efraim ben Leah
Chaim Hillel ben Rivkah
Yisrael Chaim ben Tamar
Asher ben Rima
Chaim Shmuel ben Leah
Yechiel Nasan ben Sarah
Tinok ben Peninah Esther
Moshe Chai ben Shoshanah
Yaakov ben Esther
Chaim Refael ben Chanah
Mikol ben Nigoria
Boris Baruch ben Frecha Frida
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Chaim ben Malkah
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Yehudah ben Peninah
Yura Avner ben Devorah
Yonah Gedaliah ben Pesha
Sarah bas Leah
Rus Victoria bas Tehilah
Esther Malkah Rinah bas Simchah
Malkah bas Tauba
Ronit bas Olga
Perel bas Nechamah
Rachel Leah bas Sarah
Tehilah Hadasah bas Elanah
Hadas bas Orah
Malkah bas Nechamah
Tziporah Stella bas Shirin
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Chayah Shoshanah Tovah bas Esther
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Gittel bas Sarah
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Esther Pessel bas Baila Chayah
Leah bas Chanah Serel
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.