We daven three times a day that, שלא תעלה קנאת אדם עלי ולא קנאתי על אחרים “We shouldn’t be jealous of others, and others shouldn’t be jealous of us.” No doubt there is a good reason for the importance of this tefillah. As noted, there are those who think that all of this doesn’t apply to people who are close, like brothers and close friends. To the contrary; we must be even more careful when it comes to loved ones. The Yidden in the Midbar were close—and this is why they understood the importance of positioning their doorways away from one another. Because you are close, this is where boundaries need to be developed—with thought and sensitivity—to keep some distance, a distance that is necessary in order that each of us should be able to carry out our mission, not to make life more difficult for those you love most.
