The Torah tells us, “All beginnings are difficult.” Making the first move is difficult, no doubt about it. The reward is great, but it’s hard work.
I recall a certain young husband who came to see me, carrying a long list of things that his wife wasn’t happy with and wanted him to change.
“Just look at this list!” he exclaimed. “How can I possibly do all of this?”
“It’s not so bad,” I consoled him. “Look how clear she made it for you. She knows what the problems are, and now you can set about fixing them.”
He shook his head. “There’s no way I can do all this...” he told me.
“It’s certainly a lot,” I agreed, “and you may not be able — or even obligated — to do everything written here, and certainly not all at once. But giving up before you’ve even started could mean that you’ll have to accept the consequences of a marriage where ‘I can’t do this...’ sets the tone.”
May Hashem give us the wisdom to know what’s important and the eyes to see that we really can do it if we only want to, and may we all be zocheh to build homes where the Shechinah can dwell with us.
