The Gemara (Gittin 52) tells us about a couple that the Satan caused to bicker every Friday evening. The holy tanna, Reb Meir, came to pay them a visit on Friday because he knew they wouldn’t fight in his presence. He went there for three weeks in a row, and then Reb Meir heard the Satan say, "Woe! Reb Meir drove me out of the house."
The Chasam Sofer explains that this story happens in many homes on Fridays. The yetzer hara comes and tries to disturb the peace, to prevent the couple from receiving Hashem's blessings.
The holy sefarim write that if your wife or daughter, etc., did something wrong on erev Shabbos (they didn't clean or cook properly, and there are countless other examples), you shouldn't become angry with them. They aren't at fault. The culprit is the yetzer hara, who desires to stir up a fight in your home on Fridays. With this awareness, it is easier to avoid getting angry at that time.
The exact words of the Gemara are "Woe, Reb Meir drove that man out of his home." It seems that the Satan was referring to himself; that Reb Meir banished him from the house. So why does it state "that man"? The Satan isn't a man. B'derech tzachus, we can answer that "that man" refers to the husband himself. Reb Meir taught the husband that he shouldn't be home too much on Fridays. He advised him to go to beis medresh to be maavir sedra, do some shopping, or take the children for a walk, but he shouldn't sit around at home. Reb Meir understood that this would help their shalom bayis. Sometimes, the best advice for shalom bayis is for the husband and wife to give each other some breathing space.
The Gemara (Brachos 56) says, "There are three signs of peace: a river, a bird, and a pot." When one sees a river, a bird, or a pot in his dream, it is a sign that he will have peace. The Gemara adds that when a person sees a pot in his dreams, when he wakes up, he should say (Yeshaya 26:12), "Hashem, arrange peace for us."
Why is a pot a sign of peace? The miforshim explain that water and fire are opposites, but when a pot goes between them, they can coexist and unite to create a better product.
The pot represents peace since it creates a barrier between two opposing forces. So, we see that, at times, division is beneficial. Also in the home. Often, when the husband spends less time in the house on Friday, it can improve the shalom bayis. So, we can explain that the Satan shouted, "Woe! Reb Meir sent that man, the husband, out of the house.” And if he isn't at home, the yetzer hara won't be able to bring them to machlokes.
