大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Julia Neuberger

Precious Relationships

Good Morning.

Infertility is a major issue these days, but, in the ancient world, it was always thought to be the woman鈥檚 problem, or even fault. In Jewish tradition, if a couple had been together for ten years and had no children, the man was supposed to divorce his wife, find a new one- and get on with having a family. There鈥檚 a great rabbinic story about this.

A Jewish couple loved each other dearly but they had no children. 10 years on, they went to see the great rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, asking for a divorce. The rabbi heard them out and then told them to part ways but with a party, a celebration, just as they had begun at the wedding. So they prepared a feast, and the wife poured out cup of wine after cup of wine for her husband. As his mood gradually lifted, he said: 鈥淢y dear, look around our house. Is there any precious item here that you would like? Choose a keepsake and take it with you to your father鈥檚 home鈥︹��

Once her husband was asleep, the wife instructed the servants: 鈥淨uick, bundle him on to a bed and carry him to my father鈥檚 house!鈥�

When the alcohol had worn off, the husband woke up from his stupor, hung over. 鈥淲here am I?鈥� he called out. 鈥淚n my father鈥檚 house,鈥� replied his wife. 鈥淲hat am I doing here?鈥� he asked.

鈥淵ou instructed me to take a precious thing from your house with me back to my parents鈥� home, and there is nothing in the world better than you.鈥�
They realised they were meant to be together, and, so the story goes, they were finally blessed with children, strange as it may seem. God, let us give thanks for wonderful relationships.