Shalom Bayit: 🏀

You arrive home utterly exhausted. Your wife asks for some help, but you're too drained to respond. Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupts, your basketball buddies are inviting you to a game. You leap from the sofa and dash toward the door, but your wife steps in, playing man-to-man defense. She blocks your path, declaring, “No way!” You cry foul.

In Parashat Eikev, God instructs us to cling to Him (דבק) with the same devotion we show our wives. A true connection with God is impossible without a genuine bond with our spouse, and the reverse holds true as well. A man who allows anything, be it a distraction or a priority, to interfere with his relationship with the Divine or his wife commits an act of זנות (spiritual infidelity).

Your wife wants you to stay fit, of course. But when something, like basketball, comes between you, she becomes irate, very irate. The key is to create a schedule with her. For example, agree to play basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 10 PM, ensuring you return with renewed energy and excitement for her. This way, she won’t see basketball as a threat, and she’ll feel like numero uno, fostering Shalom Bayit (peace in the home).