Divorced from Thoughts of Separation
A man once told me that he wanted to get divorced. His wife just made his life miserable, and he had no pleasure in their shared life. He asked for my opinion. I advised him to postpone making a decision. In the meantime, he should focus on reinforcing two mitzvot, in merit of which, marital harmony would return to their home.
I recommended he resolve to lay tefillin each morning, and his wife accept upon herself the halachot of taharat hamishpachah, in all their minute details. When Hashem would see how they were coming toward Him, He would come toward them and minimize the challenges that they faced, as Chazal tell us (Shabbat 104a), “He who comes to be purified receives Divine assistance.”
At a later date, I met the man. He related that he had wanted to speak with me for quite some time, but could not reach me. He and his wife took my words to heart. With the help of Hashem, their marital harmony was restored. Divorce was now the furthest thing from their minds.
