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R'Tanchum said in the name of R'Chani'lai: Any man who does not have a wife, lives without happiness, without Blessing, and without goodness.
Without happiness as it is written: and you shall rejoice, and your household [Deuteronomy 14:26 The word household is analogous to one's wife]
Without blessing as it is written: to bring a blessing to rest upon your home [Ezekiel 44:30]
Without goodness, as it is written: It is not good that man be alone (I will make him a helpmate) [Genesis 2:18]
In Eretz Yisrael they say: An unmarried man lives without Torah and without a protective wall.
Without Torah, as it is written: Is my own helpmate not with me? Is wisdom to be thrust aside from me? [Job 6:13]
Without a protective all, as it is written: An you will know that your tent is at peace and you will visit your home and find nothing amiss [Job 5:24]
R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: Any man who knows that his wife is a G-D fearing woman but does not visit with her (conjugally) is called a "Sinner". For it says: An you will know that your tent is whole (and you will visit your home and you will not sin)
Rabbis Taught in a Baraisa: One who loves his wife like his own self, and who honors her more than his own self, and who guides his sons and daughters on the straight path, and who marries then off close to their age (of Puberty). Concerning him Scripture states: and you will know that your tent is at peace.
- Yevamos 62b
2 comments:
Can you explain the meanings of R'Tanchum and R'Chani'lai?
There is a subtle but important correction to make to the quote "..lives without happiness...".
The phrase is כל אדם שאין לו אשה שרוי בלא שמחה.
The word שרוי translates with difficulty but is something like "rests among" or "dwells with" like from the phrase השראת השכינה.
The difference between that and the translation of "any man... LIVES without happiness, etc." is that "lives" gives a connotation of his personal subjective experience, in other words saying that an unmarried man is not hsppy.
The exact word of שרוי though is really an objective definition from without i.e. a man living without a woman is living IN AN ENVIRONMENT in which the component of happiness is missing.... it's a very subtle difference but important.
The gemara is not saying that an unmarried man will not be happy rather that an unmarried man lives in a state of environment devoid of happiness.
As an analogy, a grave digger in a cemetary is שרוי בלא שמחה on account of working in a cemetary, but that's not to say that he doesn't come to his work everyday with a smile on his face. Two separate things.
My opinion only.
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