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Saturday, November 2, 2013

I Love This Midrash...

"Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun ; for this is your reward in life..." (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

To the single men out there...

If I were a secularist, I would encourage you to get married by telling you that if you do not get married then nature will unapologetically weed your genes out of existence.  But since I am a man of faith (and as an Italian), I will encourage you to get married because there is nothing more fulfilling in life than family!  And, if you have the good fortune to have a daughter, there is nothing better in this life than hearing a little angel from HaShem say "Daddy!" and rest her little head against your arm.  Oh, and hearing her say "Shabbat Shawom!"

Anyway, here's a classic rabbinic midrash.  Yes, it contains hyperbole but you gotta love how the rabbis support everything they say with Scripture:

"The Midrash says:  'And the Lord God said:  It is not good for Man to be alone....R. Jacob taught:  every man who has no wife lives without good, without help, without happiness and without forgiveness... 
...without good, as it is written, 'it is not good for man to be alone.' [Genesis 2:18]
...without help, as it is written, 'I shall make him a helpmate for him.' [Genesis 2:18]
...without happiness, as it is written, 'And you shall rejoice, you and your household.' [Deut. 14:26]
...without blessing, as it is written, 'To bring blessing to your household.' [Eze. 44:30]
...without forgiveness, as it is written, 'And I shall forgive you and your household.' [Lev. 17:11] 
R. Simon said in the name of R. Joshua Ben Levi:  Even without peace, as it is written, 'And peace will be with you and peace will be with your household.' [Isaiah 25:6] 
R. Joshua of Sichnin said in the name of R. Levi:  Even without life, as it is written, 'See life with the wife that you love' [Ecc. 9:9] 
R. Hiyya bar Gamda said:  He is not even a complete person, as it is written, 'And He blessed them and He called their name Adam.' [Gen. 5:2] 
And some say:  He even diminishes the Divine Image, as it is written, 'For man was created in God's image,' [Genesis 9:6] and immediately afterwards it is written, 'And multiply.' [Genesis 9:7]"


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