The Primacy of Peace \ Parashat Naso
The Midrash relates on one Friday night, a woman attended a public lecture presented by Rabbi Meir. By the time she returned home, her Shabos lamp extinguished. “Where have you been?” demanded her husband. She replied that she had been at the class of Rabbi Meir. Angrily her husband insisted, “You are not permitted to enter my house until you spit in the face of Rabbi Meir!”
Eliyahu the Prophet informed Rabbi Meir that the woman had been banished from her home. Rabbi Meir went to the synagogue. When the woman came in to pray, Rabbi Meir feigned a yawn. He told the woman that he was suffering from an ailment that could only be cured if she would spit in his eye seven times.
After she reluctantly complied, Rabbi Meir told her, “Go tell your husband, ‘You told me to spit once in Rabbi Meir’s face, whereas I spit seven times!’”
Rabbi Meir’s students were appalled. “Rabbi,” they said, “the honor of the Torah has been disgraced. If you had issued an edict, he would have had no other choice than to allow his wife to enter their home.”
Rabbi Meir responded, “The honor of Rabbi Meir should not exceed the honor of HaShem! If there is suspicion that a wife has acted unfaithfully to her husband, HaShem allows His holy Name to be dissolved in the waters of the sotah, to make peace between husband and wife. How much more so, should I lower my honor to make peace between husband and wife.
Although there was an alternative solution, as the students suggested, Rabbi Meir preferred to solve the problem by demeaning himself. HaShem allows His Name to be dissolved, because in His boundless compassion, He is willing to disgrace himself to bring peace between husband and wife.
May we learn from Rabbi Meir and cherish peace so dearly that we are willing to make great sacrifices for peace!
(Based on Lev Eliyahyu of Rav Eliyahu Lopian
