| The Midrash relates a poignant story: One Friday night, a woman attended a public lecture given by Rabbi Meir. By the time she returned home, her Shabbat lamp had gone out. Her husband, angered by her absence, demanded, “Where have you been?” She replied, “I was at Rabbi Meir’s class.” In a fit of rage, he declared, “You are not permitted to enter this house until you spit in Rabbi Meir’s face!”
Eliyahu HaNavi informed Rabbi Meir of the situation — that the woman had been cast out of her home over her devotion to Torah. Rabbi Meir immediately went to the synagogue. When the woman entered to pray, Rabbi Meir feigned a yawn and told her he was suffering from an eye ailment that could only be cured if she would spit in his eye — seven times.
Embarrassed but obedient, the woman complied. Afterward, Rabbi Meir gently told her, “Now go tell your husband: ‘You told me to spit once in Rabbi Meir’s face — I did so seven times.’”
His students were shocked. “Rabbi,” they protested, “the honor of the Torah has been disgraced! If you had simply issued a ruling, her husband would have been forced to take her back.”
But Rabbi Meir replied: “The honor of Rabbi Meir does not outweigh the honor of HaShem. If a man suspects his wife of infidelity, HaShem allows His holy Name to be erased in the waters of the sotah, just to bring peace between them. How much more so must I lower my own honor for the sake of peace between husband and wife.” Although other, more authoritative solutions existed — as his students suggested — Rabbi Meir chose to forgo his personal dignity to restore peace. Like HaShem, who is willing to have His sacred Name dissolved out of compassion, Rabbi Meir was willing to sacrifice his honor to heal a relationship.
Today: May we learn from Rabbi Meir to treasure peace so deeply that we, too, are willing to make sacrifices in its pursuit. — Based on Lev Eliyahu, by Rav Eliyahu Lopian
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