A number of years ago, a respected, frum, married man started experiencing some difficulties in his life. He approached one of my Rebbes to seek his advice. As part of his advice, my Rebbe instructed him to work on his marriage. The man objected, saying "Rebbe I have so much to learn, so many things to take care of spiritually, physically and financially that I don't have the time for working on my marriage too."
My Rebbe quoted him the following, famous Mishnah:
לא מצא הקב"ה כלי מחזיק ברבה לישראל אלא השלום - Hashem Yitbarach did not find a vessel that could contain all blessings for Yisrael but the Shalom.
Chazal explain that this Mishna teaches that Shalom Bayit is the primary vessel through which we can contain all our blessings. The best way we can hold on to all the good that Hashem bestows on us is to improve Shalom Bayit! The Rebbe was trying to make this person understand that his top priority should be Shalom in his home and all the other berachot will flow from there.
We all have very busy lives, working very hard and trying to grow in many areas of Avodat Hashem. Sometimes, we may feel stuck, wondering why we do not see the berachah coming. We can learn from this Mishna that much of the berachah contained in our home is based on our dedication to Shalom Bayit. It is our job to contemplate how we can strengthen our vessel so that Hashem’s Shechinah can rest in our home. We must then put this work into practice, so that we can receive and absorb all the berachah that Hashem constantly pours down on us.
