Learning For The Sitra Achra - Admonishing Your Spouse - When Are People Friendly - A Standing O - NO MORE TZAROS!!:-)

The other day when I was waiting for the bus, I saw a sign posted on the bus stop that had the picture of a gadol who was quotes as saying that if your wife dresses immodestly then all of your Torah goes to the "sitra achra" ["forces of evil"]. [Not a problem for me personally. My wife is very tznuah and I don't learn all that much anyway. So the sitra achra won't get much parnassa from me:-)].

I was thinking about that. Is that really true? Is there a source for that? Are spouses punished for each others sins? I generally recommend that spouses don't act as religious police[wo]men. Really bad for shalom bayis and it doesn't help anyway. We don't live in a generation where people are very receptive of criticism and reproach. Just try to show your spouse how happy it makes you when they do the right thing and let them be. [Maybe the gadol was referring to men who encourage - tacitly or overtly - their wives to dress immodestly].

Anyway, I was pondering this sign a bit and then my bus thankfully came. I boarded ... only to trip and fall flat on my face.

I found out that people are much nicer and friendlier to you when your nose is firmly planted in the floor than they are when you are standing upright. People rushed to help me up - even a kid with the type of haircut I would get if I were a teenager who drank and used drugs...:-).

Anyway - please be friendly and nice to people even when they are doing well. Everybody enjoys a kind word and a smile. Pirkei Avos already said הוי מקבל כל אדם בשמחה - Try to show everybody that you are happy to see them - and actually be happy as well.

I also felt as I was tumbling down super helpless. Nowhere to go but down. And the bonus of being in front of the bus so that everybody could watch the spectacle. "Ehrman goes DOWN at the 15".

OK. Minimal harm, slightly bruised knee - not even a week on the disabled list and was back in action minutes later. The entire bus gave me a "standing o" and I proceeded to throw 3 consecutive touchdown passes. [OK - That was my imagination. Most of them were probably too busy playing with their toys to have seen it anyway. People on buses are constantly playing with their toys. People EVERYWHERE are constantly playing with their toys. Like in shul....].

Anyway - in a more serious vein I bless myself that this fall should be my last in a looooooong series of "falls" and Hashem should give me good fortune from here on in.

As we pray - סוף וקץ לכל צרותנו תחילה וראש לפדיון נפשנו!!

I bless you with much of the same. Only good things:-).