His Mother-in-Law Turned His Wife Against Him. The Rabbi’s Shocking Advice

“Two years ago, my mother-in-law turned my wife against me in a terrible way,” a young man recalls. “Her interference reached unimaginable levels, and naturally I was extremely angry at her.”

According to him, the tension became so severe that his mother-in-law insisted she would continue to turn his wife against him until the couple agreed to go together to Rabbi Aryeh Schechter, of blessed memory.

Just a few days before Yom Kippur, the couple arrived at the rabbi’s home.

Rabbi Schechter listened patiently as each of them described the situation. When they finished, he turned to the husband and gave him advice that completely surprised him.

“Go now,” the rabbi said, “buy a beautiful, high quality set of bedding and send it to your mother-in-law on the eve of Yom Kippur, together with a warm note.”

The husband was stunned.

“It was incredibly difficult for me,” he recalls. “Difficult? It actually felt impossible. She had hurt me deeply and destroyed the peace in my home, and now I was supposed to send her a gift?”

But Rabbi Schechter gently continued.

“It is the eve of Yom Kippur,” he said. “We too have angered the Creator, and in Heaven a person is judged measure for measure. If you work now on your character traits and do what I suggest, I am confident your judgment will be for the good.”

The Difficult Decision

The man decided to follow the rabbi’s advice.

“I listened to Rabbi Schechter, even though it was extremely hard,” he says. “I bit my lip and pushed myself to do it. I sent a gift to someone who had caused me so much pain.”

What happened next surprised him even more.

Less than a week later, his mother-in-law called him.

She sincerely asked for forgiveness.

During the conversation she apologized at length and explained that although nothing could justify her behavior, she had been going through very difficult personal struggles that had made her bitter and irritable.

“Since then,” the man says, “Baruch Hashem we have been living in peace and harmony.”

A Rabbi Who Changed Lives

Rabbi Aryeh Schechter, who passed away on the 14th of Kislev 5780, was one of the prominent figures in the Jewish outreach movement.

For nearly fifty years he delivered inspiring lectures and classes about Judaism. Through his influence, countless people strengthened their connection to Torah and returned to their Creator.

Many families, like the one in this story, experienced firsthand the wisdom, sensitivity, and spiritual insight that guided his advice.