Rabbi Iaakov’s wife was always looking for an excuse to argue with her husband. Iaakov never reacted to her provocations. Until one night when, during a dinner with some friends, the rabbi had a ferocious argument with his wife to the surprise of all at the table.
“What happened?” they asked. “Why did you break your habit of never answering?”
“Because I realized that what bothered my wife the most was the fact that I remained silent. Acting in this way, I remained far from her emotions. My reaction was an act of love, now she understands that I hear her words.”
--(Paulo Coelho's Blog post, May 21, 2010)
