Deuteronomy 24:5 "He shall be free at home one year and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken"

Shimi moved into a new neighborhood.

He had left his old friends and now had to make new ones.

His mother suggested that he invite one of the neighborhood children to play with him.

"But I hardly know him!" Shimi complained.

"Well," coaxed his mother, "if you invite him to play you'll share each other's company. The more time you spend together, the better you'll get to know one another and become good friends."

A newly married couple needs time to get used to one another.

The Torah commands that the husband remain at home during the first year.

He should not set out on long journeys. He is excused from certain military service.

He should not take upon himself responsibilities that will call him away from home for lengthy periods (see Negative Mitzvah 311). He is to spend much time at home, sharing his wife's company.

In this way, he will bring joy to his home.