Question:

My wife tells me that it is tradition to give the woman in your life flowers before Shabbat. Is this true and, if yes, what is the significance? Secondly, why give something like cut flowers that die, and not a potted plant?

Answer:

Flowers are useless. They are impractical, temporary, and they are not an investment. But that's precisely their power. You buy them for no reason other than because your wife likes them. You do it just for her.

This is the very definition of romance—doing something pointless, just to express love. Nobody needs flowers, they won't be around forever, but someone you love likes them, so you buy them.

You buy them for no reason other than because your wife likes themThat's why our relationship with G‑d is so romantic. He needs nothing from us humans, and we won't be around forever. But He gets immense pleasure out of it when we do a mitzvah, an act that He has commanded. So we do it. Not for what we get out of it, and not for what He gets out of it, but just because He likes it.

The moment we do something that makes no sense to us but makes our loved one happy, we have truly transcended ourselves and connected with someone else.

Stop thinking about yourself and think about her. That's the power of the flower.