Shalom Bayis and Elul

The Ramak, zt”l, writes that a sure sign that one is not relating properly to Hashem is if he has a dysfunctional relationship with his wife. All of our Gedolim honored their wives and went out of their way to help them.
When the Rebbetzin of Rav Shach, zt”l, was once ill, she expressed a very strong desire for watermelon. The Gadol (who was over seventy years old at the time,) did not hesitate for a moment. He quickly left their small apartment, went on foot to the local fruit store, and purchased a large watermelon, which he then carried himself. People walking down the street in Bnei Brak could hardly believe their eyes. The Rosh Yeshivah walking with a watermelon tucked beneath his arm only to gladden his wife!
The Rebbetzin enjoyed a certain Yiddish magazine which could only be purchased in a distant shop in Shikun Gimel, a neighborhood that was about two kilometers away from their apartment. Despite the distance, the Rosh Yeshivah would walk there every day to pick up the daily paper. Rain or shine, heat wave or frost, the Rosh Yeshiva did not miss a single day.
When a certain young girl offered to do this chore for him, he refused. “What do you think? Do you imagine I have so many mitzvos that I can afford to give out what little I have? If you want mitzvos, you will have to search for your own. There are definitely enough to go around, but my mitzvos you may not take under any circumstances!”
During Elul let us not forget to strengthen our shalom bayis; an essential component of all true closeness to Hashem!