The deeper idea behind not looking into his neighbor s entrance is that Jewish marriage can be so satisfying that it leaves a person no desire to covet his neighbor s wife. Jewish marriage provides the means for a man to find in his own wife all the possible happiness he could ever want. There is nothing further to look for when a man is content at home. However, just as success in any other venture depends on the effort one puts into it, the same applies to marriage. Here too, one must earnestly strive for improvement, and realize that success will not come easily.
Men commonly make the mistake of being overly critical of their wives.
They complain about their wife s cooking and housekeeping skills, how they discipline the children, or countless other things. The list can be endless if a man expects to receive from his wife only the best possible service and care. Focusing on a spouse s perceived shortcomings is a great error. Marriage provides a golden opportunity to do chesed and to give of ourselves to another person. Kindness is not found in demeaning perfection, but rather, it means forgiving and accepting shortcomings.