Can you give me some examples where the Torah treats women as special, precious, and where it says that men need to unconditionally respect their wives, etc. 

 

The Torah commands a man to make his new wife who he married happy, [1] thus he may not travel in the first year of marriage without her permission. (see here).

We also find that marital intimate relations besides for the obvious reason of having children, a man is to intend only for his wife’s sake and not for his own needs. [2]

Rambam, in his Mishna Torah, [3] writes: “Similarly, our Sages commanded that a man honor his wife more than his own body, and love her as he loves his own body. If he has financial resources, he should offer her benefits in accordance with his resources. He should not cast a superfluous measure of fear over her. He should talk with her gently, being neither sad nor angry.”

The Alter Rebbe writes in his Shulchan Aruch [4]: “One must be very careful not to oppress his wife, not to cause her pain with words. For since she is easily brought to tears, G-dly retribution for oppressing one’s wife is quick to come. A person is to be very careful with his wife’s honor as the blessing of the home of a man is only found due to the wife. Chazal stated to their generation “Respect your wives in order to become wealthy.”

 

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[1] Devarim 24:5.

[2] See Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 240:1).

[3] Hilchos Ishus 15:19.

[4] Hilchos Onah Ugneivas Da’as 32 based on Bava Metzia 59a.

 

 

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