Rabin (1995) mentions ten parameters that are necessary for a mature spousal relationship: 

warmth – friendship, a sincere and deep emotional bond between spouses;

caring – a sense of concern and involvement, understanding that your spouse is prepared to help you in time of need; 

expression of endearment – love is expressed in a variety of ways, including verbal and non-verbal expressions of emotion;

 acceptance – a sense of unconditional acceptance by one’s partner, even if at times there be disagreement and friction, a sense of deep trust that each spouse receives from the other; 

empathy – understanding one’s partners feelings, including being aware and sensitive to his or her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.  Empathy is perceived as a sincere attempt to see the world from the point of view of the other, to enter the other’s shoes;

 intimacy – with intimacy, the partners are open to sharing their feelings, apprehensions, beliefs, fears, aspirations, and yearnings – even the most deeply secret – with one another.  Intimacy means sharing ones thoughts, ideas and feelings, whether they are accepted or not;

 friendship– seeing one’s partner as a true friend;

 bringing gratification – trying to bring the other joy and happiness;

 support – causing one’s partner to feel that he or she has someone on whom they can rely, to lean upon in time of need, and knowing that one can lean on one’s partner in difficult times;

 closeness – enjoying quality time spent together.  Close partners feel a desire to live together, to be near one another and to share experiences together.

If we examine the lives of Abraham and Sarah as a couple, we see a stormy and difficult life.  They went through many tribulations of relocation together; they left their family, country, and homeland and migrated to a foreign land, all the while deeply believing in the destiny set for them by the Holy One, blessed be He:  “Abraham took his wife Sarai, … and all the wealth that they had amassed, … and they set out for the land of Canaan” (Gen. 12:5).