It happened in Sidon that a certain man married a woman and stayed with her ten years, and she did not give birth. They came before Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. He wished to divorce her. He said to her, "Take any precious object that is in my house and go to your father's house." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said to him, "Just as you were joined together amid food and drink, so you shall not separate from one another except amid food and drink." What did she do? She made a great feast and made him exceedingly drunk, and she signaled to her maidservant and said to them, "Take him to my father's house." In the middle of the night he awoke from his sleep and said to her, "Where am I placed?" She said to him, "Did you not say to me, take any precious object that is in my house and go to your father's house? And now I have no object more precious than you." When Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai heard this, he prayed for them and they were remembered [with a child]. Are these things not a matter of inference from minor to major? If flesh and blood, when he rejoices a rejoicing, gladdens everyone, when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to gladden Jerusalem and Israel, who look to the salvation of the Holy One, blessed be He, how much more so.
The Childless Couple of Sidon and the Most Precious Possession
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 16:8
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּצַיְדָּן בְּאֶחָד שֶׁנָּשָׂא אִשָּׁה וְשָׁהָה עִמָּהּ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וְלֹא יָלְדָה. אָתוּן לְקַמֵּהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי. בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁבְּקָהּ אָמַר לָהּ, כָּל חֵפֶץ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי טְלִי אוֹתוֹ וּלְכִי לְבֵית אָבִיךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִזְדַּוַּגְתֶּם מִתּוֹךְ מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה, כָּךְ אִי אַתֶּם פּוֹרְשִׁים זֶה מִזֶּה אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה. מֶה עָשְׂתָה, עָשְׂתָה סְעוּדָה גְּדוֹלָה וְשִׁכְּרָתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, וְרָמְזָה לְשִׁפְחָתָהּ וְאָמְרָה לָהֶן טְלוּ אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית אַבָּא. בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה נִנְעַר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ, אָמַר לָהּ הֵיכָן אֲנִי נָתוּן אָמְרָה לוֹ, לֹא כָּךְ אָמַרְתָּ לִי כָּל חֵפֶץ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי טְלִי אוֹתוֹ וּלְכִי לְבֵית אָבִיךְ, וְכַדּוּ אֵין לִי חֵפֶץ טוֹב מִמְּךָ וְכֵיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי נִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם וְנִפְקְדוּ וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמַה בָּשָר וָדָם שָׂמֵחַ שִׂמְחָה מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַכֹּל כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַפִּין לִישׁוּעָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.