Reply To: Ladies First – Is it respectful or not?

okay, I just looked up the Rambam, and the halacha BEFORE this one is: “And so the Chachamim commanded that a man should honor his wife more than himself and love her like himself, and if he has money, he should increase (what he gives her) according to his means, and he should not place upon her extra fear and his speech to her should be pleasant and he shouldn’t be sad or tempermental”

So maybe opening doors is the way he shows her honor and love.