I saw a beautiful Vort this past week in a sefer Shaarei Ahron. He quotes Rav Dessler, who said in the name of his father, regarding the 15th Mishna of the first Perek of Avos. Shammai says:
讜讛讜讬 诪拽讘诇 讗转 讻诇 讛讗讚诐 讘住讘专 驻谞讬诐 讬驻讜转
One should greet every individual cheerfully.
Yet we don't Pasken like Bais Shammai, so why is this said over in his name?
The answer is that if it were Hillel who said it, people would say that it is only a Midas Chassidus, being that Hillel was always so patient with everyone and always went 诇驻谞讬诐 诪砖讜专转 讛讚讬谉.
讜诇讘谉 砖谞讬诐 诪讞诇讘 讗诇 转讬拽专讬 诇讘谉 砖讬谞讬诐 讗诇讗 诇讘谉 砖谞讬诐 驻砖讟讬讛 讚拽专讗 讘诪讗讬 讻转讬讘 讻讬 讗转讗 专讘 讚讬诪讬 讗诪专 讗诪专讛 讻谞住转 讬砖专讗诇 诇驻谞讬 讛拽讘"讛 专讘讜谞讜 砖诇 注讜诇诐 专诪讜讝 讘注讬谞讬讱 讚讘住讬诐 诪讞诪专讗 讜讗讞讜讬 诇讬 砖讬谞讬讱 讚讘住讬诐 诪讞诇讘讗 诪住讬讬注 诇讬讛 诇专' 讬讜讞谞谉 讚讗诪专 专' 讬讜讞谞谉 讟讜讘 讛诪诇讘讬谉 砖讬谞讬诐 诇讞讘讬专讜 讬讜转专 诪诪砖拽讛讜 讞诇讘 砖谞讗诪专 讜诇讘谉 砖谞讬诐 诪讞诇讘 讗诇 转拽专讬 诇讘谉 砖讬谞讬诐 讗诇讗 诇讘讜谉 砖讬谞讬诐
The Gemara in Kesuvos 111B says that "teeth are preferred over milk". In other words, if you meet a person, he would rather that you greet him with a warm smile than present him with a cold cup of milk.
I've often wondered how one would be able to be Mekayem Shammai's dictum. Perhaps in the shtetlach and small towns of yesteryear one would be able to greet all passersby; but in our day and age, particularly Manhattan's pedestrian traffic, this becomes an impossibility.
Yet if we follow Shammai's words, all is clear. We need to keep a perpetual smile on our faces when we are seen in public. Everyone who passes us by will then have a lift in their day.
