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.
1) We usually follow Beis Hillel when they disagree with Beis Shammai. Does the rule hold up for Hillel and Shammai themselves?
ReplyDelete2) Even if it does, where do we see that Hillel disagrees?
3) Yes, in Manhattan it's impossible to greet everyone and frankly it would be creepy if you tried but you're not always in downtown Manhattan.
1. I don't think so.
Delete2. He doesn't disagree, but had this been said in his name, we would say it is something nice to do , but not a requirement.
3. I think this explains well why New Yorkers are chastised for not saying Good Shabbos to everyone, whereas out-of-towners do. There are just so many people passing by.
"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."
ReplyDeletePerpetual smile = continuous smile. Seems like a carricature of a politician. ;-)
I don't think it is possible to do so. Also, if it is a perpetual smile, it may be, or come across, as false. I don't think Shammai's teaching should be stretched into that.
Maybe 拽讘诇转 讗讚诐 means people we interact with, people we receive, which is what 拽讘诇讛 means, not just anyone who passes by?
Also, we need to think about what 住讘专 驻谞讬诐 讬驻讜转 means. I think the literal meaning is more like a pleasant expression rather than with a smile. A pleasant expression is not necessarily a smile. There is some room between a smile and a frown, and between a blank expression and a smile as well, it seems.
I like your explanation of 拽讘诇转 讗讚诐. I think you just might be correct. But it is certainly a Peshat specifically for our day and age. Years ago it would be possible to be Mekabel everyone you met.
Delete"I once heard an explanation of the Pasuk 讜诇讘谉 砖谞讬诐 诪讞诇讘, part of Yaakov's blessing to Shevet Yehudah, that it is to be translated as "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."
ReplyDeleteAre you referencing the gemara in Kesuvos 111b, 讚讗诪专 专讘讬 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' or saying something somewhat different?
You are correct. I will incorporate this in the post. Thank you.
Deletebased on the state of todays dental hygiene perhaps the drasha讬 of the passuk should be retrofitted to read 讜爪讛讜讘 砖谞讬讬诐 诪讞诇讘
ReplyDeleteCheck out this video of a smiling Alter Mirrer - http://mrlitvak.blogspot.com/2014/10/alter-mirrer-r-moshe-pivovoz-zl-recalls.html
ReplyDelete