SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Mendel Levy on his birthday tonight. Wishing you a great year in both the secular and spiritual Mendel with much joy!

Pirkei Avos gives us so many beautiful lessons. The one I saw this week was from 3:12, which says, 'Rabbi Yishmael said: Be submissive to a head, pleasant and composed to the blackened, and receive every person with joy.'

Rambam explains this very cryptic statement as follows

• Submissive to a head

In the presence of a distinguished person, leave your pride and self-importance behind. Be acquiescent.

• Composed and pleasant to the blackened

Blackened refers to the black-haired ie the young. - When in the presence of the young who are joking around, be composed, and don't belittle oneself with jokes and the like. HOWEVER IT SHOULD STILL BE WITH PLEASANTNESS!

• Receive every person with joy

This joy extends to every person great or small, indeed to every human being.

In addition, this joy is more than just a friendly face as described Shammai in V 1:15.

But we should greet people with actual joy, not just external.

Rabbi Yishmael was following in the footsteps of his ancestor Aaron HaKohen Gadol, the man who loved peace and pursued it (The Rebbe)

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah for a Good and Sweet New Year