14 Elul 5784

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM

Emanuel Synagogue

Derekh eretz: exemplary behaviour even in dark times
Three years ago, we fulfilled all my daughter’s dreams and desires: we bought a dog. Since then, despite the contract she signed, my husband and I have been taking the dog for walks. Walking with a dog, especially one as cute and friendly as our little guy, is a completely different experience from walking alone. People smile at you, they greet you, they say hello… well mostly they do that to the dog, and then to his human second but…the point is, that walking with a dog elicits smiles, greetings and interactions, and it makes me feel good. I leave each encounter with more of a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

Every time this happens, I am reminded of the passage in Pirkei Avot 1:15 from Rabbi Shammai who says, “greet every person with a happy countenance,” or we would say, ‘greet everyone with a smile’. What a simple proposition and so incredibly powerful. A simple smile could change another’s day, it can lift spirits, it can make a difference.

I often think of the story, recounted by Yaffa Eliach in her book, “Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust.” She tells of a prominent Chasidic rabbi who took that teaching of Rabbi Shammai to heart. Every day as the rabbi went on his morning walk, he greeted everyone he met with a smile and “good morning.” When he knew the person’s name, he greeted them by name. When he did not, he learned it. On the outskirts of town, he regularly exchanged greetings with Herr Mueller, a Polish landowner and then his workers:

“Good Morning, Herr Mueller!”
“Good Morning, Herr Rabbiner!” came the reply.

When the war came, the rabbi’s walks ended and Herr Mueller donned a Nazi uniform. The rabbi’s family were murdered in Treblinka and he found himself in Auschwitz, lined up for the selection: left for death, right for life. Looking at the Nazi’s baton as it waved prisoners one way or the other, the rabbi spoke.

“Good Morning, Herr Mueller!”
“Good Morning, Herr Rabbiner!” came the response. The baton waved to the right, to life. The next day the rabbi was transferred to a safer camp where he survived the war.

In his 80s as the rabbi recounted the story he said: “This is the power of a good morning greeting. A man must always greet his fellow man.” [1]

As we come to High Holy Days we will have many opportunities to greet one another, to say hello, to smile. Each time we do, we can make a difference to the lives of others and ourselves. Never underestimate the power of a smile and a greeting.

[1] Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust, Yaffa Eliach, Vintage 1988 (pg. 110)