בס”ד
רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי קַל לְרֹאשׁ, וְנוֹחַ לְתִשְׁחֹרֶת, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה
Rabbi Ishmael said: be yielding to a superior, pleasant to the young, and receive every man cheerfully.[1]
Give honor to those who deserve it. People with a lot of Torah knowledge, especially the elderly, should be treated with a lot of respect. It is polite to stand up when they enter, maintain a certain distance, and carry out any tasks that are assigned to you. There are also younger persons who have Torah knowledge but are still in the process of learning. You show them respect as well, but on a different level. You must stand up for them, and you can more easily engage in conversation/discussion with them.
People you respect will be treated with joy in your heart; you will instinctively put on a joyful face and attitude because you are delighted to meet them and learn from them.
You should spread this joyful attitude to everyone you encounter. Every human being is entitled to a polite greeting as a token of respect.
Make it a habit to welcome individuals with a cheerful expression and a kind word when you travel by bus or train, when you arrive at work, and when you visit them. Because every human being was made in the image of G-d and deserves to be treated with dignity.
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources:
[1] ArtScroll
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