The parameters of kiddush Hashem can be expanded based on society’s perception of right and wrong. In addition to refraining from behaviors that society frowns upon, this concept can even require us to take active steps to accommodate the values of society.
During his years as a student in Mesivta Torah Vodaas, Rabbi Moshe Sherer assisted Rav Elchonon Wasserman during his visit to America in 1938. Rabbi Sherer’s first encounter with Rav Elchonon left an indelible imprint.
The young Moshe Sherer arrived at the Broadway Central Hotel one morning and made his way to the room of the rosh yeshivah. The two left and walked to the elevator. Before it arrived, Rav Elchonon turned to Rabbi Sherer and asked him, “How do you say ‘Good morning’ in English?” Rabbi Sherer told him, and Rav Elchonon began to pace back and forth in the hallway, repeating, “Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.” When the elevator arrived, he turned to the non-Jewish attendant and said, “Good morning.” Then he asked Rabbi Sherer in Yiddish, “Did I say it well?”
Let us learn from Rav Elchonon’s example to train ourselves and our children to live in accordance with the rules of etiquette and manners that prevail in the society around us. Let us train ourselves to act with the sensitivity and derech eretz that is the norm in the communities where we live. If we do so, we will certainly bring honor to Hashem and the Jewish people.
Reproduced from Living Kiddush Hashem by Rabbi Shraga Freedman with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
