Facial Expression/ bright face/ cordiality/ kindness affability
Facial expression; appearance of the face.
(“Receive every person with a pleasant countenance.” How so? It teaches that if a person gave his fellow all the good gifts in the world, and his face was cast down toward the ground, Scripture regards it as though he had given him nothing. But one who receives his fellow with a pleasant countenance, even if he gave him nothing, Scripture regards it as though he had given him all the good gifts in the world” - Small Tractates, Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Version A, chapter 13; and likewise: “It would have been proper to stay a little while and show him his affection, since he received him with a pleasant countenance” - Agnon, Only Yesterday, 36; and likewise: “It is possible to say so, a man with a pleasant countenance and a silent smile” - H. Hazaz, First Generations, 8)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
סֵבֶר פָּנִים
Definition (Hebrew)
הַבָּעַת פָּנִים. מַרְאֶה הַפָּנִים.
(וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת. כֵּיצַד?- מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאִם נָתַן אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ כָּל מַתָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם וּפָנָיו כְּבוּשִׁים בָּאָרֶץ- מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ לֹא נָתַן לוֹ כְּלוּם.אֲבָל הַמְּקַבֵּל אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא נָתַן לוֹ כְּלוּם, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ נָתַן לוֹ כָּל מַתָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם"- מַסֶּכְתּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת מַסֶּכֶת אָבוֹת דְּרַבִּי נָתָן נֻסְחָא א פֶּרֶק יג, וְכֵן:"רָאוּי הָיָה לִשְׁהוֹת קְצָת וּלְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ חִבָּתוֹ, שֶׁקִּבֵּל אוֹתוֹ בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת"- עַגְנוֹן/ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, 36, וְכֵן:"אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כֵּן, בַּעַל סֵבֶר פָּנִים נָאוֹת וְחִיּוּךְ חֲרִישִׁי"- ח.הָזָז/ דּוֹרוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים, 8)