"The Damage Stays"
Chabakuk Elisha commenting on The Variable - Does It Make A Difference?
Story: My father is friendly with an honest, hard working, Jewish publisher. It so happens that his business was once broken into and things were stolen & damaged.
When the insurance adjuster came to access the damage, he said that unfortunately very little of the loss would be recovered - however, he said, if you break some walls and make it look bad, I can take some photos and you'll be more likely to recoup the entire loss. He also said that it wouldn't really be the wrong thing to do, since he was legitimately out the money, and this was the only way to get what he should rightfully have coming.
The publisher said that he wasn't comfortable with the idea, so the adjuster said, "OK - Call me tomorrow and tell me what you decide."
The publisher couldn't sleep all night. First thing the next morning he called the adjuster and said, "Forget it. Just make the claim the way it is and whatever I get, I get."
"But I'm telling you - you won't get your money back this way!" The adjuster argued.
'It doesn't matter," said the publisher, "money comes and goes, and it's all from G-d anyway; but when a Jew does something shady, the damage stays."
"Wow", the adjuster replied, "You know, you're the first guy that ever said no to this proposal. I respect that greatly."
8 Comments:
There's still a difference between CE's case which is actually shady and dishonest and ASJ wife's friend's case where she made noise in the office to ease her kid's pain (I would think it's ok for a Jew with a kippa to do it - there's nothing shady or dishonest about it - you're just being forcefull when it's needed. The same can be said about tzahal using force). I don't think it's a chillul Hashem - by doing what's absolutely right to save your kids you're not doing chilul Hashem but rather the opposite. Any wise goy who'd see this would respect Jews even more, and for people with stereotipes - screw them.
Please excuse the language I wrote in the end - I meant that chillul or kiddush Hashem is not determined by people's stereotipes but rather but by what's intrinsically right or wrong.
The question is do we count respect from a crook (the adjuster) as a good thing?
HT,
I most definitely do.
Mosh,
I must disagree. I think that there are far better solutions than making a scene. Unless there is absolutely no other choice, we must avoid acting in a manner that will cause others to think less of Jews (and thus, G-d)...
CE: I do aggree with you but the situation described (kids in pain) seems to have no choice other than letting your kids be in pain - I don't know if that's a solution. But if there really is another solution, of cource it's better than making a scene.
Mosh:
Are there no other doctors?
(Moreover, I would switch doctors after that just on principle.)
I cringe every time I open the paper and read about yidden cuaght in fraudulent activities; wish there were more stories like this which were written about...
CE from Abu Chavakuk:
BTW the same publisher once confided to me that many years ago someone had stolen thousands of dollars from him, and then set up his own business in another community. The boss was extremely upset. However, he could not bring himself to accuse another Jew of thievery.
Another time one of his employees fell ill with a grave disease. He kept supporting him and his family regardless of the man's inability to work for extended periods of time (B"H he is now much better).
You would probably agree with me that this publisher is a tzaddik! Yet if you saw him, he looks like a regular heimishe guy, stressed out by all the headaches of business and everyday life.
The moral of the story: don't judge another Jew too hastily -- YOU NEVER KNOW!
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