Reply To: A mitzvah for an aveira? or at someone else’s expense?

I once heard someone speak about having to shake hands with someone of the oposite gender. A point that needs to be made- do not expect that the unaffiliated Jew or Goy will immidiatly refrain from doing business with you or feel insulted. There was this lady (I know who it was so it is confirmed) who was opening a bank account. When finished, the teller (male) stuck out his hand to shake. She quickly replied, “I am an ultra-Orthodox Jew (so those who do shake hands are not looked at as not following the “laws”… she is just seen as “ultra”) and we do not shake hands or touch people of the opposite gender who are not closely related. Let’s do like they do in Japan and bow… they nodded heads and it was ok halachically (her husband is a rav) and no feelings were hurt! The teller understood and was willing to do something, “universal” and “multi-cultural”. No one wants to be seen as racist or discriminatory… so they would do it for the Japanese and follow their style of conducting business! Try something different and dont assume that it wont work.