The following is a non-edited letter, published in its entirety, as received by YWN:
I live in Brooklyn. Couple of days ago I had to go to Jersey City to court to dispute a traffic ticket. Ticket was dismissed, but that is not what the story is about.
I was looking for a parking and noticed a parking lot adjacent to a court building. I drove to the lot thinking that it belongs to court and is free for people who come to court, but was told that parking cost $16.
I had only $13 on me, which I gave to parking attendants (they don’t except cards) and asked for permission to leave my van. They told me that I should get money from ATM. I said that I have to be in court by 4:30 PM and it was already 4:30 and if they allow me to leave my van I would get money and pay after I come back. They were hesitant, but let me leave the van.
When I finished in court, I got money from ATM and came back, the booth, where parking attendants were before, was locked and nobody was inside. Fi rst thought I had: Good, $13 for 1.5 hour that I paid should be enough, after all it’s not my fault that the guys aren’t there and probably they forgot about me and $3 that I didn’t pay.
But then I noticed phone numbers on the booth and thought: I have yarmulka, beard and peyos, and here is an opportunity to do Kiddush Hashem. I called the number and said that I paid $13 and still owe $3, and was told by the guy that he is coming. He came out of the private house which stands next to the parking lot. I gave him money and he went back to the house. But then he turned around and said to me: Thank you for calling (he meant thank you for calling and not leaving without payment).
Then I realized that had I decided not to call and they would see me leaving without payment that could result in Chilul Hashem, H”vS.
A lot of times during our lives we find ourselves in situations when we have to make decisions, without realizing that result of our decision could cause Kiddush Hashem or Chilul Hashem, H”vS.
How much money are we ready to pay for Kiddush Hashem? $3? $30? $300?
How much money are we ready to save even on cost of Chilul Hashem? $300? $30? $3?
BBF.
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26 Responses
curios how you acted while IN court to get ticket dismissed… you say that is not the point of story cuz u r so proud of yourself that you called to give the $3. Hope you acted with same integrity in court.
Kol HaKabod.
Major league Kidush Hashem, worth millions!
Halevai we should all have the Zejut.
Yirbu Kamoja BeIsrael.
This has nothing to do with “Kiddush Hashem”. You were told that the cost is $16. If you wouldn’t of paid, you would of been a GANIV! You are part of the problem today. People want a “Yasher Koach” and a pat on the back for following Halacha. Wow, I followed what the Torah says. I deserve a honor.
One can make a kiddush Hashem by following halacha – it’s not a contradiction.
To not getting involved- that is taus akum and is not assur. It is a kiddush Hashem what this guy did. JUST SAYING!!
Gezel Akum is asur. As is gineivas daas, which this certainly falls into.
#3. It may still be a kidush Hashem. A patonthe back is always good. Problem is, it’s his own back… #5. Your post is a Chilul Hashem. Too many people use the magic words “taus akum” where it is obviously not applicable. This would be “geneiva”. You can’t even be sure it’s Akum- maybe the lot is Jewish owned?
Shtarkbochur: there was no reason for your attack .whether this was or not a kiddush hashem, give the man chizuk for what he did.all the best
#3, #4 and #6: You’re wrong. He definitely made a Kiddush Hashem by paying. But this was taos akum since they didn’t collect it. And a taos akum in ikkur halacha doesn’t require going out of your way to correct his taos.
Now I know what I just related doesn’t sit well with the liberal Jews, even the ones who call themselves Orthodox. But halahca is halacha and that’s exactly what this is. Like it or not.
Any mitzva a Yiddi does and is seen by a goy is a kiddish Hashem. It does not mean you are waiting for a thank you or a pat on your shoulder you are doing what is right and that proves that a yid is different that’s by itself a kiddish hashem
Would you have acted the same if you lost in court? Just wondering
Please use accurate spelling!
They don’t accept cards NOT
They don’t except cards!
Being literate is not a chillul Hashem either!
kol ha kovod, this is in the eyes of a goy a kiddush haShem and is the way a Jew should act. Certainly there are those amongst us who can come up with sixteen reasons why not to pay, but the fact that the goy recognized that you were honest beyond belief is a true kiddush haShem.
Although there might be assorted possible heteirim for not paying, you “bought” yourself an incalculable share in Olam Haba for this magnificent act of Kiddush Hashem. For $3!! I am jealous! Yesh koneh olamo be-3 dollars! I think it’s a big mitzva to publicize this inspiring story.
Isn’t it nice that you are all debating Halacha & showing how gelerent you are. But an ordinary person like myself gets it – I bet none of you would have thought about Halacha at the time. and be honest – how many of you would have driven away saying to yourselves “If they wanted their $3 they should have stayed!!”?
Can’t people say the writer made a good point? I bet BBF wishes he never bothered writing the piece.
Abigezugt, the Meiri says (Baba Kama 113) that if a gentile society has law and order we treat them like Jews for these matters (and see Megilla 13a).Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, Rav David Tzvi Hofffman and Rav Kook pasken like him
They don’t except cards? Maybe it is because you don’t speak English. If you did, then possibly they would have accepted your card.
Shtarkbochur: Go ask your Rov if what you wrote is appropriate. You are implying that he didn’t act appropriately in court.
Perhaps he wrote this letter to give a lesson, to cynical people like you, on how to behave.
I don’t understand what the problem is here.
The writer of the letter has still done a kiddush Hashem by doing the right thing, that is exactly what a kiddush Hashem is!
Kol hakovod to you.
By calling it Kiddush Hashem (ie: a nice show for the public), you are diminishing the ugliness of the actual stealing from our fellow human being.
there is no problem of gezel here which makes it just a kiddush hashem. the halacha clearly states if someone is starving and he finds someone selling bread, the person selling the bread sees hes desperate and says he’ll sell the bread for $100 which should only cost $5. He may say give me the bread and ill pay you later and he is allowed to not pay him for the bread because he was being overcharged and robbed. same here $16 for 2 hours of parking is being overcharged i think he has a right not to pay
To abigezugt : What taus did the akum make? Trusting a Yid???
He owed him $3 and said he would pay when he returns. This would be simple gezel akum (or hita akum)and sheker AND major Chilul Hashem! –
So if you do not have log payos, a beard and you had a hat on you would not have to call?
I do not get it.
I understand saying i made sure not to make a chillul hashem, that i made sure not to do a sin, that i did the right thing. Come to my kindergarten class I have a sticker for you, maybe I will give you two.
Doing what is correct is a Kiddush Hashem, regardless if it is Halachach or lifnim m’shuras hadin!
eric55 #21: Well said. Yasher Koach.
Since a goy would have walked off thinking to himself he won the lottery by not having to pay the $3, a yid who went out of his way to pay the $ most definitely made a kiddush Hashem. Btw you don’t have to do anything big to make a kiddush Hashem, just being a mentch and thus causing someone to think, Jews act differently than goyim, is a kiddush Hashem.