Try A Little Tenderness...

(Thank you, Otis Redding)

Today, I was in the computer lab at Hebrew U, trying to print something for a friend.

Anyway, I couldn't find my copy card (I think I took it out of my wallet before I went away last weekend, yes that post is coming, too.). So, I submit the one-page document and then ran over to the machine, where I'm supposed to scan my card for the 20 agorot-per-page fee (this is approximately 5 cents, but approximately 5 million dollars annoying), or use a credit card. I was hoping I wouldn't have to scan my credit card for a teeny tiny 20 agorot charge, since my MasterCard is already kind of lame...and then I saw a girl there, with a copy card. I pulled out a sheqel and asked if I could give her 1 sheqel to pay for my one-page print job...80 agorot extra, just out of the goodness of my heart. She told me to keep the sheqel.

I said thank you, paused, and then said again, "Are you SURE you don't want the sheqel?"

"It's a mitzvah," she said. A good deed. And what a simple good deed and gesture it was. Document in hand, I thanked her again, and walked out into the surprisingly cold night.