Thank you for your newspaper which is both very interesting
and informative.
I would like to comment on Baila Gimmel's excellent article
"An Idea About Why" which appeared in the Parshas Va'aera
edtion.
I live in Beitar Elit and I have worked as a cashier in a
supermarket for over three years. The problem of people
budding up in line is one that I have to deal with every day.
However, I do not buy the explanation that this is just a
cultural difference between Eastern and Western countries. At
my cashier station, it is known that everybody has to wait in
line and they will not get served until their turn. I have
even had customers tell me that they "davka" come to me,
because they know that I will not take anyone out of turn. In
the event that a customer cannot wait, I try to get
permission from all of those waitng in line, before I ring up
his bill. Because of the way my cashier station is set up, I
cannot keep track of whose turn it is. Recently I saw a woman
waiting in line out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly a man
came up to my station and put his things down on the table.
The woman reprimanded me for not taking her first, since she
had been waiting a long time. Not wanting to make a scene, I
immediately asked them to decide among themselves whose turn
it was.
In addition to the problem of chillul Hashem which
Mrs. Gimmel correctly mentions, I would also like to add the
problem of gezel zman and bizyion to a fellow
Jew. I am sure that the tourist did not feel very good about
the situation she was in.
Thank you for focusing on a most important problem.
— Sincerely,
Chana Zelasko
Beitar Elit
And a correction:
Dear Rebbetzin Weinbach,
There was a mistake in the Yated regarding my e-mail
address. If anyone wants to reach me regarding CARING, A
Jewish Guide to Caregiving or the Choose Life Resource
Center, my correct e-mail address is:
nbrudner1@neto.bezeqint.net
