My Coke Incident

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I had a very uncomfortable experience, which ended well. The lesson I learned from it is once again, not to judge a person before knowing the whole picture. And it was all because of a small bottle of Coca Cola.

I had an early morning meeting in Bern. After finishing the meeting, I went back to the train station, and bought myself a small bottle of Coca Cola on the way. I said the blessing „shehakol nihya bid’varo“ and took a couple of sips all along my trip back to Luzern.

When I arrived in Luzern I get a SMS from Rivky, asking me to buy garbage bags at one of the shops in the train station.

I went in to the Coop supermarket, Coke bottle in hand – now only half full, and again drank a bit from it. At the cashier I asked the lady working there for 3 rolls of garbage bags. Then she asks me „what about the bottle?“ I answered that I had bought this bottle an hour ago in Bern.

However she continues, I saw you drinking from it here in the store.

Immediately I realized what I got myself into. I look different, speak German with a heavy accent, I have hair on my face and on my head there is a piece of cloth. From her point of view I am right now a thief, unless I prove different!

A very unpleasant feeling. I tell her: Listen, I was in Bern one and half hour ago, and that is where  I bought this. I probably shouldn’t have come into your store with it, but this is the truth.

She ignores what I just said with a look that says „You’re not the first to tell me these stories…“ and takes the phone next to her to call security. There is a thief and a liar here, she says.

She asks me, do you have a receipt for this bottle?

Now, I never keep receipts for drinks or other small things which I buy myself on the way.

It was a  very uncomfortable. How do I prove to her that I’m not a thief? The security guard was already standing over me and in my mind I was looking for a lawyer…

I prayed to G-d that he take me out of this mess. And He helped me. I quickly rummage through my pockets and found all kinds of papers  and among them… the receipt for the bottle from the store in Bern.

At that moment everything turned around. She excused herself 100 times and tried to be extra friendly. She even expressed interest with a smile, why I sign my credit card from right to left?

I paid for the garbage bags and said goodbye.

At first I was very upset at her for judging me so quickly. Then I thought, she was actually just doing her job.

It was very uncomfortable, but what I gained from this incident was an important reminder for life. Sometimes you have all the reasons in the world to accuse someone for something or to think badly about him. It is for this reason that the Torah commands us: “ You shall explore, you shall question, you shall inquire”, check very well before you come to a negative conclusion about another person.

Shabbat Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Chaim