The Mitzvah

NEW YORK, NY – Jan. 29, 2010 -- I couldn’t believe it!

“Mitzvah” literally in Hebrew means a commandment from God. Or a good deed. In popular use in these parts, it usually means an unexpected good thing. Like a coincidence.

It is bitterly, bitterly cold in New York. 25 degrees is as warm as it’ll get today. And we don’t commute to work in our cars with the heaters turned up. We stand on street corners waiting for buses. Heavy coats, sweaters, a hat that covers your head and ears.

And gloves!

But that was the problem. I had a perfectly warm and stylish glove I’d bought from Men’s Warehouse. Notice the word “glove”. As in one. The right one. I had lost the left one. If only I could find someone who’d been behanded (similar to beheading but not as severe) of the left hand.

There’s a little discount store on the way to the office. Comways. Their stuff is cheap. Probably fell off the backs of several trucks between here and Istanbul. Who knows? Who asks?

The Chinese lady at the back of the store in the glove department said, “Only these. But they no good!”

“So what’s wrong with them,” I asked, “They look fine.”

“Only left hand glove,” she said.

I kept a poker face. “How much?”

“Five dollah.”

I pondered. I come from a long line of hondellers. Another New York term. It means literally “to trade”. But in popular usage, it means to talk them down. My Father and my Aunt Iva Joe were champions. They never paid retail for anything.

“Well, they’re damaged merchandise. How about cutting me a break? How about two bucks?”

We settled for three. What a deal! What a mitzvah.

Copyright 2010 James C. Lewis