Hi –
Hope you’re having a great day.
… I enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s.
Great quality and prices. Many kosher products.
And an efficient and friendly staff.
But I recently came home with a real bargain.
A reminder of something that I should really never forget.
What happened?
I noticed my cashier interacting with two kids with special needs.
I was very impressed with the sensitivity he showed.
And I told him so.
His response?
“Thank you. My son and daughter work with special needs kids.
I’m very proud of them.”
… Sometimes we meet someone for the first time.
And we make a snap judgment about them.
Based on how they look. What they’re wearing.
Or what they do for a living.
In this case?
We may assume that compared to most of the customers at Trader Joe’s?
This cashier is not as “accomplished”.
Because we don’t wait to see what’s inside. What they’re really like.
We just look at the “wrapper”.
And we forget about what’s inside each and every person.
The Divine Image!
… He went on to “bag” my groceries and I said thank you.
But I need to thank him for something else.
Because he reminded me of what really makes someone “accomplished”.
And thanks to him?
My visit to Trader Joe’s was more than a great shopping experience…
… It was a great learning experience.
All the best,
Rabbi Moshe Katz
Director
P 773. 761. 0400 ext. 201