בבא קמא מד

A Jewish businessman was reading a newspaper and drinking a coffee in an airport lounge while waiting for his flight. Unfortunately, the air conditioner was not working. Sweating from the heat, the burly businessman used the newspaper to fan himself. But as he did so, he accidentally tipped over his coffee cup on the linen trousers of a man sitting beside him. The Jewish businessman got up, apologized profusely, and offered to pay the cost of cleaning, but the indignant victim insisted that he be paid $350 for the cost of the ruined pants. Seeing that the matter would only escalate, the businessman paid the $350. Shortly thereafter, the man got up to catch his flight. “Just a moment,” the businessman said. “Where are you going? I paid for those pants. They’re mine. Take them off and give them to me. If you want them, the price has gone up. They’re now $450.” Stunned and not wanting to miss his flight, the man paid up.

06/10/2021