Mrs. Cohen, yes, that's her name, comes regularly to our
Beged Yad LeYad bi- weekly bazaar sales to shop for her
extended family of kollelniks and their many children. Petite
in build, she is always on the lookout for adult- style size
5 shoes.
We have hit upon a formula for satisfying the shopping needs
of some of our shoppers by making `bazaar' sales where we
bring large amounts of sorted clothing, lay them on tables,
and let people browse around. Our used clothing centers are
great, but are sometimes low on certain items and for someone
with assorted shopping needs, this is a perfect solution, for
even if the things are not organized, there is quality and
quantity on each table.
So Mrs. Cohen is fortunate enough to find a pair of new
sandals which someone donated, only to come home to find one
a size five and the other, a six. At the next sale, she tells
us that if anyone else comes to us reporting a mismatch of
six and five, we should make the shidduch.
No one came, and we wondered if this was the reason
why the sandals had been donated... And we duly refunded Mrs.
Cohen her nominal sum so that she could purchase something
else.
Six weeks later, at the third sale, she has an amazing story
to tell us. She had gone to a podiatrist to treat an ingrown
toenail. He had bandaged it up and she had been unable to
wear her regular shoe but was reluctant to go outside in
slippers.
"But Savta," one granddaughter, a constant recipient of her
purchases, reminded her, "what about those sandals you bought
at the bazaar sale?"
Yes, what about them? Mrs. Cohen duly dug them up from a
corner of her closet and sure enough, the size six open
sandal corresponded to the bandaged foot, while the size five
was perfect for the other!
A case of "Refua kodem lamakka,, balm-before-the-
blow."
