tomato

  If any of you have been to Machane Yehudah, the produce/food market in Jerusalem, you will understand what I am describing. A market place filled with hundreds of vendors selling fruits, vegetables, spices, bread, fish, meat….a place where one can spend an entire day just people watching as Israelis and tourists fill the streets purchasing every imaginable delicacy and food product. So when I was there recently and I walked by a gentleman about 50 years of age in a suit and tie carrying one lone tomato and no other bags or items, my curiosity was piqued. What is his story? Did he steal the tomato? Did he find it lying on the ground and rescued it? Was he making a grilled cheese sandwich and realized he was out of tomatoes? Was he out shopping for his wife earlier and got everything except the tomato?

 I had to know so I carefully followed him for a block hoping to see where he was going. Unable to contain my interest any longer, and knowing I needed a good story for my blog, I approached him and asked him in my broken Hebrew, why was he at the market buying only one tomato? He not so politely in perfect Hebrew told me to mind my own business.

  Quickly I turned around and headed back to the market for a quick lunch feeling a little hurt and embarrassed. While eating lunch, fish and chips of course, believe it or not a different man walked by my table carrying nothing but a frying pan and as he passed by my table he actually pulled out of his shirt pocket one lone tomato and with the frying pan and tomato now in hand he entered a synagogue directly across from where I was eating.

 However lesson already learned I kept my mouth shut and minded my own business.

                                                    Another Moes Moment