"... One Who Learns from Every Person." (Avot 4)

OK... it took me a while, but I guess it's my turn for a few "only in Israel" stories. I'll make them quick:

- My mechanic attends the same shiur that I do and once was busy doing the daf when I came by the shop to have something fixed.

- A cab driver (who did not appear to be observant of mitzvot) told me that he was rich (he used the Hebrew word, עשיר). When I asked him why, he said that when he wakes up every morning, he looks at the acronym for the word rich, עשיר, and says, "ע for עינים, eyes, ש for שיניים, teeth, י for ידים, and ר for רגלים, feet. If I have those, I'm a rich man ("עשיר") and have nothing to complain about.

- I pulled into a gas station at 11:55 PM on December 31st. The attendant (who also did not appear to be observant of mitzvot) said to me, "You're our last customer!" I assumed he meant the last customer for 2005. He said, "No, that's not our holiday! Our New Year is a serious day and it's in the beginning of Tishrei" (He meant the last customer before he closed at midnight.)

- Another gas station attendant (who also did not appear to be observant of mitzvot), when he heard that I was originally from the U.S., said, "I would love to visit there, but this is our Homeland."