Rav Safra Keeps the Price He Agreed to in His Heart
A customer keeps raising his offer while Rav Safra silently recites Shema, but Rav Safra sells at the first price, which he had already accepted in his mind.
According to the story, Rav Safra was reciting the Shema when a customer walked into his store. The customer offered to pay a certain price for an item that he wanted. Despite the potential financial gain, Rav Safra, committed to fulfilling the prayer without interruption, did not respond to the customer’s offer. The customer, misunderstanding Rav Safra’s silence as a lack of interest in the initial offer, proceeded to raise his offer multiple times. However, Rav Safra continued with his recitation of the Shema without acknowledging the customer’s increasing offers.
After finishing reciting the Shema, Rav Safra explained that he had already agreed to the initial price offered by the customer in his mind and would not break his internal commitment, even for a potentially lucrative profit. Despite the opportunity for personal gain, Rav Safra sold the item to the customer at the original offer price, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to honesty and integrity.