On the Jewish festival of Chanukah, many favor pure olive oil over wax candles to kindle the lights of the menorah during the 8 days of the holiday.
In some synagogues, particularly in Israel, it is common to find members of the congregation selling bottles of oil for the convenience of the parishioners. Often, the oil is left in the vestibule or foyer along with an envelope for cash or check payments. Transactions are on the honor system.
Imagine that on one occasion, a man arrives early to find a case of 20 bottles marked at 19 shekels each. Suddenly he has an inspiration. He makes a quick mental calculation, takes one bottle, then rewrites the note to indicate a price of 20 shekels.
He reasons that the seller of the oil will ...
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