"This would be the most public yet of my many humiliations"
Posted on 01/17/2007 8:50:22 AM PST by Nachum
American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld was ordered by the court to pay a Sabbath-observant realtor her fee, which he withheld due to her not having answered her phone on Saturday.
The realtor, Tamara Cohen, was unavailable when Seinfeld tried to reach her on a Saturday in February, 2005, according to the New York Post. The comedian and star of the highly successful sitcom bearing his name wanted to see a luxury apartment on 82nd street but could not get in touch with Cohen.
Seinfeld’s estate manager had visited the apartment with Cohen in January 2005, when the listing broker for the townhouse agreed to co-broke the house with her. On Friday, February 11, the estate manager and Seinfeld’s wife Jessica were shown the property by Cohen again. The next day, after Cohen did not answer her cell phone due to it being the Sabbath, the Seinfelds visited the apartment on their own, buying the home for $3.95 million without a broker.
Seinfeld testified that Cohen did not deserve the payment as she had been unavailable when he and his wife wanted to see the home. Both Seinfelds said they had not known the reason Cohen did not return their calls was that she was a Sabbath-observant Jew.
New York State Supreme Court justice Rolando Acosta ruled that the Seinfelds must pay Cohen at least $98,000 for her role as co-broker – a ruling that is seen as a positive defense of religious worship for Sabbath observers.
Acosta said that notwithstanding Cohen's failure to immediately return the Seinfelds' calls, "[T]he evidence clearly indicates that she served as the Seinfelds' real estate broker."
"The only real issue here . . . is whether the broker's fee was 5 or 6 percent," Acosta said, meaning Cohen may get as much as $118,500.
Richard Menaker of Menaker & Hermann, the law firm that represented the Seinfelds, said he intends to move to re-argue. "Not a single one of the [six] arguments we made was addressed," Menaker said, according to Law.com. "At the oral argument I pointed out that Ms. Cohen is not licensed. You can only recover on an oral agreement if you're a licensed real-estate broker," he added. Cohen’s lawyer said that she is in fact licensed and that the court apparently agreed.
Actually according to the meat of the article the ruling was based on "she did the work, she should get paid for it", why she was unavailable that one day only seems to have mattered for the headline.
Typically, realtors have someone cover for them when they are out of the office for religious reasons, vacations, etc. That's especially true on a high 'sale' day like a Saturday. I don't think this lady should get her fee. If she had really cared, she would have had someone covering for her.
I used to deliver pizzas when I was in grad school. I quickly found that there was an inverse correlation between the cost of the house I was delivering the pizza to and the amount of the tip I was likely to get.
"This would be the most public yet of my many humiliations"
(one of my favorite lines from Whatley!)
Jesus is not the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week--Saturday-from Friday at sunset until Saturday at sunset. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man--all mankind--not just the Jews (Mark 2:27-28). The Sabbath is one of the feasts of God--not a feast of the Jews (Leviticus 23:1-3). Jesus never abolished the Sabbath. It is one of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus said that if we are to enter into life, we must keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16-18).
He should have used the old Chewbacca defense.
They can wear keys on chains or strings around their necks. They can't carry the keys in their pockets.
Shabbos is about stopping creative labor, things that produce or change the basic nature, resulting in a new or improved situation. this is the lesson of creation and the 7th day. this is the message of building the tabernacle in the wilderness.
Rest is an English term. Halting is better. We stop (halt from) the creative nature of changing the environment in which we live and give G-d his due as the true creator (the one who empowered and commanded us to work). He is the creator who commanded us (the Jewish people) to stop creating on the 7th day, Shabbos (that would be Saturday to you) in the Bible. this is not at all controlling but liberating.
Maybe Kramer is Jerry's publicist..
23:1 God spoke to Moses, telling him to
23:2 speak to the Israelites and say to them: There are special times that you must celebrate as sacred holidays to God. The following are My special times:
23:3 You may do work during the six weekdays, but Saturday is a Sabbath of Sabbaths. It is a sacred holiday to God, when you shall do no work. Wherever you may live, it is God's Sabbath.
I try to always give the pizza guy at least his 15%. I know from when friends did it, that you typically use your own vehicle and have to pay for your own insurance and gas, so the minimum wage you're paid doesn't really add up to much.
This really is worthy of a Seinfeld episode. Look for it to be covered on Curb Your Enthusiasm one day, although Larry David might want to be sure he has the rights to the idea before he does.
She's not the youngsteh?
How bout tearing a square of toilet papeh? Did you know that was considered work and many office buildings/hotels in Israel have it pre-torn for the sabbath. Also, the elevators are set to stop at every floor so nobody has to push a button.
Interesting translation. It was indeed God's special time and the Sabbath is indeed God's Sabbath and not just a Sabbath for the Jews. And in any case, God at that time gave the 10 commandments to all of the House of Israel (all 12 tribes)--not just to the tribe of Judah or to Judah, Benjamin, and Levi that would later make up the southern kingdom--the Kingdom of Judah.
Even in areas where there is no eruv people wear their keys on a chain as "fashion accessories"
Of course you're already acquainted with Mr. Sucky.
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