Lesson #101: The New Suit
A fellow wearing a brand-new suit he had recently purchased meets his friend, who can’t help but notice the suit.
“Wow!” the friend exclaims. “What a terrific suit! Where did you get it?”
The fellow tells him that he bought the suit from a new store that recently opened down the block.
His friend feels like shouting, “What?!? You went there?! Are you kidding?!? You didn’t realize that they are rip-offs? They overcharge like crazy! Nobody shops there! Everyone knows that their prices are outrageous!”
Halacha does not allow the friend to tell the fellow about how this store overcharges if the purchase has already been made and he can no longer return the suit and get his money back. Sharing this information about the store constitutes Rechilut, as it arouses within the fellow feelings of resentment toward that store, which overcharged him. This would be allowed only for a constructive purpose – such if the customer was mulling making a purchase there, or if the customer could still exchange the merchandise he bought for a refund. But if the transaction was completed and final, such that there is no practical purpose served by informing the customer that he was overcharged, it is forbidden to tell him that the store’s prices are unreasonably high.
Instead, the friend should shower the customer with compliments, emphasizing how nice he looks in the suit, so he will feel gratified by his purchase and feel good about it. Since it is too late to exchange the suit, the best thing to do is to make the customer feel happy, rather than make him feel embittered and resentful.