Good salesman don’t have business cards. A good deal is now or never; you make the sale or you don’t. Business cards are an excuse to stall, to procrastinate and to forget.

I received this lesson from Louis the Encyclopedia Salesman as he Lassoed me with a bagel at the Fedex store (nee Kinko’s) last week.

I was making copies and generally minding my own business when Louis yelled, “Hey, Are you a Rabbi?!”. I politely complimented him on being an Observant Jew and replied that actually I was an Assistant Rabbi. “Well”, he countered, “I don’t go to shul, and if I did it definitely wouldn’t be yours because you daven in Hebrew”. He went on to explain that he learned Hebrew as a child and didn’t understand why anyone used it but it didn’t really matter because he didn’t go to shul anyway. He claimed that he was mostly Jewish to annoy his mother-in-law who wasn’t. We spent about twenty minutes discussing everything from Mumbai and Manishewitz to Mitzvos, Marketing and Mr.Malik.

As the copier spit my pages into a mess on the floor, I shocked Louis with the news that I was not acquainted with Mr. Malik. Louis patiently explained to me that Mr. Malik was the holiest and most learned Jew in Norfolk. He wore a Yarmulke and even davened every day – in Hebrew.

I walked away from the conversation intrigued by this lost Jew and very curious about the Mysterious Mr. Malik. I lost sleep racking my brains and asking around trying to find a clue to the identity of this righteous Man named Malik.

I didn’t have long to wait. Just two days later I sat down at a very well attended Bas Mitzvah and – in case I did not yet believe in G-d – there was Mr. Malik staring at me from across the table. I almost hugged him.

Once we got past the fact that Mr. Malik could not hear or see we actually had quite a nice conversation. He didn’t remember Louis the Encyclopedia Salesman but he was learned and he did daven – in Hebrew – every single day. “It’s a Mitzvah”, he explained, “and Mitzvas are good”.

My experience taught me a lesson about encounters. Mr. Malik doesn’t remember Louis, but Louis remembers and reveres Mr. Malik. Mr. Malik is arguably Louis’ strongest connection to Hashem.

Louis taught me never to miss an opportunity to inspire someone. I have tens of business cards of people I intended to get back to and get to know. It seldom happens.

Like the Frisco Kid and the Quackers, the person who approaches you in Kinko’s or Kmart is thirsty for a Jewish Moment. You probably won’t see him or her again. Teach them some Torah, recommend a book, make their neshama smile. It is Now or Never.