Posting the offer under the pseudonym Rachmuna Litzlon — a talmudic phrase that introduces bad news — he said he hadn’t anticipated “anything serious”.
He could not tell how many responses were genuine but, as word spread, he received private offers independent of eBay for thousands of dollars.
There were also voices of disapproval, with one comment posted on a website exclaiming; “Never in my life did I think we, as a Jewish people, would sink so low.”
Mr Mandel, however, will not be in a position to count his riches just yet.
“People picked it up on Orthodox websites,” he explained, “Some were offended and reported me to eBay. eBay said they had to pull it.”
In a note to the vendor, eBay explained that the offer went against its policy on “intangible items”.