Is That Yours?
For September 5, 2022
Deuteronomy 22:1, 3
לֹֽא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־שׁ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ אֶת־שֵׂיוֹ֙ נִדָּחִ֔ים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֵ֖ם לְאָחִֽיךָ׃
...וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה לְכׇל־אֲבֵדַ֥ת אָחִ֛יךָ
"You shall not see your brother's ox or sheep straying, and ignore them. [Rater,] you shall return them to your brother...and shall you do with any lost article of your brother..."
A non-Jew is not obligated to return a lost object that has not come into his hand. Therefore, if he sees a lost object, even if he knows whom it belongs to, he is, be the Law, not required to return it to its rightful owner, or to inform the owner that it is in that specific place, even thought this will cause a loss to the owner. However, whenever the finder knows whom the owner is, it is pious to go beyond the letter of the Law and return the lost object, or inform the owner, in any case. By doing this, a person will be promoting the ways of peace and an ethical society. It not only avoids situations that can cause hostility between people, but it also goed beyong this and increases friendschip and love.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
The Divine Code p. 632 and 636
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