Found money... | Imamother

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 6:25 pm

I know this is the wrong forum. But I'm at a loss for where or how else...

We were loaded and waiting to exit american dream. A few of my kids ran back up to use the bathroom. I saw a couple frum girls, one with a distinctive fanny pack type of thing, and I saw something fall from her bag. It looked like trash and I thought, I hope she picks it up but I wasn't watching. My kids came down and found money right on that spot. Halachikally they were told they can keep it, but being that it very likely was hers my son would like to return it. If your daughter lost money, please pm me with the following simanim:

1, was she going in or out of the mall when she lost it?
2, color of fanny pack?
3, denomination(s) of the money.

Thanks!!

Cheiny

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 7:47 pm

amother OP wrote:

You were told you could automatically keep it without making any public attempt to find the owner? I was told once that we had to put an ad out (Jewish publications do it for free). And only if after that, and a certain amount of time passed, were we allowed to keep it.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 7:49 pm

Cheiny wrote:

Yes. My son's Rebbe told him money doesn't have simanim, especially when found in a public place, especially when that place is frequented mostly by non Jews.

(Sorry To those who don't like that, and think it's not pc. Please don't come at me, I'm not going to apologize for halacha.)

amother

Magenta

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 7:50 pm

Cheiny wrote:

Money by itself has no siman, so halachically it can be kept.

cnc

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 8:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

But here you know that the girl was Jewish.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Aug 28 2024, 8:48 pm

cnc wrote:

But here you know that the girl was Jewish.

No, there's a chance that what I saw drop out of her bag was in fact garbage that she picked up. Numerous other people passed by between her and my sons.

patzer ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 12:50 pm

cnc wrote:

But here you know that the girl was Jewish.

I don't think that that's relevant here.
I remember hearing that the logic is that if someone loses an item in a public place where the majority of people passing through are non - Jews, the assumption is that the item will be found by a non - Jew who won't bother looking for the owner. Therefore, it's considered ownerless. The person who lost it will give up hope of ever retrieving it as soon as they discover it's lost.

zaq

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 5:45 pm

patzer wrote:

Yes, according to the letter of the law the money does not have to be returned, but there's such a thing as acting lifnim mishurat hadin, and this is considered a good trait. OP is trying to act lifnim mishurat hadin, why are people trying to discourage her? Her chances of success are slim, but how wonderful that she's trying.

↑ patzer

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 6:06 pm

zaq wrote:

I agree. It's a wonderful trait when people are kind and generous, even when they're not required to do so by halacha.

If you were responding to my comment, Zaq, I think you misunderstood it. OP pointed out (responding to Cheiny) that, strictly speaking, she doesn't need to return it, since it was lost in an area where most people aren't Jewish. Cnc then responded that the person who lost the money was Jewish. My comment was a direct response to Cnc; I pointed out that it's the fact that most people in the area aren't Jewish that makes a difference, rather than the identity of the person who lost the money.
Of course, if she does find the person who lost the money, it would be a beautiful mitzva to return it.

amother

Lily

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 6:08 pm

zaq wrote:

Yeah, this!