Business and Misc.Halachos of Lost Objects

If one sees a lost object, he is obligated mid’oraysa[1] ויש בזה מצות עשה של השב תשיבם (רמב"ם סה"מ ע' רד, חינוך מצ' תקלח), ואם לא נטלו עובר משום השב תשיבם וגם משום לא תוכל להתעלם (רמב"ם ל"ת רסט, חינוך מצ' תקלט), ואם נטלו על מנת לגוזלו עובר גם משום לא תגזול (כ"ז ברמב"ם הל' גזו"א יא,א-ב). to pick it up and attempt to return it to its rightful owner[2] חו"מ רנט,א. ואם הוא פועל המבטל ממלאכתו, יכול לקבל שכר על זה כפועל בטל (רסה, א). [אמנם, ע' רמ"א שם שאם הבעלים שם ויכול להתנות עמהם, ולא התנה והשיב מעצמו, אינו מקבל שכר על זה, עכת"ד, ולכן, בזמן הזה שיכול להתקשר לבעליו קודם ההשבה, נראה דאין שייך כ"כ. ועוד, כיון שהיה יכול להחזירו בזמן שאין לו עבודה, כגון ביום א' לשבת שיש חופש, למה יצטרך לשלם רק בשביל שרצה להחזירו בזמן עבודה, וה' יאיר עיני.] . One may not return it to someone who claims to be the owner unless he can identify its unique characteristics or location[3] רסז, ז (with the exception of items found in a beis medrash; see later).

One may not pick up an item if it looks like it may have been placed there by the owner intentionally[4] רס, ט .

There are three types of cases where one may pick up an item and keep it:

1.     If one finds a lost object after one can assume the owner noticed it was lost and gave up hope of finding it, the finder may keep it[5] רסב, ג . Therefore, if one found an object with no identifiable markings that the owner surely noticed he is missing (if it does not look like it was placed there intentionally), one may pick it up and keep it. For example, if one found a glove on the floor in a shul coatroom on a cold day, he may keep it.

2.     If an object is in a place where everyone considers it completely irretrievable, or it will become destroyed before the owner can get it, anyone who can get it may keep it. However, if the finder knows who lost it, like if it has a name and number written in it or the owner gives an identifying marking, it is praiseworthy to return it[6] רנט, ז, ורמ"א (שם). ואפי' בא לידו לפני יאוש (סמ"ע ס"ק טז, בשם הגמ'). .

3.     If one found an object which the owner would immediately notice its loss (e.g., a wallet full of money, with identifiable markings), in a place where most passersby are non-Jews, it need not be returned (even if it has a name in it), but it is preferable to return it[7] רנט, ה. וע"ע כסף הקדשים (רסב, ה) דלפעמים עכו"ם מחזירים אבידה, וכ"ש כשספק הי' אולי נאבד במקום שרובו ישראל. . This is because it can be assumed that the owner gave up hope of finding it and thereby relinquished ownership. However, if one sees an indication that it belongs to a child[8] משום דאין יאושו יאוש (כמ"ש שו"ע רס, ו) (under bar/bas mitzva) or it was in the possession of someone who was not the owner and did not have permission to use the money except for benefit of the owner[9] כסף הקדשים (רסב, ה) ונחלת צבי (ס' רנט). , one is obligated to return it. In these cases, the one holding the money is unable to give up hope and thereby relinquish ownership[10] דיתמי לאו בני מחילה נינהו (וה"ה שאר קטן). ושליח דאסור להשתמש במעות לאו דידיה הוא. . For example, if one finds mail lying in the street with a Jewish name on it (which likely fell from a mailman), or finds an envelope with money which has the name of a tzedaka written on it (which probably fell from the gabbai or another messenger), one must return it.

Any object which has no identifiable markings need not be picked up, because it cannot be returned to its owner[11] דרוש וחדוש רעק"א (?), דלא כשו"ע הגר"ז (?) . Therefore, any item which is mass-produced, such as pens, gloves, or food products, need not be picked up, because the owner has no way of proving that the object belongs to him. However, if one does pick up the item, he may not simply put it back down (and must hold on to it until the owner can be found; see later).

The exception to this is, in a beis medrash or another place where it likely fell from a talmid chacham, if one finds an object which does not have an identifiable marking but has standard wear and tear, one should announce that he found it, because he is permitted to return it to a talmid chacham who claims that it looks like it’s his item.

An example of this is, if one finds a dollar bill on the street (or any place with many passersby[12] ואפי' בבית חבירו, אם הוא בית שרבים נכנסים ויוצאים בו (שו"ע הרב, מציאה סע' י). , such as a store or a bus) where it appears to have fallen unintentionally, the finder may keep it[13] רסב, יא. ולא מצאתי שחששו הפוסקים שמא נפל מיד קטן (דאין יאושו יאוש, כמבואר בשו"ע רס, ו) או שליח שאין לו רשות להשתמש במעות (דבכה"ג אין יאושו מועיל, כמ"ש נחלת צבי ס' רנט). אמנם, אם נתוודע לו שנפל מיד שליח או קטן, לכאו' צריך להחזירו. . This is because one notices that he is missing money soon after losing it and he surely gave up hope of finding it, since there are no identifying markings. However, if one finds an envelope containing money or a number of bills bundled together, he must attempt return it to its owner[14] שם .

If one sees an item with identifying marks, such as a name in it, he must pick it up and try to return it to the owner[15] ע' שו"ע (רנט, ג) כ' חייב להכריז, ולכאורה הכל לפי המקום והזמן כיון שאין "מקום הכרזה" בזמן הזה, ולגבי אופן ההכרזה יעשה שאילת חכם. . If one thinks that the owner may prefer that he leaves it where he found it, so the owner can retrace his steps and try to find it, a Rav should be consulted. 

One who picks up an object may give it to someone else to return it to its owner and need not return it himself[16] שו"ע הרב (חו"מ מציאה ופקדון ס' לב). וטעמו, שהרי לא נעשה שומר עליה אלא ממצות המקום ובכל המצוות שלוחו של אדם כמותו. [וגם, דלא שייך כאן אין רצוני שיהא פקדוני ביד אחד. וע' ילקוט שמעוני (כי תצא כ"ב ד"ה לא תראה) ואספתו אל תוך ביתך ולא לבית אחר. וע' זית רענן שם. וע' סיפרי (תצא פיסקא רכג) ובספר ספרי דבי רב (פרדו) שם. והגר"ח קנייבסקי (במכתב הנדפס ב"פעמי יעקב" גליון סד) כתב שאין ליתנו לשליח.] . However, one may not leave an item he picked up in an unguarded place, even if he does so under the assumption that the owner will likely come there and take it, as this constitutes negligence in protecting it. For example, if one finds a sweater in the street with his friend’s name in it, he may not simply leave it at the owner’s seat in shul (unless his friend tells him to leave it there).

If one has an object which he is unable to give back, either because the owner did not contact him or because it has no identifying markings, what he does next will depend on the item. If it can be replaced easily, such as most mass-produced items, he may write down its details and estimated value for a permanent record (e.g., on a paper which he keeps in the back of his Gemara Bava Metzia, or document it in the Cloud) and then discard or use the item. By doing so, one is able to return the value of the item to the owner if he asks for it. However, if it is a special item which the owner would likely want itself and not a similar item, such as a family heirloom, one must retain it in his possession[17] אג"מ (חו"מ ב, מה). וע' שו"ע (רסז, כא) וסמ"ע (שם) שהמוצא תפלין, מניחן מיד, דודאי בעליהן לא יקפידו, דאין אדם מקפיד אם יוצא בתפלין אלו או אלו. [ונ"ל דלכאו' זה מקור לדברי האג"מ.] .

Practical Guidance: One should designate a drawer in his house for holding lost objects. Every year before Pesach, he should write down (in a file saved in the Cloud) the details of the unclaimed items and their estimated value, and then discard them. One must continue to retain any items which may have sentimental value to the owner.