Post by Mark on Aug 27, 2009 3:36:30 GMT -8
"Finder’s keepers loser’s weepers" does not fit remotely into God’s management of personal goods. In fact, 
commands quite the opposite. To come across someone else’s property is to take responsibility for that property as though it were entrusted to you by the Sovereign Himself.
There is a story of a rabbi who found a chicken wandering in the street. He quickly snatched it up so as to be sure that no harm should come to it. Then he wandered around the city from house to house, asking if anyone had lost a chicken. When no one had, and he was wearied from the search, he took the animal home. After many years, a merchant came through town and happened to meet the rabbi. In the course of their conversation, the rabbi came to learn that this merchant’s father had passed through this village many years before- that God had been good to him on his journey. He had made it across the region having only lost a single chicken. The rabbi went into his home and brought out a sizeable purse of gold. The ;merchant was shocked and asked what was the meaning of this blessing. The rabbi explained that he had found the chicken and it had long since died; but here was just payment for the many eggs he had gotten from it.
There are a number of variations of this same story. The point is that what does not belong to us certainly must belong to someone else. We are obligated as a service to God, to keep in protection the property of others.
A number of years ago, there was a bad wind storm. It blew the cap off of our chimney (an $85 piece of stainless steel). I complained about it to a friend of mine who was a local farmer. He said to come on by and take one because over the years he has found several in his field. I explained that I could not because to take something as my own even though the rightful owner may likely never find it is as equally steeling in God’s eyes.
This does not mean that you can’t use things that belong to someone else should you come across it. In fact, many articles or objects suffer neglect if not regularly used. Talmud explains that you may use another person’s property as you wait for them to reclaim it, provided it suffers no more wear from the use had they never lost it to begin with.
commands quite the opposite. To come across someone else’s property is to take responsibility for that property as though it were entrusted to you by the Sovereign Himself. There is a story of a rabbi who found a chicken wandering in the street. He quickly snatched it up so as to be sure that no harm should come to it. Then he wandered around the city from house to house, asking if anyone had lost a chicken. When no one had, and he was wearied from the search, he took the animal home. After many years, a merchant came through town and happened to meet the rabbi. In the course of their conversation, the rabbi came to learn that this merchant’s father had passed through this village many years before- that God had been good to him on his journey. He had made it across the region having only lost a single chicken. The rabbi went into his home and brought out a sizeable purse of gold. The ;merchant was shocked and asked what was the meaning of this blessing. The rabbi explained that he had found the chicken and it had long since died; but here was just payment for the many eggs he had gotten from it.
There are a number of variations of this same story. The point is that what does not belong to us certainly must belong to someone else. We are obligated as a service to God, to keep in protection the property of others.
A number of years ago, there was a bad wind storm. It blew the cap off of our chimney (an $85 piece of stainless steel). I complained about it to a friend of mine who was a local farmer. He said to come on by and take one because over the years he has found several in his field. I explained that I could not because to take something as my own even though the rightful owner may likely never find it is as equally steeling in God’s eyes.
This does not mean that you can’t use things that belong to someone else should you come across it. In fact, many articles or objects suffer neglect if not regularly used. Talmud explains that you may use another person’s property as you wait for them to reclaim it, provided it suffers no more wear from the use had they never lost it to begin with.
