22. Publicizing the Lost Item

Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchot Bein Adam L’Chaveiro

1.   As we have learned, one must return a lost item with a siman (identifying feature) found in a public area to its owner. This is accomplished by publicizing the find so that the owner will hopefully discover that it was found and claim it by giving a siman. One can publicize it either by announcing the find in public or by writing signs and placing them in public locations, such as a shul (Shulchan Aruch, C.M. 267:3, Igrot Moshe, O.C. 5:9:5). One should also place a sign in the immediate vicinity of the location where the item was found, in case the owner searches for the item there (R. Moshe Feinstein, cited by R.Bodner, Halachos of Other People’s Money, p.179). Today, one can publicize the find via community Whatsapp groups or the like as well.

2.   The notice publicizing the find should offer sufficiently specific information so that the owner will realize that his item was found, but not specific enough so that the identifying features are revealed (Shulchan Aruch, C.M. 267:4). The owner then tells the finder that the object is his and mentions a siman of the item to prove his claim. For example, if one found an envelope containing fourteen dollar bills, one should publicize that an envelope of money was found, without giving away the number of dollar bills (R. Bodner, p.180). The finder may not return the item to one who claims it without proper simanim (as described in previous posts), or to one who the finder suspects is lying, unless one knows with certainty that he or she is the owner (Shulchan Aruch, C.M. 267:6).