General Issues of Returning "Discovered Objects"
What is Returned
One must return all shearings: Bava Metzia 27a
Feces of a discovered animal need not be returned: Bava Metzia 27a
One must return an animal although it runs away numerous times: Bava Metzia 30b
How to Return It
Returning doesn't require the knowledge of the owner: Bava Metzia 31a
Issues Dependent on the Returner
Returning the object on multiple occasions: Bava Metzia 31a
If the Finder would pick up the object for himself, he must do so for others: Bava Metzia 30b
An object for which he would be degraded if he picked it up: Bava Metzia 29b, 30a-b
Above, if one has already begun to return it: Bava Metzia 30b
If one would only return an object in place X, but he finds one in place Y: Bava Metzia 30b
Where his work, which will be lost if he goes out of his way, is worth more than that of the owner of the item: Bava Metzia 30a
Issues Dependent on the Owner
Catching One's own property vs
that of one's Parents
: Bava Metzia 33a
Catching One's own property vs that of one's
Rebbe
: Bava Metzia 33a
Catching One's own Rebbe's property vs that of one's Parents; and if the father is a Sage himself: Bava Metzia 33a
Defining a "Rebbe" for the Above: Bava Metzia 33a
Where the owner was warned, and did nothing about the precarious position of his property: Bava Metzia 31a
An object of a Kena'ani: Bava Metzia 27a
Returning an object to a possible Nochri: Ketuvot 15b
What if the owner had
renounced benefit
from the one who returns it: Nedarim 33b-34a
Issues of the Location of the Object
An object in a place of Impurity, for a
Kohen
: Berachot 19b; Bava Metzia 30a, 32a
One must return the object to its owner if it is in an unguarded area, or if it could escape from there: Bava Metzia 32a
Where the item is in public property: Bava Metzia 32a
An object which is out of the border of the town: Bava Metzia 32a
An object which is in an area where it might have been left for safe-keeping, but it is not certainly so: Bava Metzia 25b, 37b
Distinguishing between animals wandering on and off the road, in fields/vineyards: Bava Metzia 30b, 31a
Distinguishing between animals on the road for many consecutive days, or pre-dawn/post-sunset: Bava Metzia 30b
Issues of the Type of Property
One who discovers an object must return it if there are Identifying Signs and if there are Claimants: Bava Metzia 27a, 27b
Whether the decision to not-announce is based upon the item's unimportance or the disproportionate difficulty involved: Bava Metzia 21a
Items
without identifying signs
: Bava Metzia 21a
A lost item which is worth less than a Minimal Coin: Bava Metzia 27a
An item which was worth the minimal amount when lost, and then its value decreased: Bava Metzia 27a
An item which wasn't worth the minimal amount when lost, and then its value increased: Bava Metzia 27a
An item which was worth the minimal amount when lost, decreased in value, and then increased: Bava Metzia 27a
Lost land: Bava Metzia 31a
Compensation for the Returner
How to Pay the returner: Bava Metzia 30b, 31b
The returner may assemble a 3-man court and inform them that he is returning the item only for Salary X: Bava Metzia 30b
Miscellaneous Cases Associated with Returning Objects
Selling an
Object Presented for Guarding
if it is depreciating rapidly: Pesachim 13a-b
One who Volunteers the Information that he Owes Money: Ketuvot 18a
The need to instruct the obligation of
loading and unloading others' animals
, and for returning a lost object, Biblically: Bava Metzia 31a-b
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