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Sep 16 2026 Returning Lost Property

Categories:
Character Building, Grandparent, Jewish Values
Ages:
5-9, 6-10

Situation: Finding a Lost Object​​

You find a $10 bill in your room after a friend has gone home. You think it may have fallen out of your friend’s pocket. What do you do? 

Jewish Wisdom: Hashavat Aveidah, השבת אבידה, returning lost property

Pirkei Avot (2:17) teaches, “Let your friend’s property be as precious as your own.” Being a mensch means caring about what belongs to someone else. Jewish tradition considers it a mitzvah to try and return lost property.

However, if the item appears to have been there for a long time, one can assume the owner has given up looking for it. In this case, we are not obligated to return it. (Shulchan Aruch, 262:5).

Building Skills and Character: Responsible Decision Making

How do you feel after hearing your friend talk about a classmate this way?

  1. Before deciding what to do, what information do you need? Then, think of possible choices, which might include:  
  • Keep the money and buy something for yourself. 
  • Keep the money and buy something for your friend. 
  • Call your friend to see if they lost any money. If so, return the money. If not, give the money to tzedakah. 
  1. Which choice do you think is the most “mensch-like”? Why? How does it reflect the Jewish value of hashavat aveidah?
  • What would you do in this situation? 
  • Have you ever found something that did not belong to you? What did you do with it? 
  • How would you feel if you lost $10?
  • How would you feel if someone returned a lost object to you?

Together, decide what the “mensch move” is for the opening situation. Use the texts to support your decision.  

Nancy Parkes, EdD, is an educator, consultant, and expert in social, emotional, and spiritual learning who helps educators integrate these essential competencies into teaching, learning, and community life. 

Photograph courtesy of Pexels