Act of Kindness: Orthodox Man Returns $98,000 Found in Second-Hand Furniture

A Public Kiddush Hashem: This story began when a young Orthodox man named R. Myorov and his wife decided to purchase a second-hand wooden dresser from Craigslist. Upon delivery, they realized it was too wide to fit into their room as-is. 'We started disassembling it, and when we removed the top part, we were surprised to find a small bag inside,' Myorov recounts.

Inside the bag was a calm resting sum of $98,000 in cash. 'We immediately called the lady we purchased the dresser from and told her we had found the money,' Myorov recalls, describing her stunned reaction on the other end of the line: 'She was in shock and didn’t know what to say.'

The couple went a step further by insisting on returning the money in person. And they didn’t go alone. 'We brought our children with us because it was important for us that they learn from a young age how vital it is to do the right thing,' he said. 

The host and the audience could not stop marveling, and rightly so. There was even someone who decided to reward them for their beautiful gesture: an American company gifted them a $3,000 gift certificate to buy furniture. 

'Was there ever a moment you hesitated about returning the money?' the host asked, genuinely curious about who does such things nowadays (especially when a survey of the audience showed not everyone would return such a large sum).

'Absolutely not,' Myorov replied without a hint of hesitation. 'We are raised to perform such acts from a young age,' he said. Fortunate is he and fortunate is his portion. 

So, what do we learn from this, you ask? It's very simple. 

Do your good deeds, and Hashem will ensure you are rewarded for your kindness in countless ways. One way or another, you’ll never lose by doing what is right, according to the standards of the holy Torah.