Sanctifying Hashem's Name: Returned 40,000 Shekels Despite Not Being Obligated

A few days ago, Yosef Chaim Makhlouf and his wife were driving from their home in Ramat Givat Ze'ev. "While driving, my wife noticed a small bag by the roadside and asked me to stop so we could check to whom it belonged," he explains. "I reversed to retrieve the bag, and when I opened it, I couldn't believe my eyes. Inside was a wallet full of money and checks, amounting to over 40,000 shekels. There were also the owner's details, revealing he was a Muslim resident of Bethlehem."

It's not every day such a sum ends up in the hands of a young scholar, but nevertheless, Yosef Chaim was set on returning the lost property. "However, I first approached a group with over 50 rabbis to verify the halacha on this matter," he says. "The answer I received was that the property of a non-Jew is permitted and does not need to be returned, so I could keep it, but if someone returns such a lost item to sanctify Hashem's name, it is praiseworthy."

The unexpected response left Yosef Chaim contemplating. "During this time when my work hours have been reduced, an extra income could be very helpful, but my heart told me to act differently, and I decided to return the lost property," he says. "My sole intention was to sanctify Hashem's name and bring satisfaction to Him. During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the attribute of justice is severe, I told Hashem that I am going beyond the letter of the law, so He would also go beyond the letter of the law with us, and may we soon see the end of the pandemic and the coming of redemption. This reminded me of the story of Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach, who bought a donkey from an Ishmaelite and found a precious stone hanging from its neck. His students told him to take the stone, but he replied, 'A donkey I bought, a precious stone I did not buy,' and he returned it to the Ishmaelite. The donkey seller, having received the stone back, exclaimed, 'Blessed be Hashem, the God of Shimon ben Shetach,' leading to a great sanctification of Hashem's name."

Later that day, Yosef Chaim contacted the anxious owner of the lost item and informed him of its discovery. "Just before meeting him, I said, 'For the sake of the holy union of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, in honor of Hashem and to sanctify His name,' and after verifying his details, the money was returned to its owner. He told me, 'You are a holy man, you are good people,' and I rejoiced that words of praise and blessing to Hashem emerged from this act."