In the Talmud and the Midrash we find a number of stories which show how careful our Sages were to observe this Mitsvah when Divine Providence was hind enough to them to provide the occasion. for this is not the kind of Mitsvah which the person can observe at will.  As already mentioned, one must be fortunate to find something first!

 

There are many stories of how our Sages of blessed memory fulfilled the Mitsvah of Hashavat Aveda. here are a few:

 

Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair dwelt in a city of the South-  Some men from another town came to his house and deposited with him two measures of barley, while they went about their business.  When they left the city they had forgotten about the barley.  So Rabbi Pinchas sowed the barley each year, reaped the produce, brought it to the threshing floor and stored it.  Year after year he did so, and the stores of barley grew each year.  Seven years later the men came to the city again.  They remembered having left two measures of barley with the Rabbi and came to claim them,  Rabbi Pinchas recognised them at once and he led them to the barn and said, “This is all yours, come and collect your store.”

 

Rabbi Shimon Ben Shatach.  This great Sage was very poor at one time and occupied himself with preparing flax, which required hard work. His disciples who loved him very much said to him,  “Rabbi we will buy you an ass so that you will not have to Work so hard-,  They went and bought an ass from an Arab and brought it to their Rabbi.  As they were looking it over they found a precious pearl on it. Full of delight they told their Rabbi “from now on you need not work any more! You can devote all your time to learning and teaching Torah”. Rabbi Shimon Ben Shatach asked them why he would not have to word any more and they told him about the precious pearl they had found on the ass which would make their Rabbi a rich man.  Then Rabbi Shimon asked them, “Does the owner know about it?” and they replied  “no”.  Said the Rabbi to his disciples, “go back to the Arab and return the pearl to him”.

 

The disciples were surprised and disappointed, reminding their Rabbi that according to Jewish law one need not return a thing found under those circumstances.  But Rabbi Shimon Ben Shatach told them that he preferred to have the Arab say, “Blessed is the God of the Jews,” than to possess all the riches in the world.

 

Rabbi Shemuel Bar Susrate once came into Rome when the Empress lost an expensive piece of Jewellery, and he found it.  The Empress sent out a declaration stating that whoever found this valuable piece of Jewellery and returned it within 30 days would be greatly rewarded.  Rabbi Shemuel kept the Jewellery for 30 days and on the 31st day he went to return it to the Empress,  “were you out of the country up till now?” asked the Empress. “I was in the country,” Rabbi Shemuel answered.  “Perhaps you did not hear the declarations?” asked the Empress.  “Yes. I have heard the announcements”, Rabbi Shemuel answered. “If that is so why did you not bring the Jewellery to me within 30 days?”  “Because,” Rabbi Shemuel answered, Chad I done so the Empress would have thought that I only returned the Jewellery for the sake of the great reward, but in truth r am returning this Jewellery because our Torah tells us that we must.  Not for the sake of the reward, but for God Himself.

 

“Blessed be the God of the Hebrews”, the Empress proclaimed.

 

This is called an act of Kiddush Hashem sanctification of God's Name, as in every  case when individual Jews conduct themselves in relation to their non Jewish neighbours in a manner which calls forth admiration and praise.

 

And if the Torah emphasises the importance in protecting and returning our neighbour's material  property, how much greater is the Mitsvah in returning something which is much more precious than material wealth - as returning a Jew who has altogether “lost his way in life” back to his Heritage.