August 25, 2009 · 01:01:24
Many people get lost in life -- in aggression, passivity, or treachery. But some can’t figure out where they are lost"You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray and ignore them; return them to your brother... So shall you do with his ass, so shall you do with his garment, and so shall you do with every lost thing of your brother" -- Deuteronomy 22:1-3. Obviously, the duty to return a lost object to its owner is not limited to oxen, sheep, asses, and garments, but applies—as the verse concludes—to “every lost thing of your brother.” The Talmud explains that the Torah cites these examples because each of them teaches us another of the laws regarding lost objects. However, while it deciphers the laws to be derived from “ox,” “ass,” and “garment,” it does not succeed in doing so in the case of the “sheep.” "The lost sheep is a difficulty,” concludes the Talmud, meaning that the legal significance of the word “sheep” in the verse proved difficult for the sages. Accordingly, the mitzvah of returning a lost object applies not only to the physical property of one’s fellow but to his spiritual possessions as well. If you encounter a life gone astray—a confused mind, a dysfunctional heart, a soul that has lost its moral compass or spiritual sensitivity—restore it to its owner. You may not remain indifferent to the spiritual plight of a brother any more than