When I left shul after Minchah, there on the floor I saw two hundred-dollar bills, one old and one new.
I picked them up and asked a rav if I was allowed to take the money, and the answer was yes. It was in a public domain; this kosher find was mine according to halachah.
The next day, at the entrance to shul, my son and I saw a sign which said that a sum of money had been lost. I called the number on the sign and asked, “How much did you lose?”
“Two hundred dollars.”
“I know who found them,” I told the man, “I’ll try to find him.”
I called the rav again and asked if in this case, when I know who lost the money, I had to return it. “According to the letter of the law, you don’t have to return it,” the rav paskened, “but beyond the letter of the law, you should give him the money.”
I called the man again and told him that his money was with me. I gave over the money willingly and with joy, and my son, who was at my side, was happy along with me and reminded me that no one loses out by listening to Hashem.
A few minutes later, a Yid who has a son in shidduchim came over to me. Since I deal with shidduchim, he wanted me to suggest his son to a certain avreich in the community, and on the spot, he gave me two hundred dollars in advance.
I opened my hands and saw the bills. One was old and the other was new. How symbolic!
