May 25, 2020

40000nis is nice, but the Kiddush Hashem is priceless

Yosef Chaim Machlouf, a Haredi resident of Givat Zeev, found a bag of money on the road in his neighborhood. In addition to some checks, it contained 40,000nis in cash.

I don't know how but Machlouf figured out that it belonged to an Arab from Gilo and returned it to him.

While one is not obligated, according to halacha, to return a lost item to a non-Jew, if one can make a kiddush hashem by doing so, he should, or at least should be encouraged to do so.

Machlouf decided to make a kiddush hashem and return the money to its owner. I am posting here to help publicize the kiddush hashem he chose to make.

When asked about it on the radio, Machlouf explained that he knew he was not obligated to return it, and it might even be not allowed, but to make a kiddush hashem it is allowed, and that is why he decided to return it. Machlouf added that because of Corona he decided to go the extra mile and beyond the letter of the law, and requested of Hashem that He do so as well, with us.

Needless to say, the owner of the money was very grateful that it was returned to him and called Machlouf a holy person. Machlouf definitely made his kiddush hashem.

sources: Haredim10 and Kol Hai News



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4 comments:

  1. Smash KernelMay 25, 2020 3:36 PM

    I am not sure it's a kiddush hashem. It's a praiseworthy and decent human thing to do, by any objective criteria. Avoidance of a chilul hashem (by not keeping it for himself) is not the same as making a kiddush hashem. Was just the right thing to do.

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  2. Rafi G.May 25, 2020 5:31 PM

    avoidance of chilul hashem? what chilul hashem? presumably nobody would have known and no chilul hashem would have been caused.

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  3. LI ReaderMay 26, 2020 1:48 PM

    Of course it's a Kiddush Hashem. Remember the story of Shimon ben Shetach who returned the jewel (in Yerushalmi Bava Metziah), and the non-Jew's response.

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  4. Rafi G.May 26, 2020 2:39 PM

    here is an example of the opposite story...

    http://actualic.co.il/%d7%a0%d7%a1-%d7%90%d7%95-%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%a1%d7%99%d7%95%d7%9f-%d7%9e%d7%a6%d7%90-%d7%aa%d7%99%d7%a7-%d7%a2%d7%9d-240-%d7%90%d7%9c%d7%a3-%d7%a9%d7%a7%d7%9c/

    ReplyDelete