Rav Baruch Fried Question: What can a shul or mikvah do if it finds itself overloaded with aveidos that people left there? Answer: If they already have been koneh it, they are stuck with it. However, if whoever has jurisdiction…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: I was in a supermarket and found $10 in front of the customer service counter. I picked it up, saw that there was no siman, and was about to take it for myself. The storeowner saw…

Question: In my development, there are many scooters, coats, toys, etc., which were obviously dropped by children. Do I have to pick up and return all of these lost items? Answer: The truth is that anything knowingly entrusted to a…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: A man has a private jar of coffee, which he keeps in shul. One day, I see him taking a cup of coffee and leaving his jar on the counter. I know that other people will…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: A fellow is walking in a totally non-Jewish neighborhood and finds a pocketbook. It contains a lot of cash but no credit cards or ID. It does, however, contain a “mitzvah note” signed by “Mommy”. Is…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: There is a concept found in the Gemara if “odom memashmesh b’kiso b’chol sha’ah”, which means that a person is always presumed to be aware of the valuable items he is carrying in his pockets and…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: Yankel wrote an original song. For whatever reason, the song is now readily available in the public domain and can be legally downloaded for free. Yankel, however, insists that he is not amenable to this arrangement…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: Someone lost an item, which was worth a significant amount of money. His neighbor later revealed to him that he had seen the item on the street but didn’t bother to pick it up. This individual…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: Someone is walking in the street on Shabbos and finds a large sum of money with a siman. What should he do? Answer: The Mishnah Berurah clearly says that if one finds money on Shabbos with…

Rav Baruch Fried Question: Shimon related to his friend, Levi, that his wife had lost an expensive piece of jewelry. He is not concerned, however, because it was insured and he will be compensated for the loss. He said that…