Ki Seitzei 22:03 · unit 2

TT #120 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Second Aliyah · Passuk 22:03

The Complete Passuk

וְכֵן תַּעֲשֶׂה לַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֵן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְשִׂמְלָתוֹ וְכֵן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכָל־אֲבֵדַת אָחִיךָ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ וּמְצָאתָהּ לֹא תוּכַל לְהִתְעַלֵּם׃

And so shall you do with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment, and so shall you do with every lost item of your brother’s that he loses and you find; you shall not be able to hide yourself.

Chabad.org — 22:03

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Metzia 30b.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 30b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לֹא תוּכַל לְהִתְעַלֵּם – מִלַּמֵּד שֶׁאִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לְהִתְעַלֵּם.

English: “You shall not be able to hide yourself” — this teaches that you are not permitted to hide yourself.

On the daf / in context: The stronger formulation “you shall not be able” is understood as an absolute prohibition against ignoring lost property.

Type of Learning

Derash establishing the absolute character of the prohibition against ignoring lost items.

What Is Learned

One is not free to ignore a lost object; the Torah forbids hiding oneself from the obligation to return it.