Ki Seitzei 22:03 · unit 6

TT #124 · 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 27a.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 27a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לַחֲמֹרוֹ – מָה חֲמוֹר מְיֻחָד שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים, אַף כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים.

English: “With his donkey” — just as a donkey is distinctive in that it has the spirit of life, so too everything that has the spirit of life.

On the daf / in context: The example of the donkey is used to include all living creatures within the obligation of return.

Type of Learning

Binyan av / comparison from the specific case of a donkey.

What Is Learned

The obligation of returning lost property extends to all living animals, not only the species mentioned in the earlier verses.