A raft of commandments, better clarification of commandments, are conveyed in Deuteronomy 22. We
focus on the legal obligation to return lost property, suggesting a rationale for this divine command.
“And you shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep driven away, and
hide yourself from them. You shall surely bring them back unto your
brother.”
First, Abravanel offers context. The last chapter talked about the wayward son. Predictably, we envision this
young gangster’s stormy life playing out, making life miserable for one and all. He robs. He curses God.
He ends his days on the gallows, a certain societal threat forestalled.
Here comes the link. “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep driven away…” Our verse warns
man: Do not pursue an antisocial existence stealing in order to afford the staggering food/liquor or
other substance-related tabs. Instead, a mensch learns good values to make himself a loyal friend,
helpful to others. In a word, instead of living as a misanthrope or anarchist, let him choose the healthy
path. That path leads us to our upcoming section, with its commandments teaching Hebrews how to get
there. One wise man worded it this way. The present command to return a neighbor’s wandering
livestock connects directly to the Torah portion’s lead commandment about war. How? Jews are
demanded to do the menschy thing – even during wartime.
To be sure, this commandment “You shall not see your brother’s ox…” appeared earlier. In Exodus 23,
we find: “If you see your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering, you shall surely restore it to him.” At
present, Moses elaborates. First, if a man does not heed this commandment, he not only violates a
positive commandment, as it says in Exodus, but he also runs afoul of the infraction here. Double
trouble. Second, and this is in accordance with other Biblical writers, “driven away” sets forth an
important clarification. Whereas in Exodus, the obligation to return cattle applies to local escaped
livestock that a neighbor finds in his backyard, figuratively. With minimal effort, the finder returns the
runaway next door. Here, however, the Torah closes up any perceived “loophole.” Even if the animal
wandered far, far from home, and it will be quite taxing to return the animals, notwithstanding, he must
endeavor.
