Jewish%20thought for Bava Metzia 60:8

ומי הוי הפקר כי האי גוונא והתנן בש"א הפקר לעניים הפקר וב"ה אומרים אינו הפקר עד שיהא הפקר לעניים ולעשירים כשמיטה

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. WHAT IS LOST PROPERTY? IF ONE FINDS AN ASS OR A COW FEEDING BY THE WAY, THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A LOST PROPERTY; [BUT IF HE FINDS] AN ASS WITH ITS TRAPPINGS OVERTURNED, OR A COW RUNNING AMONG THE VINEYARDS, THEY ARE CONSIDERED LOST. IF HE RETURNED IT AND IT RAN AWAY, RETURNED IT AND IT RAN AWAY, EVEN FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, HE IS STILL BOUND TO RESTORE IT, FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THOU SHALT SURELY RESTORE THEM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 1. [H]; the doubling of the verb — the usual idiom for emphasis — intimates that one is bound to return the same article many times, if necessary. ');">¹⁸</span> IF HIS LOST TIME IS WORTH S <i>SELA'</i>, HE MUST NOT DEMAND, GIVE ME A <i>SELA'</i>,' BUT IS PAID AS A LABOURER. IF A <i>BETH DIN</i> IS PRESENT, HE MAY STIPULATE IN THEIR PRESENCE;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any three people constitute a Beth din, and the finder may stipulate before them that if he returns the article he shall be paid for lost time according to what he himself could earn; then he can claim his loss in full. ');">¹⁹</span> BUT IF THERE IS NO <i>BETH DIN</i> BEFORE WHOM TO STIPULATE, HIS OWN TAKES PRECEDENCE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he is not bound to return the article at all and involve himself in loss. ');">²⁰</span>

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