תלמוד בבלי, ברכות יט:
תא שמע (דברים כ"ב) והתעלמת מהם - פעמים שאתה מתעלם מהם ופעמים שאין אתה מתעלם מהם; הא כיצד? אם היה כהן והיא בבית הקברות, או היה זקן ואינה לפי כבודו, או שהיתה מלאכתו מרובה משל חברו, לכך נאמר: "והתעלמת."
Come and learn: "And you avoided taking responsibility" [to find the owner of a lost object] There are times one may avoid taking responsibility and there are times one may not avoid taking responsibility. When is it so [that one may avoid taking responsibility]? If that person is a Kohen [member of the priestly tribe] and the object is in the cemetery [which a Kohen is prohibited from entering], or the person is elderly and the retrieval would disrespect them, or that your work is greater than your friend's, for these it says, "and you avoided."
[AJWS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What is the nature of the circumstances in which you may absolve yourself of retrieving a lost object?
2. From what situations of need may you absolve yourself today? From which may you not absolve yourself?
Time Period: Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)