And as far as a Jewish outlook goes- how in the world can someone justify not picking up the penny????
I do it often, but in a different context.
More than once, after getting a soda from the machine at work, I have found an extra quarter in the change return bin. Invariably, I take only what is rightfully mine. My reasoning is twofold:
1. If the money belongs to the vending machine owner (i.e. the machine returned the wrong amount of change), then it’s simply not my money. The fact that someone else may come along after me and take it does not change that fact.
2. If it belongs to someone else (i.e. the person before me forgot to take their change) then they may come back for it. The fact that they may not and that someone else will take it does not change the fact that it’s not mine.
The Wolf