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If one finds a lost wallet on Shabbos, can they pick it up, try to find an address on one of the id cards, and return the wallet to the owner on Shabbos? Obviously, at first glance, the answer should be no as the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah does not override the laws of muktzeh on Shabbos. However, considering that nowadays many people keep more than just money or credit card in their wallet, maybe it would be permissible? After all, people may have insurance cards, benefit program cards, or other documentation that a person may need to receive necessary medications (either on Shabbos or afterwards). Without their wallet, a seriously ill person might not be able to receive the medication that they require. On Shabbos, even safek pikuach nefesh is docheh Shabbos… so when one sees a lost wallet on the ground, should one suspect that this might contain life saving documentation and attempt to return it to its owner?
No
A person can get medical attention without a physical copy of their insurance card. As far as medication, drug stores keep the insurance info on file from previous use. Additionally, in case of emergency medication will be dispensed first and billing taken care of later.
SAFAIK PIKUACH NEFESH does not go that far. If so it would be EIN LDAVAR SOF.
Also, it may not be the wallet of a yid.
To say that a person missing his/her wallet is a case of sofeik pikuach nefesh is a huge stretch. Even beside the points that Joseph made (which are good points), the chances that this person is going to need emergency medical attention in the near future are very slim.
If you say this is a case of sofeik pikuach nefesh which is docheh shabbos, you can probably use the same logic to justify being mechalel shabbos in any situation that arises.
I think that in order for something to be considered “safek pikuach nefesh” on Shabbos, there has to be a reasonable level of “safek”. Otherwise, just about anything would be allowed on Shabbos.
I was once at a Shabbos Seudah where this was being discussed. The question was “what is the level of safek that would constitute a “safek pikuach nefesh halachically?” I don’t know the answer to that question, but there is no way that your situation would constitute a “safek pikuach nefesh” since there is absolutely no reason to assume that the person in question would need medical care on Shabbos or that he has necessary documents in his wallet (and this is even without Joseph’s post that he wouldn’t need it anyhow).
Also, it may not be the wallet of a yid.
To this, Simcha would respond that it may be.
The point here is that not every remote possibility has the halachic status of a safek.
“Also, it may not be the wallet of a yid.”
We are supposed to be mechalel Shabbos to save a goy’s life too. But I don’t know about safek pikuach nefesh (when it’s a real safek pikuach nefesh, unlike this case).
When I find wallets on Shabbos, I have to remind myself not to spend my finder’s fee until after Shabbos.
lilmod, only meshum eiva; m’ikkur hadin it’s assur to be mechallel Shabbos for that.
“lilmod, only meshum eiva; m’ikkur hadin it’s assur to be mechallel Shabbos for that.”
I know that, but l’maaseh you still have to.
M’ikar hadin you can also eat milk an hour after meat, but l’maaseh you still have to wait 6 hours (unless possibly, if you are Dutch or Yekke and have a minhag to wait less, but even then, it may not be so pashut).
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