Barry Epstein asked:
Mishnah 32a says that if one found an animal on public property, he is obligated to retrieve it.
Mishnah 30b says that if one found a donkey grazing by the road, this is not a lost object and he need not return it.
Q: Assuming the side of the road is public property, these Mishnahs conflict. How do we reconcile?
Barry Epstein, Dallas, USA
The Kollel replies:
It is all depends on the circumstances. The Mishnah on 30b is discussing an animal that does not look like it is lost; rather it seems that it was brought there to graze. The animal in the Mishnah on 32b, on the other hand, was found roaming out of town.
D. Zupnik