Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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Jewish Slaves

If your brother becomes poor and is sold to you as a slave, do not give him demeaning tasks to do which will identify him to others as a slave. Examples of such tasks include having him carry your clothes behind you or put your shoes on you.

During the time of his enslavement to you, you are required to feed his children.

You should treat him as you do other hired workers. And then if the Yovel year arrives before his requisite six years of slavery are up, release him from his slavery at the beginning of this Yovel year.

Once free, he is not to be demeaned by this period of slavery but rather is to reclaim the dignity of his ancestry.

For every Jew is ultimately G-d’s property and can thus never really be bought into slavery by another. Such a man should not be held up for sale as a slave on a selling block.

Do not make your Jewish slave do things for which there is no purpose just to torment him. Example of such things would be to tell him to warm up a cup for you that you do not need or to work the land under a vine “until you come back”, which is an indefinite amount of time. Do not think that you can be tricky about this and claim that you had a need when you did not, as G-d knows what is truly in your heart.

Non jews may be purchased as slaves to perform personal services for you. This only includes non jews who reside outside of Israel however since you must kill those non Jews who are native to the Land of Israel (i.e Canaanites).

However if a non Jew who entered the land with you (i.e a Resident Alien – see yesterday’s post for more info) marries one of these native Canaanite women, their resulting children shall be kept alive and you may take them as slaves, since nationality is patrilineal.

You shall pass on any such slaves which you purchase to your sons as an inheritance.

Just as a slave owner may not treat his Jewish slave disrespectfully, so may a king or leader not subjugate his servants in such a manner.