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.

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

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.com

Jewish Slaves, Cont’d

Chumash now discusses a situation where a Resident Alien becomes rich through the blessings manifest in the Land of Israel when the Jews inhabit it. Subsequently, the actions of this Resident Alien cause a Jewish person to become poor and this Jewish person is sold into slavery to a Resident Alien or a Resident Alien's (idolatrous) family.

If such a Jew worships idols at the behest of his slaveowners, he is not to be redeemed.

However if such a Jew is merely forced to do things in the service of the idol but not serve the idol itself (i.e. chop wood or draw water for its worship), someone from his family must redeem him, or else if he attains the financial means, he should redeem himself, lest he become assimilated.

The years between when he was sold into slavery until Yovel should be calculated to determine his total value and this cost should be prorated if someone comes to redeem him.

Unlike a Jewish slave owned by a Jew, a Jewish slave owned by a non Jew does not automatically go free after six years.

However he does go free at the start of the Yovel year, even if no one redeems him.

A Jew may not witness a Jewish slave been degraded in his presence and stand by idly.

The non Jewish slave owner is responsible for feeding the Jewish slave's children during the time of his enslavement.

Anyone who enslaves a Jewish person, it's as if they are enslaving the Divine source of the Jewish person's soul, since all Jews are ultimately "slaves" of G-d.

Such a Jew who is sold into slavery should not use his circumstance to justify becoming sexually immoral, worshiping idols or desecrating Shabbos, saying that he did so because his master does so.

Rashi points out that this whole section of Chumash (beginning with Chapter 25 regarding the laws of Shmitta) follow an intentional sucession.

If a person unlawfully does business with produce from the seventh (shmitta) year, this will lead him to becoming impoverished to the point of having to sell his belongings. If he still doesn't repent after that, he'll be forced to sell his inheritance. If he still doesn't repent, he'll have to sell his home, and if still not then he'll have to borrow money with interest and if still not, eventually he'll have to sell himself. Initially to his fellow Jew but if he still doesn't repent, then he'll have to be sold as a slave to a non Jew.

This section (end of Parshas Behar) concludes with G-d warning against prostrating on a stone floor outside of the Beis HaMikdash. The Rambam interprets this as being stone that has engravings on it that were worshipped by pagans.

G-d reiterates that the Israelites should observe His Sabbath and revere His sanctuary.