39If your brother Israelite living with you becomes destitute, and he is indentured to you as a bondman, you must not work him with labor that makes him appear to be a bondman. |
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לטוְכִֽי־יָמ֥וּךְ אָחִ֛יךָ עִמָּ֖ךְ וְנִמְכַּר־לָ֑ךְ לֹא־תַֽעֲבֹ֥ד בּ֖וֹ עֲבֹ֥דַת עָֽבֶד: |
עֲבֹדַת עָֽבֶד - (lit.) Labor of a bondman - i.e., degrading work that makes him publicly identified as a bondman: e.g., he must not carry his master’s clothes behind him to the bathhouse or tie his boots for him. |
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עֲבֹדַת עָֽבֶד.
עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל גְּנַאי שֶׁיְּהֵא נִכָּר בָּהּ כְּעֶבֶד, שֶׁלֹּא יוֹלִיךְ כֵּלָיו אַחֲרָיו לְבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ וְלֹא יַנְעִיל לוֹ מִנְעָלָיו (עי' ספרא):
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40He must be employed by you as an employee or a hired resident. He may only work with you until the Jubilee year. |
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מכְּשָׂכִ֥יר כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב יִֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֑ךְ עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַֽעֲבֹ֥ד עִמָּֽךְ: |
כְּשָׂכִיר כְּתוֹשָׁב - As an employee or a hired resident - i.e., give him agricultural or craft work; treat him like regular hired workers. |
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כְּשָׂכִיר כְּתוֹשָׁב.
עֲבוֹדַת קַרְקַע וּמְלֶאכֶת אֻמָּנוּת כִּשְׁאָר שְׂכִירִים הִתְנַהֵג בּוֹ:
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עַד־שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל - Until the Jubilee year - i.e., if the Jubilee year occurs before six years have elapsed, the Jubilee releases him from service. |
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עַד־שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל.
אִם פָּגַע בּוֹ יוֹבֵל לִפְנֵי שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים הַיּוֹבֵל מוֹצִיאוֹ:
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41He must leave you, he and his children with him. He must return to his family and reassume the social status of his fathers, |
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מאוְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב: |
הוּא וּבָנָיו עִמּוֹ - He and his children with him. Rabbi Shimon asked: Although it has been stated that he himself was sold, who has sold his children, that Scripture should mention their leaving? This is only stated so that we derive from here, as well as from the extra word “he,” that a Hebrew bondman’s master is obligated to feed him and his children as well. |
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הוּא וּבָנָיו עִמּוֹ.
אָמַר רַ' שִׁמְעוֹן אִם הוּא נִמְכַּר, בָּנָיו מִי מְכָרָן? אֶלָּא מִכָּאן שֶׁרַבּוֹ חַיָּב בִּמְזוֹנוֹת בָּנָיו (קידושין כ"ב):
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וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּת אֲבֹתָיו - (lit.) And to the inherited property of his fathers - means: to the respected status of his ancestors, meaning that one may not belittle him due to this, i.e., the fact that he was a bondman. |
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וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּת אֲבֹתָיו.
אֶל כְּבוֹד אֲבוֹתָיו, וְאֵין לְזַלְזְלוֹ בְּכָךְ (ספרא; מכילתא י"ג):
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אֲחֻזַּת - thus means: here held social position |
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אֲחֻזַּת.
חֲזָקַת:
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42for they are My servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. They must not be indentured as a non-Jewish bondservant is sold. |
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מבכִּֽי־עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לֹ֥א יִמָּֽכְר֖וּ מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת עָֽבֶד: |
כִּֽי־עֲבָדַי הֵם - For they are My servants - i.e., My deed of purchase, so to speak, predates yours. |
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כִּֽי־עֲבָדַי הֵם.
שְׁטָרִי קוֹדֵם (ספרא):
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לֹא יִמָּֽכְרוּ מִמְכֶּרֶת עָֽבֶד - They must not be indentured as a bondservant is sold - i.e., by public announcement: “Here is a bondservant for sale,” nor may one have him stand on an auction platform. |
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לֹא יִמָּֽכְרוּ מִמְכֶּרֶת עָֽבֶד.
בְּהַכְרָזָה — "כָּאן יֵשׁ עֶבֶד לִמְכֹּר" וְלֹא יַעֲמִידֶנּוּ עַל אֶבֶן הַלֶּקַח (ספרא):
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43You must not work him with backbreaking labor; you must fear your God. |
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מגלֹֽא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָ֑רֶךְ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ: |
לֹֽא־תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ - You must not work him with backbreaking labor - i.e., unnecessary tasks given only with the purpose of bothering him, e.g., do not tell him: “Heat up this cup” when there is no need for it; or without specifying a time-limit, such as: “Hoe underneath the vine until I come.” Maybe you will say: “No one can know if this matter is necessary or not, so I will tell him that it is necessary”? It is thus a matter that is the personal province of the master, and that is why it says: “you must fear your God.” |
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לֹֽא־תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ.
מְלָאכָה שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ, כְּדֵי לְעַנּוֹתוֹ, אַל תֹּאמַר לוֹ, הָחֵם לִי אֶת הַכּוֹס הַזֶּה וְהוּא אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ, עֲדֹר תַּחַת הַגֶּפֶן עַד שֶׁאָבֹא; שֶׁמָּא תֹאמַר אֵין מַכִּיר בַּדָּבָר אִם לְצֹרֶךְ אִם לָאו, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי לוֹ שֶׁהוּא לְצֹרֶךְ, הֲרֵי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מָסוּר לְלִבּוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וְיָרֵאתָ" (שם):
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44The bondmen or bondwomen whom you may possess for menial labor must come from the non-Jewish nations around you. You may purchase non-Jewish bondmen or bondwomen from them. |
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מדוְעַבְדְּךָ֥ וַֽאֲמָֽתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽהְיוּ־לָ֑ךְ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵהֶ֥ם תִּקְנ֖וּ עֶ֥בֶד וְאָמָֽה: |
וְעַבְדְּךָ וַֽאֲמָֽתְךָ אֲשֶׁר יִֽהְיוּ־לָךְ - The bondmen or bondwomen whom you may possess. Should you ask: “Whom then can I use for menial labor? I am not allowed to rule over my Hebrew bondman, and I cannot possess anyone from the nations currently occupying the Land of Israel, for You have warned me regarding them: ‘You must not allow any soul to live.’ 18 Who then will serve me?” |
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וְעַבְדְּךָ וַֽאֲמָֽתְךָ אֲשֶׁר יִֽהְיוּ־לָךְ.
אִם תֹּאמַר אִם כֵּן בְּמָה אֶשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ? בַּעֲבָדַי אֵינִי מוֹשֵׁל, בָּאֻמּוֹת אֵינִי נוֹחֵל, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִזְהַרְתַּנִי לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה, אֶלָּא מִי יְשַׁמְּשֵׁנִי?
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מֵאֵת הַגּוֹיִם - The answer is: “from the nations” - they will be your bondservants. |
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מֵאֵת הַגּוֹיִם.
הֵם יִהְיוּ לְךָ לַעֲבָדִים (שם):
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אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם - Around you. but not those who reside within the borders of your land, for about them I said: “you must not allow any soul to live.” |
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אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם.
וְלֹא שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ גְּבוּל אַרְצְכֶם, שֶׁהֲרֵי בָהֶם אָמַרְתִּי לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה:
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45You may also purchase bondservants from among the children of female Canaanite residents who live among you, as well as from their family who live among you, to whom they gave birth in your land. They will become part of your estate. |
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מהוְ֠גַ֠ם מִבְּנֵ֨י הַתּֽוֹשָׁבִ֜ים הַגָּרִ֤ים עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵהֶ֣ם תִּקְנ֔וּ וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹלִ֖ידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה: |
וְגַם מִבְּנֵי הַתּֽוֹשָׁבִים - Also…from among the children of residents. who came from the surrounding lands to marry Canaanite women in your land and they had children. The son of such a union follows the father’s non-Canaanite nationality and is thus not included in the statement “you must not allow any soul to live,” and you are permitted to acquire him as a bondservant. |
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וְגַם מִבְּנֵי הַתּֽוֹשָׁבִים.
שֶׁבָּאוּ מִסְּבִיבוֹתֵיכֶם לִשָּׂא נָשִׁים בְּאַרְצְכֶם, וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם, הַבֵּן הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הָאָב, וְאֵינוֹ בִּכְלַל לֹא תְחַיֶּה, אֶלָּא אַתָּה מֻתָּר לִקְנוֹתוֹ כְּעֶבֶד (קידושין כ"ז):
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מֵהֶם תִּקְנוּ - (lit.) You may purchase…from them. means you may buy them. |
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מֵהֶם תִּקְנוּ.
אוֹתָם תִּקְנוּ:
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46You may retain ownership of them for your children after you as an inherited estate, and may thus have them work for you forever. But as for your brethren, the Israelites, no man may work his brother Israelite with backbreaking labor. |
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מווְהִתְנַֽחַלְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֤ם אַֽחֲרֵיכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֲחֻזָּ֔ה לְעֹלָ֖ם בָּהֶ֣ם תַּֽעֲבֹ֑דוּ וּבְאַ֨חֵיכֶ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אִ֣ישׁ בְּאָחִ֔יו לֹֽא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָֽרֶךְ: |
וְהִתְנַֽחַלְתֶּם אֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם - this is a hitpa’el (reflexive) form, meaning: “hold onto them as heritable possession for the benefit of your children after you.” One cannot explain it as meaning: “bequeath them to your children,” for if so, it should have written: וְהִנְחַלְתֶּם אוֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם – a hif’il (causative) form. is thus similar to וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם “you must be courageous.” |
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וְהִתְנַֽחַלְתֶּם אֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם.
הַחֲזִיקוּ בָהֶם לְנַחֲלָה לְצֹרֶךְ בְּנֵיכֶם אַחֲרֵיכֶם; וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ הַנְחִילוּם לִבְנֵיכֶם, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב "וְהִנְחַלְתֶּם" אוֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם, וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם כְּמוֹ וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם:
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אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו - No man [may work] his brother. This prohibition is repeated here to include a tribal prince with respect to his people and a king with respect to his subjects, that they must not have them perform such “backbreaking labor” described above. |
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אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו.
לְהָבִיא נָשִׂיא בְעַמָּיו וּמֶלֶךְ בִּמְשָׁרְתָיו שֶׁלֹּא לִרְדּוֹת בְּפָרֶךְ:
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