LEV1076 Do not force a Jewish slave to do demeaning labor. Key concepts: A man must realize that our nation has a special, honored status that sets it apart from all other nations. Appreciating this point, one will feel love for our people and its Torah. Knowing that a Jew becomes a slave only after falling into dire financial straits, we should realize that the same thing might happen to us or one of our children. If we are not careful, a sin might cause our downfall and we, too, might be sold as a slave. If we treat our Jewish servants with proper respect, this thought will certainly cross our minds, which will serve to prevent us from sinning before Hashem. Another benefit is that the mitzvah teaches us to behave with mercy and compassion, and to distance ourselves from cruelty. Thereby, we cultivate and refine our souls, and make ourselves worthy of Hashem's blessings, which He always seeks to bestow upon us.

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LEV1077 See [[EXOD523]] Exodus 21:2 slave DORFFDRAG 133-4

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LEV1078 Assisting the poor in biblical times took the form not only of direct aid, but also of relief from servitude, and that too was rooted in respect for God's ownership of the world. Although an Israelite could be sold into slavery to pay a debt, the master was required to set the slave free within six years, even if the debt was not totally redeemed by that time. If the slave chose to remain in servitude, he could do so, but only until the Jubilee year, when even the reluctant had to go free. Moreover, the master could not abuse the slave. The Bible clearly specifies that the rationale behind these commandments is that all Jews are God’s servants, and consequently they may not be perpetually the slaves of any human being: “If your kinsman under you continues in straits and must give himself over to you, do not subject him to the treatment of a slave. He shall remain with you as a hired or bound laborer; he shall serve with you only until the Jubilee year. Then he and his children with him shall be free of your authority; he shall go back to his family and return to his ancestral holding. For they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt; they may not give themselves over into servitude (Leviticus 25:39-42). Thus care for the poor, including those enslaved to pay off their debts, is required because ultimately God owns us all, together with the world in which we live.

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LEV1079 See [[EXOD1978]] Exodus 21:2 six DORFFWITO 112-3

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LEV1080 This teaches us that the master cannot say to his Hebrew man-servant: "Work for me, but I will not feed you" (Kethuvoth 43a)

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LEV1081 See [[LEV957]] Leviticus 25:10 jubilee AMEMEI 130

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LEV1082 See [[LEV958]] Leviticus 25:10 liberty SACKS 204-5

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LEV1083 Emphasized in these pages is the fact that Jewish ethics are not content merely with prescribing love and nothing else. They go further than the literal meaning of "And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself". Not only must our own lives be maintained amid all trials as a sacred trust but also the rights, freedom and individuality of others, and especially of those dependent on us for their sustenance and happiness must be guarded. God alone can claim the sole proprietorship of those whom He has created. Accordingly, man is not a slave to any other. "For they are My servants" says the Torah [this verse]; from which the Rabbis concluded: "but not servants to servants". (Kidd. 22b).

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LEV1084 See [DEUT163]] Deuteronomy 5:15 remember OXFORD 39

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LEV1085 Assisting the poor in biblical times took the form not only of direct aid but also relief from servitude, and that too was rooted in respect for God's ownership of the world. While an Israelite could be sold into slavery to pay a debt, the master was required to set the slave free within six years, even if the debt was not totally redeemed by that time. If the slave chose to remain in servitude, he could do so, but only until the Jubilee year, when even the reluctant had to go free. Moreover, the master could not abuse the slave. The Bible specifies clearly that the rationale behind these commandments is that all Jews “are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt; they may not give themselves over into [perpetual] servitude.” (Leviticus 25:42. Compare Leviticus 25:55, Exodus 22:2-11, Deuteronomy 15:12-18, and B. Kiddushin 22b) Thus care for the poor, in this case the poor enslaved to pay off their debts, is required because ultimately God owns us all, together with the world in which we live.

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