Relevant Lessons for Today from the Hebrew Slave

We live in a time when nations and individuals continue to exploit others and certain segments of our society continue to suffer. We look at the water crisis in Detroit, ISIS in Syria, the problem with modern slavery, or the problems being protested with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign, there are those that continue to be and feel oppressed in the world.  
More than any other idea, the Torah impels us to be mindful of the widow, the orphan and the stranger amongst you, ‘for you were a stranger in the Land of Egypt.’ We are empowered to take responsibility to make ‘just’ the injustices of the world and look after those that are most vulnerable.  

Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, z’l, the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine, said, "The pure righteous do not complain of the dark, but increase the light; they do not complain of evil but increase justice, they do not complain of heresy, but increase faith; they do not complain of ignorance but increase wisdom."

Parshat Mishpatim (lit. Statutes) illuminates many of the civil laws and contains 53 mitzvot; 23 positive and 30 prohibitions. It details the ‘mitzvot’ between man and man. This week’s Parsha begins immediately after the great ‘Revelation’ at Sinai of the ten utterances, (Ten Commandments.) at the end of last week’s parsha (Yitro). 

At the heels of the ‘Revelation’ you would think that the Torah would focus on religious things, i.e. Shabbat, the holidays, keeping Kosher, etc, but it doesn’t. What is even more perplexing is that after 210 years of Egyptian servitude, and after leaving Egypt with the 10 plagues and amongst wonders, like the parting of the Sea, the very first mitzvah of all the civil laws is the law of the עבד עברי the Hebrew slave. You might have thought that the first Mitzvah after more than 200 years of slavery would be a prohibition against slavery. Why begin with the law of the Hebrew slave?  

The Torah commands; “When you will acquire a Hebrew slave, six years he will work for you and in the 7th year he will go free.”  בכִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַֽעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם This command is a reinterpretation of what it means to be a slave. Instead of being a victim of the servitude this new definition is more of an indentured servant. 

The Rabbis of the Talmud seek to redefine slavery so much that an adage was struck: "Whosoever acquires a Jewish slave has acquired himself a master." (Talmud Kiddushin, 20a). The laws of Hebrew slavery are elaborated in Leviticus 25:39 ff.: "If your brother is destitute and is sold to you, you shall not treat him as a slave." Although we call it a ‘Hebrew slave’ it is actually the opposite. We are told, that a ‘Master’ must provide for his servant even before himself. If the ‘Master’ has two pillows, his servant should have one first and only then should the ‘Master’ take for himself. If however, the ‘Master’ has only one pillow it will go only to his servant.  

Perhaps this can give us an insight into why this is the first law chosen before enumerating 53 mitzvot dealing with civil law. Before we can begin the process of creating a ‘civil’ society we have to put ourselves in the position of those that are most vulnerable. How does it feel to be sleeping without a pillow? How does it feel not to have a job? Only after putting ourselves in others shoes, can we begin to truly act civil to one another. 

The Yale University Law Professor, Stephen Carter says it best, “Civility...is the set of sacrifices we make for the sake of our common journey with others, and out of love and respect for the very idea that there are others.” Perhaps that is the reason ‘civility’ starts with the Hebrew slave. Because it knows that in order to create a ‘civil’ society, we must first begin to put ourselves in the position of those that are most vulnerable in our society. 


Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Plotkin