. וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֶל הַדֶּלֶת אוֹ אֶל הַמְּזוּזָה וְרָצַע אֲדֹנָיו אֶת אָזְנוֹ בַּמַּרְצֵעַ וַעֲבָדוֹ לְעֹלָם: his master shall bring him to the judges, and he shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
Why do we bore his ear? Why that part of the body?
Rashi says, the ear heard on Har Sinai "Do not steal" and yet this person went and stole (which is why he's becoming a slave) therefore, it makes sense to bore (make a hole) in his ear as opposed to another body part.
What are other reasons for boring the ear as opposed to other body parts? Why does this need to be done by a door post? How do they know which ear to bore?
Rabbi Bernie Fox (Orthodox Union) says that just like in Egypt when Hashem had the Jewish people put blood on their doorposts, so too with the slaves, we see a similar concept. In Egypt, Hashem would pass over the houses with blood, symbolizing the Jewish people, and they were spared from the plague of the death of the firstborn child. By sparing their lives, Hashem won the commitment of the Jews. Similarly with a slave who stays on, the piercing under the doorpost is promising a devotion to Hashem (and of course his master) just like they did in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteRav Yochanan Ben Zakai teaches that the ear is pierced because Hashem said at Har Seini to the ears of the Jews that they should be slaves to Hashem, but then this man went and got another person to be a slave to. The ear that heard Hashem’s decree is then pierced.
ReplyDeleteThe Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 17B says that the master gores the ear of the slave as opposed to any other body part because the ear is the organ that heard God testify his oneness to the nation at Har Sinai. The collective "heart" of Bnei Yisrael made the decision to follow God but the ear heard the call initially. Interestingly, the ear is a sign of slavery in other sources, including the Code of Hammurabi, "If a slave says to his master: You are not my master,” if they convict him, his master shall cut off his ear.”(Code of Hammurabi law 282). Clearly, the ear is symbolic of a larger commitment of bondage, in both Jewish and non-Jewish sources.
ReplyDeleteBased on the rashi, If we are going to pierce the servants ear, why not pierce it right away when he is sold? Why wait until he has served 6 years and refuses to go free? R’ Pinchas Halevi Ish Horowitz says that since one is not allowed to get both a death penalty crime and a monetary charge, once this man is sold as a punishment for his theft, we can’t also pierce his ear. But, if, after six years of slavery, he says that he wants to remain in the master’s house, he is declaring that being sold was not a punishment. Therefore, we are now free to pierce his ear for the reason quoted by Rashi and we would not be giving him two punishments.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the slave's ear pierced?
ReplyDeleteRashi explains that the ear is pierced because it is being punished. This ear was this very ear that heard that Bnei Yisrael are slaves to Hashem, and to Hashem only, on Har Sinai. And yet, this individual is seeking a new master.
The Rabbis ask a question on Rashi. According to this reason, the Hebrew slave's ear should have been pierced from the onset of his six year term, immediately from when he accepted a master upon him. Why is he only pierced if he wishes to have his enslavement continued until the yovel year?
Remember, in the beginning, the slave was forced into this position. The Torah is not going to punish the slave for being in dire straits and taking one of the only courses of action he could take. However, after six years of having another care for him- having a master provide food, shelter and clothing- and not only for himself, but also for his wife and children, it stands to reason that the slave saved some money on the side. Yet still, the slave wishes to remain a slave! It is here where the punishment is rained down on the slave and his ear is pierced. His decision to remain a slave is more from his free will and he is therefore punished.
The Sefas Emes explains that the significance of the ear is that it is the ears fault. The message only remained in the ear. The person hears "They shall be slaves to Me; not slaves to other slaves", yet does not internalize it and does not listen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Rav Michel Twerski (a practicing Rabbi and psychologist) teaches, that many of his patients begin to acknowledge that they have a problem and know that there is a solution, yet most of the time they don't go through with the solution. They know and hear what needs to be done, yet they don't listen/internalize it.
According to Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, the slaves ear is pierced on the door post, because technically, the "door is open" for him to leave his master. When a slave does not use that "open door", he is put up against it to have his ear pierced. Additionally, on a door post is where a mezuzah is, and inside a mezuzah it is written about how much one loves Hashem. However, by the slave choosing his master, he is not "loving his G-d who took him out of Egypt and made him free", he is loving his master and choosing to be his slave.
ReplyDeleteThe Gemara in Kedushin says that it should be the door so that way passersby in the street would see him and reprimand him for choosing him to be a slave while he can be a free man.
ReplyDeleteThe Sfat Emet explains that the ear was punished rather than the brain, which one might have thought made the decision to steal, because the ear never internalized the words of Hashem. The words never passed through the brain, instead they went in through one ear and out through the other. This teaches us that we must internalize personal experiences in order to make right decisions.
ReplyDelete