In Parashat Mishpatim 21:2 the Torah states:
“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work for six years, and on the seventh he shall be free and clear.”
In 6:13 in the Torah it is stated that Hashem commanded Moshe and Aaron to go to the Jewish people. The Yerushalmi (Rosh Hoshana 3:5) asks: What did Hashem command them?
Apparently, there was a specific Mitzvah explained at the time of Yitziat Mitzraim and this was the emancipation of Hebrew slaves. There is proof in Yirmiyahu as is quoted that Hashem commanded the Jewish people to send their Hebrew slaves free at the end of seven years. (34:13)
Question:We only find Mitzvot that were given before Matan Torah to be mentioned if they were relevant at that time. The emancipation of slaves however would not apply until the Jews inhabited israel. Why then is it singled out to be given before the rest of the Torah?
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz explains that it goes against human nature to send one’s slave free. A person becomes used to the role of a master and even if the slave wants freedom the master may not grant freedom. Therefore, the Torah wanted the Jewish people to be introduced to this commandment at the time they were being liberated from slavery and while they were experiencing the overwhelming joy of freedom. The occasion of Yetziat Mitzrayim was a time to be remembered by the Jewish nation forever, therefore, the commandment of emancipation of slaves was given earlier, as well in this weeks parsha, to prove the violation is inexcusable.
Shabbat Shalom!
Why is the mitzvah of releasing one's slaves the first mitzvah given to Bnei Yisrael after the Aseret Hadibrot?
ReplyDeleteIt is significant that this is the first Mitzvah given to Bnei Yisrael after Har Sinai because it represents the foundation that the rest of the Torah is based on. It is what the rest of the Torah comes to achieve. We can see this in the story in the Talmud about how Hillel responds to a man who asks him to teach him the whole Torah while he stood on one foot. Hillel response was “what is hateful to you, do not do to your friend”, and then he adds, “the rest of the Torah is commentary in helping us achieve this goal”. Slavery is the epitome of not accepting this principle; it is the ultimate expression of power and control over another human being. The mitzvah to free ones slaves was therefore given as the first mitzvah to teach Bnei Yisrael the value that is the true foundation of our nation.
(Mrs. Devorah Starr)
The Gemara in Masechet Sanhedrin, daf nun tet, provides an opinion to support this question. The gemara says that any mitzvah told to humanity (bnei noach), but not repeated at Har Sinai is for Jews, but not non- Jews. So why is this mitzvah of the emancipation of slaves singled out? We see that just like the proof in Yirmiyahu says, this mitzvah applies to Jews and commands them to set their slaves free. Therefore, this mitzvah was told to them at that time because it pertained to the Jews.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the parsha begin with this commandment? Ibn Ezra says that there is nothing more difficult that being enslaved to someone, so it the parsha starts with this commandment to show us how to treat them.
ReplyDeleteOne reason why bnei yisroel got that mitzvah before Matan Torah was because they had just been liberated from years in slavery. Moshe wanted their first mitzvah to be one that they could easily empathize with due to the fact that they were just in that situation. It might not have had the same effect if they were given this commandment 40 years later with a different generation.
ReplyDelete