Halakha Mazmur 145:9: Mishneh Torah, Slaves, Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars, Kitzur Shulchan Arukh & Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim

There is no limit to the amount of work you are allowed to give a non-Jewish slave, but even though this is the basic law, the attribute of piety and the ways of wisdom dictate that a person should be merciful and pursue justice and not oppress a slave or cause him anguish. He should feed him, from each kind of food and each kind of drink that he consumes. The earlier Sages would give their slaves from every single dish that was prepared and would ensure that their slaves (and also their animals) would eat before they did. For indeed it is written “like the eyes of slaves to the hand of their masters, like the eye of a maidservant to hand of her mistress” (Tehillim 123). And so too he must not disgrace him, not through action, nor through words, for they have been decreed to serve but not to be disgraced. One should not yell or be angry at them, but must speak patiently and hear his claims. Thus it is explicit that one of Job’s greatest qualities was “Shall I spurn the justice of my slave and my maidservant when they quarrel with me? Were they not made in the belly of my maker? We were conceived in one womb” (Job 31:13-15). Cruelty and brazenness is a trait of idolatress nations, but the seed of Avraham Avinu, which is the Jewish people, to whom the Holy One Blessed Be He has bequeathed the goodness of the Torah and commanded them with righteous statutes (חוקים) and judgements (משפטים) – are compassionate to all. And so are the attributes of the Holy One Blessed be He, which He commanded us to emulate. As it is written: “His mercy is upon all his works” (Tehillim 145) and anyone who is merciful (Hashem is) merciful with him. As it says: “He has given you compassion and been compassionate with you and multiplied you” (Devarim 13:18).

Two non-Jews who appear before you to be judged in accordance with Jewish Law and wish to be judged in accordance with the Torah, are so judged. One wishes to be judged so and the other not, he is not forced to be judged except by their own laws. If a Jew and a non-Jew appear before us and we can learn merit for the Jew in accordance with their laws, we judge them in accordance with their laws and we say to him, ‘this is your law’. But if the Jew has merit in accordance with our Law, we judge him by Torah Law and tell him ‘this is our Law’. It appears to me that we do not do this with a Resident Convert, but we always judge him by his laws. And so it appears to me that we treat a Resident Convert as we would a Jew, that is with respect and loving-kindness, since we are commanded to keep him alive¹¹⁹Sustain and support him., as it says, “to the stranger who is within your gates you shall give, that he may eat of it” (Deut. 14:21). Our Sages have said that we do not double¹²⁰Literally double by saying “Shalom. Shalom”. our saying of Shalom refers to the non-Jews¹²¹One who has not accept the Seven Commandments., but we do with a Resident Convert. And that that our Sages have commanded us to visit their sick and bury their dead along with Jewish dead, and sustain their poor along¹²²But not alongside. with the poor of Israel is for the “sake of peace”, since it says, “G-d is good to all, and His mercies extend upon all his works” (Psalms 145:9) and it says, “her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (Proverbs 3:17).

It is customary to say to a person who puts on a new garment, "May you wear it out and acquire a new one." [But to someone] who puts on new shoes or a new garment made of fur or leather, even if the fur or leather is from an unclean animal and even if the fur or the leather are only used as lining, do not say "May you wear it out and acquire a new one," because a new garment like this one requires the killing of a living creature, and it is written, "And His mercies are on all His works." ¹³Psalms 145: 9.