Bibbia Ebraica
Bibbia Ebraica

Halakhah su Levitico 25:40

כְּשָׂכִ֥יר כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֑ךְ עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַעֲבֹ֥ד עִמָּֽךְ׃

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Sefer HaMitzvot

He prohibited us from working the Hebrew (Jewish) slave with work that involves great affliction and lowliness, like the work of a Canaanite (gentile) slave. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "you may not work him like a slave" (Leviticus 25:39). And in the Sifra (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 7:2): "He shall not carry a linta after you, and he shall not carry your things after you to the bath-house." And a linta is a small mat that he sits upon when he is tired, such that the slave takes it and walks upon it behind his master. And likewise is one prohibited from doing anything that is similar to this servitude to a Hebrew slave. Rather he commands him about that which he would command a worker or a craftsman, to do a particular job that he agreed with him about. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "Like a worker or resident laborer shall he be with you" (Leviticus 25:40). (See Parashat Behar; Mishneh Torah, Slaves 1.)
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Sefer HaChinukh

That we not make a Hebrew slave perform demeaning work, like the work of a Canaanite (gentile) slave: That we not make a Hebrew slave perform work that is very demeaning and humiliating, which is the way to make a Canaanite slave work - as it is written (Leviticus 25:29), "do not have him work with the work of a slave." And they, may their memory be blessed, said in Sifra, Behar, Chapter 7:2 in explanation of this matter, "He should not carry your cushion" (see Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam, Mitzvot Lo Taase 257) - which is a small cloth that people make to sit upon in every place if they tire - and it is the way of a demeaned slave to take this [item] and carry it behind his master. And they said likewise (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 7:2), "Nor should he carry his vessels in front of him into the bathhouse." And they, may their memory be blessed, elucidated these types of work, and the law is the same for anything that is similar to them. It comes out that a person should be mindful of which type of work he orders his Hebrew slave to perform. And this is part of the principle which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Kiddushin 22a), "Anyone who acquires a Hebrew slave is like he has acquired a master for himself." Nonetheless, from that which the verse states (Leviticus 25:40), "Like a laborer, like a boarder shall he be with you," it should be learned that a man may command him to do anything that it is the way of people to command a laborer or a boarder. And truthfully, a laborer - who is a free man - is usually not employed for degrading work; and likewise a boarder - who is a man who comes to live in a different land. And the way of boarders is is to do the work of the homeowner with whom they are living, from their [own] will - therefore [a householder] will not do very demeaning work with him. And hence Scripture sated, "Like a laborer, like a boarder shall he be with you," because these two men - even though they do work - their work is not usually demeaning work. Still, the slave must behave according to the way of a slave and honor his master with all of his might, and not become haughty with all that we have said.
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