출애굽기 21:5의 인용 해설

ובשביעית, “and in the seventh year;” at the beginning of his seventh year of service. The reference is to the beginning of the seventh year after this servant had been “sold.” and not to Shemita-Seventh Year. This is true both for the Jew who has been sold by a Court and for the Jew who sells himself because of his extreme poverty. Release at the onset of the Jubilee year applies to any Jewish slave who has not yet completed his six years of service, as well as to the slave who has voluntarily extended his servitude “forever” by having his ear pierced on a door post (Exodus 21.5-6).

He whose ear is bored is acquired by boring, and acquires himself by Jubilee or his master's death. In Exodus 21:5-6 we learn that a slave who does not wish to regain his freedom must have his ear pierced and then he may work indefinitely for his master. The piercing causes him to be acquired to his master for a period beyond the normal period of servitude. However, he does not work forever and his master’s inheritors do not inherit him. Rather he goes free either at his master’s death or at the Jubilee year, which ever comes first. At this point, even if he wishes to remain a slave he has no such choice.

ובמיתת האדון – as it is written (Exodus 21:5): “he shall then remain his slave for life.” To him, but not to his son. But if he [i.e., the slave] is sold and the master dies during the six years, he serves the son, as it says, (Exodus 21:2): “he shall serve six years,” whether to him or to his son. And specifically for a son who serves all six [years] if the master dies, but for a daughter or a brother or others who inherit, he does not serve, as it is written (Deuteronomy 15:12): “[If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, is sold to you,] he shall serve you six years, [and in the seventh year you shall set him free,” to you, but not to those who inherit. And the Hebrew bondwoman acquires herself with the death of the master like the bondsman who has his ear bored through, as it is written concerning the bondsman who has his ear bored through (Deuteronomy 15:17): “Do the same with your female slave.”

And if you say that if his master cannot provide him with a Canaanite maidservant - why would I need the explanation that it would render him blemished? Even without that, piercing would be inapplicable, since we require [the slave to be able to say] "I love .. my wife" (Exodus 21:5).

ואף לאמתך תעשה כן AND ALSO UNTO THY MAID SERVANT THOU SHALT DO LIKEWISE — i.e. furnish her out of thy property. One might think, however, that Scripture puts her on the same level with the man-servant concerning the piercing of the ear too! It however, states, (Exodus 21:5) “And if the man-servant (העבד) shall plainly say, [I love my lord … then … his lord shall bore his ear through with an awl]” — so you see that a man-servant must have his ear pierced, but a maid-servant does not have it pierced (Sifrei Devarim 122:6).