 | Mishpatim |  |
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| | 21:6 |
his master must bring him to the courts. Standing [the slave] next to the door or doorpost, his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. [The slave] shall then serve [his master] forever.
Vehigisho adonav el-ha'Elohim vehigisho el-hadelet o el-hamezuzah veratsa adonav et-ozno bamartsea va'avado le'olam. |
| 21:7 |
If a man sells his daughter as a maidservant, she shall not be freed as male servants are released.
Vechi-yimkor ish et-bito le'amah lo tetse ketset ha'avadim. |
| 21:8 |
Her master should provisionally designate her as his bride, and if she is not pleasing to him, he must let her be redeemed. He is considered to have broken faith with her, and he therefore does not have the right to sell her to anyone else.
Im-ra'ah be'eyney adoneyha asher-lo ye'adah vehefdah le'am nochri lo-yimshol lemochrah bevigdo-vah. |
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Commentary:
the courts
(Targum ; Mekhilta; Rashi). The word Elohim denotes God, but it also denotes judges or courts; see Exodus 22:7, 22:8, 22:27, 1 Samuel 2:25, Judges 5:8, Psalms 82:1,6, 138:1. In this case, a court composed of three judges is required (Yad, Avadim 3:9).
| Standing the slave...
The master must pierce the ear into the door; Deuteronomy 15:17 (see Lechem Mishneh on Yad, Avadim 3:9).
| forever
Until the jubilee; Leviticus 25:40 Mekhilta; Targum Yonathan; Kiddushin 21b; Rashi).
| maidservant
This can only be done with a minor girl (Mekhilta; Rashi). It was permitted for a man to sell his minor daughter only when he was absolutely destitute with no possible means of support (Kiddushin 20a; Yad, Avadim 4:2).
| should
(Kiddushin 19a). The master does this by declaring, 'you are my designated bride' (Yad, Avadim 4:7).
| He
The master. Also, her father may not sell her again (Hirsch; Torah Temimah). See note, this verse, 'anyone else.'
| anyone else
(Rashi; Yad, Avadim 4:10). Literally, 'to a foreign nation' (Mekhilta; Ramban). It can also denote, 'to someone unsuitable for marriage' (Hirsch). It would then be a general commandment that the father is not permitted to sell his daughter to a gentile or to anyone else who could not possibly marry her.
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