In this very brief talk on Parsha Mishpatim, Rabbi Sroy Levitansky discusses the benefits of the Jewish system of indentured servitude versus the American system of incarceration (although nowadays, compensation to the victim is also often required by the court). Of course, this "Sage of St. Louis" restricts his discussion to that of a Jewish thief, and conveniently ignores the halachic parameters surrounding the non-Jewish slave. The latter remains a slave forever, and it is permissible to abuse him (within limits), even though Rambam, for example, strongly cautions the slave-owner to act in a compassionate manner. So does Levitansky want a return to all forms of Biblical slavery? Does he want to allow (or perhaps force) a Jewish male servant (I hesitate to call him a "slave") to marry a non-Jewish female slave and produce children that are slaves forever?
And how about a return to other Biblical laws mentioned in the same parsha: does he want the death penalty for a child that curses (even a dead) parent? Would he prefer that his (virgin) 12-year old daughter marry her rapist, or would he rather take monetary compensation?
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4 comments:
Is there really a distinction, beferush in the Torah, between Eved Ivri and Eved Cnaani?
Yes.
Back in the day, it might have been more beneficial for a non-Jew who was without household or group protection to be "for all time" in a Jewish household, upon whom there ARE restrictions of what can be done to/with them. And no one is OBLIGATED to have slaves; as a matter of economy at the time, that there were ANY laws is better than none.
Anonymous, you are correct that the Jewish laws regarding non-Jewish slaves were heads and shoulders above the way the "nations of the world" treated their slaves. But also keep in mind that one was halachically mandated not to free an eved Canaani, and one WAS allowed to treat him harshly (within limits.) The point is that the concept of slavery is repugnant to modern man, and our ethical values have - in many cases - evolved beyond the Torah's.
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