דברים, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י׳

The moment of entering the covenant is an all-encompassing event, drawing together every layer of society into a unified, yet highly structured, whole. From the most prominent leaders to the most marginalized laborers, every individual takes a designated place.

In this assembly, children [ביאור שטיינזלץ], women, and righteous converts each stood in their own distinct groups [מלבי״ם]. Together, they represent segments of society that operate under the guidance and discipline of the national leadership [אדרת אליהו]. A defining characteristic of these groups is their dependence; they are expected to follow the direction and consent of their fathers, husbands, and providers [ספורנו, העמק דבר]. At the same time, this dynamic places a profound responsibility on the leaders, who are expected to manage and guide the entire nation with the very same dedication and care that they give to their own children [קיצור בעל הטורים].

The assembly also extends to the servant class, encompassing every type of laborer from the highest ranking to the lowest [ספורנו]. There is a clear division between the specific tasks assigned to them. Woodchopping represents the most physically demanding domestic labor, while drawing water is considered the easiest, with each worker evaluated according to the difficulty of their task [העמק דבר]. Others view this division along gender lines, where the woodchoppers are male slaves and the water drawers are female slaves, as drawing water was historically a task designated for women and girls [דעת זקנים, חזקוני, קונטרס חיבה יתירה, משכיל לדוד].

The primary approach among commentators is that these laborers are not originally Israelites. Rather, they are Canaanites who sought to convert during the time of Moses, much like the Gibeonites who later approached Joshua. However, while the Gibeonites successfully deceived Joshua, these individuals could not trick Moses. Recognizing that they were motivated purely by fear rather than a genuine desire for God, Moses did not accept them as full, righteous converts. Instead, he immediately assigned them the roles of woodchoppers and water drawers, separating them from the rest of the nation [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד]. Because they possessed traits of cruelty, Moses issued a decree forbidding them from marrying Israelites for that generation—a ban that King David later made permanent for all future generations [תורה תמימה, גור אריה]. Consequently, due to their lower, separate status, they stood entirely isolated during the covenant ceremony, completely distinct from the genuine righteous converts [מלבי״ם].

There is an interesting nuance regarding the exact nature of their work with wood. Rather than being described as active choppers of trees, they are sometimes understood merely as gatherers of wood. Gathering dry branches is a hallmark of the poorest and most destitute members of society, unlike the felling of forests, which requires tools and resources. Alternatively, this distinction exists because Moses did not permit these Canaanites to actively cut wood for the Tabernacle, restricting them only to gathering what was already available [נתינה לגר, ברכת אשר].