ירמיהו, פרק ל״ד, פסוק י״א

A moment of profound moral failure and blatant betrayal unfolds as wealthy masters completely reverse a public declaration of freedom. The background to this sudden change of heart lies in the tense political and security situation of the time. During the Babylonian siege, the king feared that the lower-class masses, who were enslaved to their creditors, might seize the opportunity to rebel or defect to the enemy in exchange for their liberty. To prevent an uprising and calm the unrest, a formal agreement was made to emancipate the slaves. However, as soon as the immediate danger of the siege lifted, the owners regretted their decision [מלבי״ם].

The impact of the public liberation ceremony quickly faded [ביאור שטיינזלץ], and the masters rushed to back out of their commitment [צאינה וראינה]. This reversal was not a mutual agreement but a violent, coercive takeover [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. In principle, the newly freed individuals had the right to return to their own independent properties. In reality, they were powerless to exercise this right against the wealthy masters, who likely deployed their own servants or enforcement forces to physically drag the freed men and women back into subjugation [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

By acting in this manner, the masters committed a severe, twofold crime. First, they brazenly violated the formal covenant and oath they had just established. Second, they committed an act of outright kidnapping and theft, using brute force to enslave individuals who were already recognized as legally free people [מלבי״ם].