When extreme poverty forces an individual to sell himself into servitude, his fundamental dignity remains entirely intact. The laws governing this arrangement fundamentally redefine the concept of slavery, transforming it into a structured, highly regulated form of employment. Notably, these specific regulations are only in effect during historical periods when the Jubilee year is actively observed [תורה תמימה].
A master is strictly prohibited from treating this individual as mere property or subjecting him to crushing, demeaning labor that a free person would refuse to do [רמב״ן, ביאור שטיינזלץ, ביאור יש״ר]. Instead, he must be treated with the respect afforded to a hired worker or a resident. Practically, this means the master must pay wages punctually, refrain from verbal abuse, and is forbidden from placing him in inferior living quarters [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם].
Commentators explore the distinction between a hired worker and a resident to clarify the exact nature of this servitude. One approach suggests the difference lies in the duration of employment: a hired worker represents a daily laborer or someone working a standard six-year term, while a resident denotes someone hired for a full year or settled in the master's home long-term until the Jubilee [ספורנו, בכור שור, חזקוני, רד״צ הופמן]. Another perspective focuses on the scope of duties. While a hired worker typically performs a single defined task and a resident handles general household chores, this unique arrangement operates as a middle ground between the two [רלב״ג]. Alternatively, the worker's past experience dictates his current treatment. If he was previously a skilled artisan or a resident servant in a wealthy estate, the master may only assign him tasks that match his background, avoiding anything considered beneath his prior station [העמק דבר]. Regardless of his specific role, just as a standard hired worker retains the right to walk away from a job midday if it becomes too difficult, the master cannot force this individual to perform grueling labor against his will [בכור שור, חזקוני, קיצור בעל הטורים].
The relationship demands a remarkable level of equality. The master and his worker must share the exact same standard of living, encompassing equal quality in food, drink, and clothing [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם]. They must also reside in similar environments; the master cannot live comfortably in the city while relegating the worker to a rural village, or vice versa [אדרת אליהו]. Furthermore, the master bears an absolute obligation to financially support not only the worker but also his wife and children throughout the entire period of servitude, even if this was not explicitly stipulated at the time of the sale [תורה תמימה, חומש קה״ת, אדרת אליהו].
The nature of the labor is strictly limited to serving the master's personal household. The master is forbidden from exploiting the worker by renting out his professional skills—such as working as a barber or bathhouse attendant—to the general public. He may only utilize the worker's specific professional skills for his own private needs, and only if that was the worker's established profession prior to his impoverishment [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו, רד״צ הופמן].
Finally, a strict maximum time limit is placed on this arrangement. The Jubilee year serves as the absolute boundary, triggering immediate freedom. Even if the standard six years of work have not been completed, the arrival of the Jubilee automatically ends the servitude [רש״י, מזרחי, ספורנו]. This immediate release applies even to a worker who had previously chosen to voluntarily extend his period of service [חומש קה״ת]. However, unlike a standard hired worker who can quit at any moment, an individual who sold himself for a long-term period remains bound to his master until the Jubilee year arrives, provided he is not redeemed earlier [ביאור יש״ר].