After prohibiting the harsh, lifelong enslavement of fellow Israelites, a practical question naturally arises for a functioning agricultural society. The people, having recently been freed from bondage themselves, wonder how they will manage their estates and handle the difficult, degrading labor required for daily survival. The primary approach among commentators is that the Torah directly addresses this concern by outlining a permitted framework for acquiring laborers from the surrounding nations [רש״י, תורה תמימה, שפתי חכמים, דברי דוד, אדרת אליהו, בכור שור].
Unlike the temporary servitude of an Israelite, acquiring a laborer from the nations constitutes a permanent, lifelong purchase of property [רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר, שטיינזלץ]. However, this authority is strictly limited to the labor itself. A master has no right to degrade, shame, or abuse these workers [רש ר הירש]. In fact, some view the very act of purchasing these laborers as a positive commandment, as it actively removes them from the destructive cycle of idol worship [העמק דבר].
These laborers could become part of an Israelite household through different means. They might be taken by force as spoils of war, or they could be acquired willingly through a monetary purchase [דברי דוד, גור אריה]. The laws of acquisition also clarify the status of offspring; if a Jewish master fathers a child with his non-Jewish maidservant, the child retains the legal status of a slave [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו, מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, the legal framework ensures it is clear that adult foreigners themselves can be purchased, preventing a mistaken assumption that only their children are eligible for servitude [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, ברטנורא, מזרחי].
This practice is bound by strict geographic limitations. Laborers may only be taken from nations residing outside the borders of the Land of Israel, such as Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Aram [אבן עזרא]. The Canaanite nations living within the land are entirely excluded from this arrangement due to a specific command to eradicate their presence, ensuring the Israelites do not learn from their corrupt practices [רש״י, תורה תמימה, ביאור יש״ר]. There is a debate regarding the absolute nature of this exclusion. One perspective maintains a total ban on taking slaves from the original inhabitants of the land, even if they attempt to convert out of fear. Another approach permits it, provided the inhabitants commit to abandoning idol worship and observing the seven basic Noahide laws [רד צ הופמן].
Finally, the legal framework establishes a clear boundary regarding family status. Both male and female non-Jewish laborers share the same legal standing in this regard, teaching that neither can enter into a valid Jewish marriage [מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו].