ויקרא, פרק כ״ה, פסוק מ״ו

A clear distinction is established between the status of foreign slaves and Israelite workers. While foreigners are considered permanent, inherited property, Israelites are brothers who must be treated with dignity, mercy, and a strict prohibition against harsh labor. The acquisition of foreign slaves is understood either as an instruction to hold onto them securely for future generations [רש״י, ביאור יש״ר], or as a description of the active process of purchasing them [אבן עזרא, הכתב והקבלה, רד צ הופמן].

Legally, the laws governing these slaves are directly compared to the laws of real estate. Just as land is acquired through money, a formal deed, or taking physical possession, a slave is acquired through these same methods [תורה תמימה, קיצור בעל הטורים]. Furthermore, just as the laws of overcharging do not apply to real estate transactions, they do not apply to the purchase of slaves [מלבי״ם]. This framework also introduces specific inheritance laws. When passing property to the next generation, sons take precedence over daughters in the line of succession [תורה תמימה, רלב״ג]. The law also establishes a legal presumption that a person recognized as the deceased's son has the definitive right to inherit [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, צפנת פענח]. However, this inheritance applies solely to the physical person of the slave, meaning an individual cannot bequeath abstract financial rights, such as a father's monetary claim to his daughter's earnings [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם].

Unlike Israelite workers or ancestral lands, Canaanite slaves are held permanently and do not go free during the Jubilee year, nor do they return to their original families [ריב״א, ביאור יש״ר, הכתב והקבלה, רד צ הופמן]. A debate exists regarding whether keeping them permanently is merely permitted [אבן עזרא], but the primary approach among commentators is that it is a positive Commandment, making it forbidden to release a Canaanite slave [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, הכתב והקבלה, רד צ הופמן]. Masters are even expected to keep them engaged in work when there is no practical need for the labor [רלב״ג].

Despite this permanent servitude, strict moral limitations govern their treatment. They are designated exclusively for labor, and it is absolutely forbidden to shame or humiliate them [תורה תמימה, הכתב והקבלה]. As a matter of piety, masters are encouraged not to make their physical burden overly heavy [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, living within a Jewish household that operates according to Torah law is considered more beneficial for them than a life of unrestricted freedom, which could easily lead to destructive idleness [רד צ הופמן].

Because harsh labor without the hope of freedom crushes both body and soul, a sharp contrast is immediately drawn regarding the treatment of an Israelite, who must always be given encouragement and hope [העמק דבר, אבן עזרא]. The deep emotional pain caused when a brother subjugates his own brother is heavily emphasized [פרדס יוסף], and the prohibition against such oppressive treatment applies equally to women [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. Since the rule against ruling an Israelite worker harshly was already established, this repetition serves as a specific warning to national leaders, such as a king or a prince, forbidding them from ruling the nation with tyranny and imposing harsh labor on the public [רש״י, מזרחי, ביאור יש״ר, רד צ הופמן]. Finally, the prohibition against harsh labor applies specifically to forced servitude. A free person is permitted to willingly accept grueling labor in exchange for payment [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. Additionally, in exceptional cases where an Israelite acts corruptly and fails to behave properly, they may be subjected to stricter servitude [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף].