A person who falls into the harsh reality of being sold into servitude to a foreigner might feel completely lost, yet divine law guarantees they are never truly abandoned. Even when all standard avenues of rescue fail and no immediate savior steps forward, an absolute deadline exists for their liberation and the restoration of their family.
The primary approach among commentators is that freedom is achieved either through the intervention of close relatives or by paying the master for the years remaining until the Jubilee year. This framework establishes two central rules regarding the nature of this servitude. First, unlike a Hebrew servant sold to a fellow Israelite who automatically goes free after six years, this individual is released exclusively through these specific financial arrangements or by the arrival of the Jubilee [רש״י, תורה תמימה, בכור שור, חזקוני, אדרת אליהו, רד״צ הופמן]. Second, if the person is rescued by relatives or other benefactors, they step into total freedom and do not become a servant to the one who paid their ransom [רבנו בחיי, אדרת אליהו, רד״צ הופמן].
When the Jubilee year finally arrives, the servant is released entirely free of charge, requiring no financial compensation to the master [רלב״ג]. This law reveals a profound respect for legal boundaries regarding the foreign master. Even if the foreigner lives under Israelite authority, the community must patiently wait for the Jubilee. It is strictly forbidden to rob the master, seize the servant by force, or use deception when calculating the redemption price [רבנו בחיי, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו]. Alternatively, some commentators suggest this scenario applies specifically when foreigners are not under Israelite control. Consequently, there is an obligation to negotiate and secure these conditions of release in advance, ensuring the foreign master will accept and honor them [ברכת אשר].
The inclusion of the servant's family in the release process sparks a discussion about the household's status. One perspective maintains that the foreign master bears the responsibility to feed and support the servant's children throughout the entire period of servitude [רש״י, רלב״ג, רד״צ הופמן]. However, other commentators disagree, arguing that a foreigner cannot be bound by such internal religious obligations. Instead, they explain that the father's release automatically triggers the children's freedom as a spiritual safeguard. As long as the father remained in the household, he could supervise his children, ensuring they avoided forbidden foods and foreign customs. Once he departs, the children must also be removed to prevent them from losing their way in a foreign environment without his guidance [בכור שור, חזקוני, העמק דבר].
On a national and symbolic level, this entire framework mirrors the exile of the Israelites. If the nation fails to achieve redemption through the merit of fulfilling the Commandments, God promises He will not abandon them to eternal exile. Ultimately, they will be liberated in the ultimate Jubilee year, representing the day God will sound the great horn of the final redemption. At that time, God and the Israelites will return from exile together [דעת זקנים].