Shabbat Forshpeis
A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
PARSHAT MISHPATIM
EVED IVRI: RECEIVING EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSFORMATION
FEBRUARY 1, 2003 / 29 SHEVAT 5763
There are several terms in the Torah
that have no suitable English equivalent and therefore should not be translated. Having the original Hebrew simply transliterated in English editions allows the reader to understand that a more detailed analysis of the word is necessary.
One example of this phenomenon is the term eved. In many texts it is defined as slave. But the concept of slavery as understood in contemporary times is foreign to the Jewish psyche
What then does eved ivri, commonly translated as Hebrew slave, really mean? According to the Talmud, eved ivri as found in this week's portion (Exodus 21:2-6) deals with a Jew who has stolen, but is unable to repay. In the words of Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, "The Torah orders a criminal to be brought into the life of a family as we might order a refractory child to be brought under the influence of Jewish family life."
When an eved ivri is ordered by the court to be brought into a Jewish home, halakhah insists on provisions which, on the one hand, help in his rehabilitation, but in the same breath protect him from being stripped of his dignity.
For example, the Torah insists that the tasks performed by the eved ivri must be in consonance with his normal activities. In other words, he must work in his usual occupation.
Moreover, the Torah mandates that during this period of time, the family of the eved ivri be provided for. Hence, if he his married, his wife and children must accompany him to his new home.
Finally, the Torah stresses to the eved ivri the importance of his returning to normative society by encouraging him to leave after six years. If he chooses to remain, his ear is pieced near a door to drive home the point that he has not taken to heart the important concept of living in freedom, as symbolized by the door, the passageway to open streets.
Unlike the contemporary system, which often fails to rehabilitate the criminal, the Torah insists on exposing the thief to a home life where appropriate values are taught in order to mainstream the person who has gone astray. This Torah process of rehabilitation may be impossible to implement today, but it is one that speaks to the beauty of the ideal society as it is described in the Torah.
Far from slavery, eved ivri speaks nobly about the Torah's belief in the power of individuals to transform themselves; and the responsibility of families to take the eved ivri in - in order to help their rehabilitation.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Avi Weiss
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