וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

These are the ordinances pertaining to the establishment of a properly functioning society that you shall place before them. It is likely that Moses transmitted these laws to the people immediately after the giving of the Torah, before he ascended to Mount Sinai for an extended period of time (24:15–18). He did so because the overall structure of society, which is the crux of the laws in this section, is more pressing than other matters.

כִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם׃

If you acquire a Hebrew slave, six years he shall work. His servitude is for a limited period, and he does not become the personal property of his master. The Hebrew slave is an Israelite who finds himself in such difficult financial straits that he cannot support himself, and has to sell himself as a slave in order to survive. Alternatively, he is an Israelite who stole an item that he cannot repay and is therefore sold by the court (see 22:2) in order to compensate the victim of the theft. According to a tradition of the Sages, the six-year term applies only to a slave who was sold by the court rather than one who sells himself. However, a simple reading of the text supports the possibility that the law applies to any Israelite slave. And in the seventh year he shall go free, without charge. He does not have to redeem himself at the conclusion of his term of servitude. Furthermore, the master is required to give his Hebrew slave gifts upon his release.

אִם־בְּגַפּ֥וֹ יָבֹ֖א בְּגַפּ֣וֹ יֵצֵ֑א אִם־בַּ֤עַל אִשָּׁה֙ ה֔וּא וְיָצְאָ֥ה אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃

If he shall come into his term of servitude by himself, without a wife and children, he shall leave when he completes his period of servitude by himself. If he is the husband of a wife when he becomes a slave, upon his release his wife shall leave with him.

אִם־אֲדֹנָיו֙ יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֔ה וְיָלְדָה־ל֥וֹ בָנִ֖ים א֣וֹ בָנ֑וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֣ה וִילָדֶ֗יהָ תִּהְיֶה֙ לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ וְה֖וּא יֵצֵ֥א בְגַפּֽוֹ׃

However, if his master shall give him a gentile maidservant as a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master and he, the Hebrew slave, shall leave by himself.

וְאִם־אָמֹ֤ר יֹאמַר֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד אָהַ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֔י אֶת־אִשְׁתִּ֖י וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑י לֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א חָפְשִֽׁי׃

But if, after six years in which the Hebrew slave has had children with the woman he received from his master, it is possible that when it is time for him to go free, the slave shall say: I love my master, as I have lived with him as a member of his family, as well as my wife, whom I received from my master, and my children that she has born to me. Consequently, I will not go free; I prefer to remain here as a Hebrew slave, despite the inherent limitations of that status.

וְהִגִּישׁ֤וֹ אֲדֹנָיו֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְהִגִּישׁוֹ֙ אֶל־הַדֶּ֔לֶת א֖וֹ אֶל־הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה וְרָצַ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤יו אֶת־אָזְנוֹ֙ בַּמַּרְצֵ֔עַ וַעֲבָד֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽם׃ (ס)

Then his master shall ceremoniously bring him to the judges; he shall bring him to the door at the entrance to the house, or to the doorpost, the structure that frames the door on both sides, and his master shall perforate his ear with an awl, as a sign that he has relinquished his freedom, and he shall serve him forever. According to rabbinic tradition, this means that the slave serves his master until the Jubilee Year. The word “forever” in the Bible can mean a very long time; it should not always be understood literally.

וְכִֽי־יִמְכֹּ֥ר אִ֛ישׁ אֶת־בִּתּ֖וֹ לְאָמָ֑ה לֹ֥א תֵצֵ֖א כְּצֵ֥את הָעֲבָדִֽים׃

If an Israelite man sells his minor daughter as a maidservant, she shall not leave like gentile slaves’ leaving. The status of a Hebrew maidservant is higher than that of a gentile maidservant, just as a Hebrew slave is superior in status to a gentile slave.

אִם־רָעָ֞ה בְּעֵינֵ֧י אֲדֹנֶ֛יהָ אֲשֶׁר־לא [ל֥וֹ] יְעָדָ֖הּ וְהֶפְדָּ֑הּ לְעַ֥ם נָכְרִ֛י לֹא־יִמְשֹׁ֥ל לְמָכְרָ֖הּ בְּבִגְדוֹ־בָֽהּ׃

If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master, to whom she was designated, he shall facilitate her redemption. Upon purchasing a Hebrew maidservant, the master must take into account that he is commanded to marry her, or have her marry one of his sons. If she is displeasing to him, she can be redeemed in the following manner: The sum of her purchase is divided by six, which determines the value of each year of her servitude, and if she is willing to compensate him for the remaining years of her service, he must accept the payment and she returns home. Alternatively, he must allow this compensation to be paid by someone else if the maidservant is interested in that individual’s patronage. In any case, he shall not presume to sell her to a foreign people, another family, in his betrayal of her. She entered his household under the assumption that she would marry one of the family members. If this marriage does not come to fruition, which is a form of betrayal, the master may not sell the rights to the maidservant to anyone else. Rather, he must allow her to go free.

וְאִם־לִבְנ֖וֹ יִֽיעָדֶ֑נָּה כְּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַבָּנ֖וֹת יַעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽהּ׃

If he designates her for his son in marriage, he and his son may not consider her as their property. Rather, he shall treat her as is the practice of the daughters . From a legal perspective, the purchase of the Hebrew maidservant is considered the first step toward marriage, similar to betrothal. Although this marriage was not established in the conventional method, it is considered like a regular marriage and she must be treated in the same manner as any other Israelite woman.

אִם־אַחֶ֖רֶת יִֽקַּֽח־ל֑וֹ שְׁאֵרָ֛הּ כְּסוּתָ֥הּ וְעֹנָתָ֖הּ לֹ֥א יִגְרָֽע׃

Consequently, if he , the son takes another wife for himself, after marrying the Hebrew maidservant, the rights of the former maidservant remain protected. He is required to fulfill all his marital obligations toward his first wife, and therefore he shall not diminish her food, her garments, or her conjugal rights.

וְאִם־שְׁלָ֨שׁ־אֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לָ֑הּ וְיָצְאָ֥ה חִנָּ֖ם אֵ֥ין כָּֽסֶף׃ (ס)

If he does not perform one of these three for her, in that he does not marry her, have her marry his son, or facilitate her redemption, she shall leave without charge; there is no payment, and all her obligations to the master are canceled.

מַכֵּ֥ה אִ֛ישׁ וָמֵ֖ת מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃

One who strikes a man in any fashion, and he dies as a result of his wounds, shall be put to death. The murderer is liable to receive the death penalty.

וַאֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א צָדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אִנָּ֣ה לְיָד֑וֹ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מָק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָנ֖וּס שָֽׁמָּה׃ (ס)

But for one who killed another but did not have intent to kill him, and God caused it to come to his hand through some accident, he is not liable to receive the death penalty. Rather, I will provide you a place where he shall flee, as explained in detail elsewhere.

וְכִֽי־יָזִ֥ד אִ֛ישׁ עַל־רֵעֵ֖הוּ לְהָרְג֣וֹ בְעָרְמָ֑ה מֵעִ֣ם מִזְבְּחִ֔י תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּ לָמֽוּת׃ (ס)

If a man shall act intentionally against his neighbor to kill him cunningly, he is liable to receive the death penalty. Consequently, you shall take him even from My altar to die. There indeed were cases of individuals who grabbed hold of the corners of the altar in an attempt to seek refuge, under God’s protection, from the rule of law. However, the altar does not protect one from his rightful punishment. Although he is not actually killed at the altar, and in this sense it does provide him with temporary protection, he must be removed from the Temple compound to the court, where he is judged and sentenced.

וּמַכֵּ֥ה אָבִ֛יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃

Similar to the preceding laws involving murder, the following laws are also related to the Ten Precepts. One who strikes his father or his mother, even if he does not kill them, has violated a severe prohibition, as he has acted in a manner that is diametrically opposed to the commandment to honor one’s parents. Consequently, he shall be put to death.

וְגֹנֵ֨ב אִ֧ישׁ וּמְכָר֛וֹ וְנִמְצָ֥א בְיָד֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ (ס)

In the case of one who abducts a man and he sells him as a slave, or he, the kidnapped man, is found in his, the abductor’s, possession before he could be sold, he, the kidnapper, shall be put to death. The Sages contend that the prohibition of stealing listed in the Ten Precepts applies specifically to kidnapping, which is punishable by the death penalty.

וּמְקַלֵּ֥ל אָבִ֛יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ (ס)

One who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. Although the biblical term for “curse” may apply to any expression of derision or contempt, cursing one’s parent is punishable by death only in particularly harsh expressions of wishing evil upon one’s parent. Merely contemptuous remarks addressed to a parent are the subject of a different verse: “Cursed is one who demeans his father or his mother.”

וְכִֽי־יְרִיבֻ֣ן אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְהִכָּה־אִישׁ֙ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ בְּאֶ֖בֶן א֣וֹ בְאֶגְרֹ֑ף וְלֹ֥א יָמ֖וּת וְנָפַ֥ל לְמִשְׁכָּֽב׃

If men quarrel, and in the course of their argument one strikes the other with a stone or with a fist, forcefully enough to cause death, and he does not die but collapses into bed due to his injuries,

אִם־יָק֞וּם וְהִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּח֛וּץ עַל־מִשְׁעַנְתּ֖וֹ וְנִקָּ֣ה הַמַּכֶּ֑ה רַ֥ק שִׁבְתּ֛וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן וְרַפֹּ֥א יְרַפֵּֽא׃ (ס)

if he, the injured person, arises and walks outside on his walking cane, as he is healing and is able walk without assistance from others, then the assailant shall be absolved of the death penalty, which would have applied had the victim died. He shall give only his loss of livelihood, and he shall provide healing. The assailant must compensate his victim for the wages he lost while he was unable to work due to his injuries. The assailant must also pay for the medical treatment the victim required to recover from his wounds.

וְכִֽי־יַכֶּה֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּ֜וֹ א֤וֹ אֶת־אֲמָתוֹ֙ בַּשֵּׁ֔בֶט וּמֵ֖ת תַּ֣חַת יָד֑וֹ נָקֹ֖ם יִנָּקֵֽם׃

If a man strikes his gentile slave or his gentile maidservant, whose status is lower than that of a Hebrew slave or maidservant, with a staff, and he, the slave or maidservant, dies under his hand, from the master’s blows, he shall be avenged. he master is liable to receive the death penalty for killing a human being, regardless of the fact that he was a gentile slave.

אַ֥ךְ אִם־י֛וֹם א֥וֹ יוֹמַ֖יִם יַעֲמֹ֑ד לֹ֣א יֻקַּ֔ם כִּ֥י כַסְפּ֖וֹ הֽוּא׃ (ס)

However, if he, the slave, shall survive a day or two days, despite his grave injuries, he shall not be avenged. The master is not liable to receive the death penalty, as he, the slave, is his property. The master is less accountable for the outcome of his aggression than others, due to the fact that he struck him in the regular manner in which masters discipline their slaves. Conversely, if one strikes someone who is not a gentile slave and the victim dies, one is liable to receive the death penalty even if the victim does not die immediately.

וְכִֽי־יִנָּצ֣וּ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְנָ֨גְפ֜וּ אִשָּׁ֤ה הָרָה֙ וְיָצְא֣וּ יְלָדֶ֔יהָ וְלֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה אָס֑וֹן עָנ֣וֹשׁ יֵעָנֵ֗שׁ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר יָשִׁ֤ית עָלָיו֙ בַּ֣עַל הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וְנָתַ֖ן בִּפְלִלִֽים׃

If men fight, and as they struggle, they accidentally strike a bystander who is a pregnant woman and her children are miscarried, but there is no fatality of the woman herself, he, the individual who struck the woman, shall be fined, as the husband of the woman shall impose upon him. The woman’s husband may sue him for the loss of the offspring, and if they fail to reach an agreement with regard to the compensation, he shall give in court, in accordance with the determination of the judges.

וְאִם־אָס֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֑ה וְנָתַתָּ֥ה נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ׃

But if there will be a fatality, the woman died, then you shall give a life for a life. From the context it can be inferred that this is referring to monetary payment rather than the death penalty, as this is not a case of premeditated murder but an accidental killing due to negligence.

עַ֚יִן תַּ֣חַת עַ֔יִן שֵׁ֖ן תַּ֣חַת שֵׁ֑ן יָ֚ד תַּ֣חַת יָ֔ד רֶ֖גֶל תַּ֥חַת רָֽגֶל׃

Similarly, if one caused permanent bodily damage to another, whether in the course of a fight or in some other manner, he must pay an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; a hand for a hand; a foot for a foot;

כְּוִיָּה֙ תַּ֣חַת כְּוִיָּ֔ה פֶּ֖צַע תַּ֣חַת פָּ֑צַע חַבּוּרָ֕ה תַּ֖חַת חַבּוּרָֽה׃ (ס)

a burn for a burn; an open wound for a wound; an injury, without breaking the skin, for an injury.

וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־אֶת־עֵ֥ין אֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ לַֽחָפְשִׁ֥י יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ תַּ֥חַת עֵינֽוֹ׃ (ס)

The Torah states another law involving physical injury: If a man shall strike the eye of his gentile slave, or the eye of his gentile maidservant, and he thereby destroys it, by rendering it permanently unusable, he shall send him to freedom in compensation for his eye.

וְאִם־שֵׁ֥ן עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־שֵׁ֥ן אֲמָת֖וֹ יַפִּ֑יל לַֽחָפְשִׁ֥י יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ תַּ֥חַת שִׁנּֽוֹ׃ (פ)

Furthermore, even if he, the master, shall merely dislodge the tooth of his slave or the tooth of his maidservant, he shall be penalized by having to send him to freedom for his tooth.

וְכִֽי־יִגַּ֨ח שׁ֥וֹר אֶת־אִ֛ישׁ א֥וֹ אֶת־אִשָּׁ֖ה וָמֵ֑ת סָק֨וֹל יִסָּקֵ֜ל הַשּׁ֗וֹר וְלֹ֤א יֵאָכֵל֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וּבַ֥עַל הַשּׁ֖וֹר נָקִֽי׃

Up to this point, with the exception of Hebrew slaves and maidservants, all of the laws in this section are cases of criminal law, illegal acts such as murder and inflicting bodily harm, as well as acting disrespectfully toward one’s parents, which is a crime in Jewish law. When there was a criminal justice system that functioned in accordance with Jewish law, capital punishment could be meted out for certain infractions of criminal law. Criminals were judged by a special rabbinical court of twenty-three judges. From this verse onward, the focus is mainly on civil law. If an ox belonging to someone gores a man or a woman and he shall die, the ox shall be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten. As soon as the ox is sentenced to stoning its meat is rendered forbidden for consumption. And the owner of the ox is absolved from personal responsibility for the victim’s death, and he is not punished beyond the loss of his ox.

וְאִ֡ם שׁוֹר֩ נַגָּ֨ח ה֜וּא מִתְּמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֗ם וְהוּעַ֤ד בִּבְעָלָיו֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְרֶ֔נּוּ וְהֵמִ֥ית אִ֖ישׁ א֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֑ה הַשּׁוֹר֙ יִסָּקֵ֔ל וְגַם־בְּעָלָ֖יו יוּמָֽת׃

But if this is not the first occurrence of such a terrible event, as the ox was wont to gore people and endanger them previously, and witnesses had testified to these events in the presence of the owner, and its owner was warned by the court that this is a dangerous ox, but nevertheless he did not guard it and it killed a man or a woman, then the ox shall be stoned for killing a person, and its owner too shall die [ yumat ]. The wording “and its owner too shall die” is formulated in an unusual manner. It differs from the double formulation [ mot yumat ] that appears in many other verses (see, e.g., verse 16). The reason for this distinction is that although the owner of the ox may be worthy of death for his negligence, he is not liable to receive the death penalty by the court.

אִם־כֹּ֖פֶר יוּשַׁ֣ת עָלָ֑יו וְנָתַן֙ פִּדְיֹ֣ן נַפְשׁ֔וֹ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יוּשַׁ֖ת עָלָֽיו׃

Instead, when a monetary ransom is imposed upon him, the owner of the ox, then he shall give ransom of his life, in accordance with all that will be imposed upon him by the court. Instead of being executed, he pays the value of his life as ransom. Some Sages explain that the ransom is the value of his victim’s life. The amount to be paid is determined by objective criteria used for assessing the value of a person.

אוֹ־בֵ֥ן יִגָּ֖ח אוֹ־בַ֣ת יִגָּ֑ח כַּמִּשְׁפָּ֥ט הַזֶּ֖ה יֵעָ֥שֶׂה לּֽוֹ׃

Whether it shall gore a son or it shall gore a daughter, even if it gores a minor, in accordance with this ordinance shall be done to him. These laws do not depend upon the victim’s age.

אִם־עֶ֛בֶד יִגַּ֥ח הַשּׁ֖וֹר א֣וֹ אָמָ֑ה כֶּ֣סֶף ׀ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שְׁקָלִ֗ים יִתֵּן֙ לַֽאדֹנָ֔יו וְהַשּׁ֖וֹר יִסָּקֵֽל׃ (ס)

If the ox shall gore a gentile slave or a gentile maidservant, who do not have the status of full citizens, he, the owner of the ox, shall give thirty silver shekels to his, the slave’s, master, and the ox shall be stoned, like any case where an animal causes the death of a human being.

וְכִֽי־יִפְתַּ֨ח אִ֜ישׁ בּ֗וֹר א֠וֹ כִּֽי־יִכְרֶ֥ה אִ֛ישׁ בֹּ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יְכַסֶּ֑נּוּ וְנָֽפַל־שָׁ֥מָּה שּׁ֖וֹר א֥וֹ חֲמֽוֹר׃

The Torah states another case involving civil law and injury: If a man shall uncover a pit that had previously been covered up properly, or if a man shall dig a pit himself and he does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey or any other living creature falls there,

בַּ֤עַל הַבּוֹר֙ יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם כֶּ֖סֶף יָשִׁ֣יב לִבְעָלָ֑יו וְהַמֵּ֖ת יִֽהְיֶה־לּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

the owner of the pit, the one who dug the pit or uncovered it is responsible for the damage and he shall pay. He shall compensate its owner with silver and the carcass shall be his. Once the individual responsible for the pit has paid the owner of the animal, he has the right to take the dead animal, which still has some value. The owner of the animal has no rights to the carcass because he has been compensated for the full value of his animal. Alternatively, this verse teaches the opposite, that the dead animal remains the property of its original owner. The owner of the pit, after returning the carcass to its owner, may subtract the value of the carcass from the value of the live animal that he must pay in compensation .

וְכִֽי־יִגֹּ֧ף שֽׁוֹר־אִ֛ישׁ אֶת־שׁ֥וֹר רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת וּמָ֨כְר֜וּ אֶת־הַשּׁ֤וֹר הַחַי֙ וְחָצ֣וּ אֶת־כַּסְפּ֔וֹ וְגַ֥ם אֶת־הַמֵּ֖ת יֶֽחֱצֽוּן׃

If the ox of a man shall strike and injure the ox of his neighbor in any manner, such as by pushing or goring it, and it dies, they shall sell the living ox that caused the damage and divide its value, the price received for its sale, and they shall divide the price for which they can sell the carcass too. In this manner, the owner of the ox that caused the injury compensates the other owner for half the damage, as he pays the value of half of his ox minus half the value of the carcass. The sale mentioned in the verse represents the share of the live ox that is granted to the owner of the dead ox.

א֣וֹ נוֹדַ֗ע כִּ֠י שׁ֣וֹר נַגָּ֥ח הוּא֙ מִתְּמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמְרֶ֖נּוּ בְּעָלָ֑יו שַׁלֵּ֨ם יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם שׁוֹר֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשּׁ֔וֹר וְהַמֵּ֖ת יִֽהְיֶה־לּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

Or if it became known to the court that it is an ox wont to gore previously, and this is at least the third or fourth time that it has gored and yet its owners would not take the necessary steps to guard it properly, he shall pay a live ox in exchange for the dead ox, and the carcass shall be his own, as the owner of the dead ox has received full compensation for his loss (see verse 34).

כִּ֤י יִגְנֹֽב־אִישׁ֙ שׁ֣וֹר אוֹ־שֶׂ֔ה וּטְבָח֖וֹ א֣וֹ מְכָר֑וֹ חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה בָקָ֗ר יְשַׁלֵּם֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשּׁ֔וֹר וְאַרְבַּע־צֹ֖אן תַּ֥חַת הַשֶּֽׂה׃

If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, this is not a simple case of greed, where the offender succumbed to a momentary temptation, but a crime committed over an extended period of time and which eventually leads to the loss of the stolen item. Therefore, he shall pay five oxen for the ox, and four sheep for the sheep. The thief pays four or five times the value of the animal he stole, unlike standard cases of theft where one pays only double the value of the item he stole (see 22:3).