וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai before the Israelites set out for the Land of Israel, despite the fact that the following halakhot would be practiced only when they reached their land, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהוָֽה׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Sabbath to the Lord. Just as the weekly Sabbath, during which people must rest, expresses the sovereignty of God as the Creator, so too this sabbatical year, which occurs once every seven years, represents God’s lordship over the land.

שֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

Six years you will sow your field, and six years you will prune your vineyard, and you will gather its produce. You must harvest and collect everything you have planted before the beginning of the seventh year.

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהוָ֑ה שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃

In the seventh year, it shall be a sabbatical rest for the land, just as the weekly Sabbath is a rest for people, a Sabbath for the Lord; your field you shall not sow, and your vineyard you shall not prune.

אֵ֣ת סְפִ֤יחַ קְצִֽירְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־עִנְּבֵ֥י נְזִירֶ֖ךָ לֹ֣א תִבְצֹ֑ר שְׁנַ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֥ה לָאָֽרֶץ׃

The aftergrowth of your reaping, the produce that grows by itself from the remnants that fell to the ground during the previous harvest, without any plowing and sowing on your part, you shall not reap in the normal manner of an owner in his field, despite the fact that it is permitted to consume this produce. And the uncultivated grapes of your vine, the grapes of the seventh year, which are for the Lord, or the grapes of highest quality, you shall not gather. This year is not designated as a time of rest for humans; rather, it shall be a sabbatical year for the land.

וְ֠הָיְתָה שַׁבַּ֨ת הָאָ֤רֶץ לָכֶם֙ לְאָכְלָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ הַגָּרִ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃

The Sabbath of the land, the produce that grows during the seventh year, also called the Shemitta Year, shall be yours for eating, for you, and for your slave, and for your maidservant, and for your hired laborer, and for your resident alien who reside with you, all the inhabitants of the Land of Israel.

וְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ תִּהְיֶ֥ה כָל־תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ (ס)

And for your animals, your livestock, and for the wild beasts, including birds, that are in your land, all of its, the year’s, produce shall be to eat.

וְסָפַרְתָּ֣ לְךָ֗ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת שָׁנִ֔ים שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהָי֣וּ לְךָ֗ יְמֵי֙ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תֵּ֥שַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃

These Sabbatical Years are themselves part of a larger cycle: You shall count for yourselves seven Sabbatical Years, seven years seven times, and they shall be to you the days of the seven Sabbatical Years, forty-nine years.

וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ שׁוֹפַ֤ר תְּרוּעָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י בֶּעָשׂ֖וֹר לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בְּיוֹם֙ הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ שׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּכָל־אַרְצְכֶֽם׃

After forty-nine years, you shall sound an alarm blast of the shofar during the seventh month, on the tenth day; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound the shofar throughout your land, thereby proclaiming the start of a new year.

וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכָל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ׃

You shall sanctify the fiftieth year, in which there is an even more significant cessation of activities and transactions than in the Sabbatical Year, and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. You must ensure that all slaves are freed from all bonds. It shall be a Jubilee Year, of blowing the shofar, to you; each man shall return to his ancestral portion, and each man shall return to his family. The fiftieth year is a year of manumission, at which point certain matters revert to their original state.

יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֗וא שְׁנַ֛ת הַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔עוּ וְלֹ֤א תִקְצְרוּ֙ אֶת־סְפִיחֶ֔יהָ וְלֹ֥א תִבְצְר֖וּ אֶת־נְזִרֶֽיהָ׃

It is a Jubilee, the fiftieth year shall be for you; you shall not sow, and you shall not reap its aftergrowth, and you shall not gather its uncultivated grapes.

כִּ֚י יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֔וא קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם מִן־הַ֨שָּׂדֶ֔ה תֹּאכְל֖וּ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

Since it is a Jubilee, it shall be sacred for you; you shall abstain from working the land and reaping its produce in the manner of an owner. From the field you shall eat its produce, which must be made available to all. As in the Sabbatical Year, the produce does not belong to you; rather, it is comparable to public property located in your custody.

בִּשְׁנַ֥ת הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל הַזֹּ֑את תָּשֻׁ֕בוּ אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

In this Jubilee Year you shall return each man to his ancestral portion. If one sold his family’s land during the previous forty-nine years, it will revert to his possession in the Jubilee Year.

וְכִֽי־תִמְכְּר֤וּ מִמְכָּר֙ לַעֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ א֥וֹ קָנֹ֖ה מִיַּ֣ד עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ אַל־תּוֹנ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃

The verse states a related halakha : If you sell a sale item to your counterpart, another citizen, or acquire an article from the hand of your counterpart, you shall not exploit one another by cheating. Of course, fraud is always prohibited, but it is mentioned in this context for a specific reason:

בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שָׁנִים֙ אַחַ֣ר הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל תִּקְנֶ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁנֵֽי־תְבוּאֹ֖ת יִמְכָּר־לָֽךְ׃

The fact that land in the Land of Israel cannot be sold permanently, but merely leased until the Jubilee, affects the price of transactions. On the basis of the number of years after the Jubilee you shall acquire from your counterpart. The price of the land should be calculated based on the number of years that the sale will last. Here the word “after” should be understood to mean “until.” On the basis of the number of crop years, excluding the Sabbatical Years, which provide no profitable yield, he shall sell to you.

לְפִ֣י ׀ רֹ֣ב הַשָּׁנִ֗ים תַּרְבֶּה֙ מִקְנָת֔וֹ וּלְפִי֙ מְעֹ֣ט הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תַּמְעִ֖יט מִקְנָת֑וֹ כִּ֚י מִסְפַּ֣ר תְּבוּאֹ֔ת ה֥וּא מֹכֵ֖ר לָֽךְ׃

According to the abundance of the years, if there are many years until the Jubilee, you shall increase its price, and according to the paucity of the years you shall decrease its price, as it is the number of crops he is selling to you. He is selling you only the right to the land’s produce for a given number of years, not the land itself.

וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

The Torah reiterates that you shall not wrong one another, and you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God. These halakhot are not easy to observe. Canceling all sales of land will likely lead to various complications and misunderstandings. Therefore, the Torah issues an extra warning.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֙ אֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֔י וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֹתָ֑ם וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ לָבֶֽטַח׃

You shall perform My statutes, including the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee Year, and My ordinances, e.g., the halakhot regarding sale of land stated above, you shall observe, and perform them, and then you shall live on the land in security.

וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ פִּרְיָ֔הּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם לָשֹׂ֑בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח עָלֶֽיהָ׃

The land shall yield its produce, as explained below, and you shall eat your fill, and you shall live in security upon it.

וְכִ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ מַה־נֹּאכַ֤֖ל בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת הֵ֚ן לֹ֣א נִזְרָ֔ע וְלֹ֥א נֶאֱסֹ֖ף אֶת־תְּבוּאָתֵֽנוּ׃

If you shall say: What shall we eat during the seventh year? Behold, due to these prohibitions, we shall not sow, nor shall we gather our harvest.

וְצִוִּ֤יתִי אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ לָכֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑ית וְעָשָׂת֙ אֶת־הַתְּבוּאָ֔ה לִשְׁלֹ֖שׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים׃

I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it shall generate the produce so abundantly that it will provide food for the three years: the sixth year, the seventh year, and part of the eighth year.

וּזְרַעְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁמִינִ֔ת וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם מִן־הַתְּבוּאָ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ן עַ֣ד ׀ הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַתְּשִׁיעִ֗ת עַד־בּוֹא֙ תְּב֣וּאָתָ֔הּ תֹּאכְל֖וּ יָשָֽׁן׃

You shall be permitted to sow again in the eighth year, and meanwhile you will eat of the old produce from the sixth year, until the ninth year, until the arrival of its produce that you planted in the eighth year, you shall eat the old.

וְהָאָ֗רֶץ לֹ֤א תִמָּכֵר֙ לִצְמִתֻ֔ת כִּי־לִ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֧ים וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים אַתֶּ֖ם עִמָּדִֽי׃

The Torah stresses once again: The land, the Land of Israel, shall not be sold in perpetuity, as the land is Mine; for you are strangers and resident aliens with Me, as you live in My land under a special agreement, but it does not belong to you. The Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee Year are a reminder and our acknowledgment that the land is no one’s personal property.

וּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑ם גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּתְּנ֥וּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ס)

In all the land of your ancestral portion, the land of Canaan, which will become your ancestral property, you shall provide redemption for the land by returning all properties to their original owners.

כִּֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָכַ֖ר מֵאֲחֻזָּת֑וֹ וּבָ֤א גֹֽאֲלוֹ֙ הַקָּרֹ֣ב אֵלָ֔יו וְגָאַ֕ל אֵ֖ת מִמְכַּ֥ר אָחִֽיו׃

The following halakhot also fall into the general framework of the Jubilee Year: If your brother becomes poor and sells a portion from his ancestral portion for his livelihood, his redeemer, a family member who is close to him, shall come and redeem the sale of his brother. This relative has the right to buy back the property.

וְאִ֕ישׁ כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֖וֹ גֹּאֵ֑ל וְהִשִּׂ֣יגָה יָד֔וֹ וּמָצָ֖א כְּדֵ֥י גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

If a man shall have no redeemer who is able to exercise this right, and after a period of time he , the original owner, acquires the means and finds enough money for its redemption,

וְחִשַּׁב֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י מִמְכָּר֔וֹ וְהֵשִׁיב֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֹדֵ֔ף לָאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָֽכַר־ל֑וֹ וְשָׁ֖ב לַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

he shall calculate the years of its sale, the total number of years that the land would have remained in the buyer’s possession from the time of sale until the Jubilee Year, and subtract the number of years that it was actually under the buyer’s control, and return the balance, the money for the remaining years, to the man to whom he sold it, as compensation to the buyer for the loss of the land’s produce until the Jubilee Year. And he shall return to his ancestral portion.

וְאִ֨ם לֹֽא־מָֽצְאָ֜ה יָד֗וֹ דֵּי֮ הָשִׁ֣יב לוֹ֒ וְהָיָ֣ה מִמְכָּר֗וֹ בְּיַד֙ הַקֹּנֶ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיּוֹבֵ֑ל וְיָצָא֙ בַּיֹּבֵ֔ל וְשָׁ֖ב לַאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

But if he does not acquire enough money for its return to him, then his sale, the property, shall remain in the possession of the buyer until the Jubilee Year; and it shall go out to the seller in the Jubilee without the need for redemption, and he shall return to his ancestral portion.

וְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יִמְכֹּ֤ר בֵּית־מוֹשַׁב֙ עִ֣יר חוֹמָ֔ה וְהָיְתָה֙ גְּאֻלָּת֔וֹ עַד־תֹּ֖ם שְׁנַ֣ת מִמְכָּר֑וֹ יָמִ֖ים תִּהְיֶ֥ה גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

On the other hand, if a man sells a house of residence in a walled city, its right of redemption by the seller shall be until the conclusion of the year of its sale; its redemption shall be for exactly one year .

וְאִ֣ם לֹֽא־יִגָּאֵ֗ל עַד־מְלֹ֣את לוֹ֮ שָׁנָ֣ה תְמִימָה֒ וְ֠קָם הַבַּ֨יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִ֜יר אֲשֶׁר־לא [ל֣וֹ] חֹמָ֗ה לַצְּמִיתֻ֛ת לַקֹּנֶ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ לְדֹרֹתָ֑יו לֹ֥א יֵצֵ֖א בַּיֹּבֵֽל׃

If it, the house, shall not be redeemed until the completion of one full year for it, as the seller was unable to find the means to redeem it during that period, the house that is in the city that has a wall shall be established in perpetuity to the one who bought it for his generations; it shall not go out in the Jubilee. The buyer will become the permanent owner of the house, which does not return to the original owner.

וּבָתֵּ֣י הַחֲצֵרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵין־לָהֶ֤ם חֹמָה֙ סָבִ֔יב עַל־שְׂדֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב גְּאֻלָּה֙ תִּהְיֶה־לּ֔וֹ וּבַיֹּבֵ֖ל יֵצֵֽא׃

But the houses in open cities that have no wall surrounding them shall be reckoned like the fields of the land; it, such a house, shall have redemption like a field, and in the Jubilee it shall go out.

וְעָרֵי֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בָּתֵּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אֲחֻזָּתָ֑ם גְּאֻלַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַלְוִיִּֽם׃

As for the cities of the Levites, with regard to the houses of the cities of their ancestral portion, which are houses owned by Levites within their walled cities, there shall be eternal redemption for the Levites. Houses in the cities of Levites cannot be sold permanently, even if those cities are walled, as these houses are considered their primary property. For most Israelites, houses in cities were not usually sources of livelihood. For Levites, however, such houses were the only real estate they possessed, and therefore they had the same status as the agricultural land of other Israelites.

וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִגְאַל֙ מִן־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְיָצָ֧א מִמְכַּר־בַּ֛יִת וְעִ֥יר אֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ בַּיֹּבֵ֑ל כִּ֣י בָתֵּ֞י עָרֵ֣י הַלְוִיִּ֗ם הִ֚וא אֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Therefore one who buys from the Levites, the sale of the house in the city, or of an entire city, of his ancestral property shall go out in the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their ancestral portion in the midst of the children of Israel. Consequently, even if the Levite seller is unable to redeem such property, it reverts to his possession in the Jubilee Year.

וּֽשְׂדֵ֛ה מִגְרַ֥שׁ עָרֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א יִמָּכֵ֑ר כִּֽי־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ה֖וּא לָהֶֽם׃ (ס)

But the fields of the open land of their cities, surrounding the Levites’ cities, which is the common property of all the residents of the city rather than of individual Levites, shall not be sold, as it is their eternal ancestral portion.

וְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ׃

In a similar vein, the Torah suggests another method by which a poor person’s situation can be improved. If your brother should become poor, and his means fail while living with you, you shall support him, not only your brother but any

אַל־תִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתּוֹ֙ נֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֔ית וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְחֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ עִמָּֽךְ׃

Do not take interest, that is , do not lend money on the condition that the longer the borrower delays repayment the more he is forced to pay, or increase, demand a fixed fee that must be paid in addition to the loan, from him; you shall fear your God, who prohibits these practices, despite the fact that most people consider them normal. And your brother shall live with you. When one offers a loan to someone who needs money, it is only natural to seek to profit from such a transaction. The Torah warns against succumbing to such temptation.

אֶ֨ת־כַּסְפְּךָ֔ לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן ל֖וֹ בְּנֶ֑שֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּ֖ית לֹא־תִתֵּ֥ן אָכְלֶֽךָ׃

Your silver you shall not give him with interest, and with increase you shall not give him even your food. The prohibition applies to loans of all items, not only money.

אֲנִ֗י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לִהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (ס)

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God. This statement serves to emphasize that God is the master of the Jewish people, as He provides them with everything they have. Therefore, one may use his property only in accordance with God’s commandments.

וְכִֽי־יָמ֥וּךְ אָחִ֛יךָ עִמָּ֖ךְ וְנִמְכַּר־לָ֑ךְ לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ד בּ֖וֹ עֲבֹ֥דַת עָֽבֶד׃

If your brother shall become poor with you and is sold to you as a slave due to his financial situation, you shall not work him as a slave by forcing him to perform menial tasks.

כְּשָׂכִ֥יר כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֑ךְ עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַעֲבֹ֥ד עִמָּֽךְ׃

In general, a master does not hesitate to compel his slaves to perform those denigrating tasks that he would not assign to a hired hand, who possesses enough leverage to refuse to do such work. Therefore, the Torah commands: As a hired laborer, as a resident of your area, he, the slave, shall be with you. Furthermore, until the Jubilee Year he shall work with you.

וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב׃

Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him. Anyone who buys a slave also acquires his family by default, as they have no one else to support them. When the slave goes free, his family leaves with him. He shall return to his family, and to the ancestral portion of his fathers he shall return.

כִּֽי־עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לֹ֥א יִמָּכְר֖וּ מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת עָֽבֶד׃

The same principle that was stated above with regard to the land, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, as the land is Mine” (verse 23), is applied here to the children of Israel. They too may not be sold permanently, for they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. The servants of God possess a lofty status, and therefore they shall not be sold as slaves. One may not treat them disrespectfully by putting them up for sale in a slave market.

לֹא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָ֑רֶךְ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Furthermore, you shall not oppress him with uncommonly hard labor; you shall fear your God.

וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיוּ־לָ֑ךְ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵהֶ֥ם תִּקְנ֖וּ עֶ֥בֶד וְאָמָֽה׃

But your slaves and your maidservants whom you shall have from the nations that surround you: From them, but not from your fellow Israelites, you may buy a slave or a maidservant. Gentile slaves, who are not your brothers and do not merit special treatment, may be purchased from the neighboring peoples.

וְ֠גַם מִבְּנֵ֨י הַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜ים הַגָּרִ֤ים עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵהֶ֣ם תִּקְנ֔וּ וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹלִ֖ידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה׃

Also from the children of the resident aliens who reside with you, gentiles who are resident aliens in the Land of Israel, who accept certain basic norms of the Israelites but have not become fully part of the nation, from them you shall buy, and from their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land; they shall be an ancestral portion for you. These slaves may be bought, and you may use them throughout your lives.

וְהִתְנַחֲלְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֤ם אַחֲרֵיכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֲחֻזָּ֔ה לְעֹלָ֖ם בָּהֶ֣ם תַּעֲבֹ֑דוּ וּבְאַ֨חֵיכֶ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אִ֣ישׁ בְּאָחִ֔יו לֹא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ (ס)

Furthermore, you shall bequeath them to your children after you, to inherit as an ancestral portion; like all your other possessions, they are inherited by your children. You shall enslave them forever; there is no set date when you must emancipate them. Indeed, this verse indicates that it is undesirable to free them at all. But with regard to your brethren the children of Israel, one to another, you shall not oppress him with hard labor. You must treat them gently and with respect.

וְכִ֣י תַשִּׂ֗יג יַ֣ד גֵּ֤ר וְתוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ וּמָ֥ךְ אָחִ֖יךָ עִמּ֑וֹ וְנִמְכַּ֗ר לְגֵ֤ר תּוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ א֥וֹ לְעֵ֖קֶר מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת גֵּֽר׃

If a stranger who is a resident with you, a gentile from a different nation who resides among you and who does not worship idolatry, shall acquire means, and your brother becomes poor with, in comparison to, him and he is sold to that wealthy stranger who is a resident with you, or to an offshoot of a stranger’s family who does worship other gods,

אַחֲרֵ֣י נִמְכַּ֔ר גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּהְיֶה־לּ֑וֹ אֶחָ֥ד מֵאֶחָ֖יו יִגְאָלֶֽנּוּ׃

in both such cases, the sale is valid. However, after he, the Israelite, is sold as a slave, he shall have redemption; one of his brothers shall redeem him. One of the slave’s relatives is obligated to do his utmost to buy his freedom.

אוֹ־דֹד֞וֹ א֤וֹ בֶן־דֹּדוֹ֙ יִגְאָלֶ֔נּוּ אֽוֹ־מִשְּׁאֵ֧ר בְּשָׂר֛וֹ מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ יִגְאָלֶ֑נּוּ אֽוֹ־הִשִּׂ֥יגָה יָד֖וֹ וְנִגְאָֽל׃

Or his uncle or his cousin shall redeem him, or another relative from his close kin from his family shall redeem him; or if he himself acquires the means, he shall be redeemed with his own money.

וְחִשַּׁב֙ עִם־קֹנֵ֔הוּ מִשְּׁנַת֙ הִמָּ֣כְרוֹ ל֔וֹ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֑ל וְהָיָ֞ה כֶּ֤סֶף מִמְכָּרוֹ֙ בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שָׁנִ֔ים כִּימֵ֥י שָׂכִ֖יר יִהְיֶ֥ה עִמּֽוֹ׃

He shall calculate with his buyer from the year of his sale to him until the Jubilee Year, and his sale price shall be according to the number of years. All Hebrew slaves go free at the advent of the Jubilee Year, even those owned by gentiles. Therefore, the price of the slave is calculated as a lease until the Jubilee: As the time of a hired laborer, he, the slave, shall be with him.

אִם־ע֥וֹד רַבּ֖וֹת בַּשָּׁנִ֑ים לְפִיהֶן֙ יָשִׁ֣יב גְּאֻלָּת֔וֹ מִכֶּ֖סֶף מִקְנָתֽוֹ׃

If there are still many years for the slave to work until the Jubilee, in accordance with them he shall repay the cost of his redemption from the silver of his purchase.

וְאִם־מְעַ֞ט נִשְׁאַ֧ר בַּשָּׁנִ֛ים עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל וְחִשַּׁב־ל֑וֹ כְּפִ֣י שָׁנָ֔יו יָשִׁ֖יב אֶת־גְּאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

If a few remain of the years until the Jubilee Year, he shall calculate for him; in accordance with his years he shall repay the cost of his redemption. This slave was initially bought at a certain price for a certain number of years’ labor. When he or another comes to redeem him before the Jubilee, he must buy back the years of labor that are left, as dictated by the original price.

כִּשְׂכִ֥יר שָׁנָ֛ה בְּשָׁנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יִרְדֶּ֥נּֽוּ בְּפֶ֖רֶךְ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

As a yearly hired laborer he shall be with him. Even gentiles residing in the Land of Israel are obligated to treat Israelite slaves with the respect accorded to hired workers. He, the gentile master, shall not oppress him with hard labor before your eyes. Since the master is not an Israelite, he might not observe the requirements of the Torah if he is not watched carefully.

וְאִם־לֹ֥א יִגָּאֵ֖ל בְּאֵ֑לֶּה וְיָצָא֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֔ל ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֥יו עִמּֽוֹ׃

If he shall not be redeemed by one of these relatives, his uncle, cousin, or any other relative, and he does not acquire the means to redeem himself, nevertheless he shall go out in the Jubilee Year; he, and his children with him.

כִּֽי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

The chapter summarizes the guiding principle of these halakhot : For to Me the children of Israel are slaves; they are My slaves whom I took out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Since God is the Master of Israel, and the people are His exclusive property, they cannot be treated as chattel, and their servitude is regulated by the terms outlined here.