Exodus 21:7-11
7 If a man sells his daughter as a bondswoman, she shall not laseave like the leavetaking of the slaves.
8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master, who should have designated her for himself, he shall assist in her redeemption; he shall not have power to sell her to a strange man, for he had betrayed her.
9 If he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the rights of a young woman.
10 If he shall take another in addition to her for , he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital relationship.
11 If he does not perform these three things for her, she shall leave free of charge, without payment.
7-11. "Sale" of a daughter. Until a girl reaches puberty, the Torah gives her father the right to "sell" her as a bondswoman, but, as the passage itself and the teachings of the Sages make clear, this right is given him for her benefit. He is permitted to "sell" her because the sale is expected to result in her marriage to either her master or his son. In fact, if neither of the two marries her, the Torah regards it as a betrayal of the girl (v.8). If one of them chooses to marry her, the purchase price received by the father will constitute betrothal money, by means of which she will become consecrated to either of them (Kiddushin 18b), equivalent to the ring that is currently used to effect betrothal. Ordinarily, a father should not exercise his right of betrothal while his daughter is still a child (Kiddushin 41a), but in the case of this passage he may do so because it is an opportunity to provide for her future that would otherwise not be available (R'Hirsch).
The girl goes free without payment in one of three ways: (a) at the end of six years; (b) upon the advent of of the Jubilee Year; and (c) when her puberty begins.
7. She shall not leave.... Neither she nor a Jewish bondsman goes free as a result of a particular sort of mishap that would result in the freedom of non-Jewish slaves, i.e., in the event their master injures them as set forth below (see Exodus 21:26-27) If the master were to inflict such injuries on a Jewish bondsman or girl, he would be required to pay for the damages, but not free them (Rashi).
8. For himself. The Hebrew word spelled means, did not, but it is pronounced, for himself. In such cases, the word is interpreted according to pronunciation, so that our verse indicates that the master had a moral obligation to arrange for the marriage to take place (Ibn Ezra). Taking both the spelling and pronunciation into account, the verse is atatingthat he did not designate her for himself, though he should have.
He shall assist in her redemption, She and her family have the right to buy her freedom from servitude,and the master is obligated to make it easier for them to do so by assigning an unrealistically low financial value to her remaining years. For example, when she if she had been sold when she was five years old, her value as a maidservant in the first year would be negligible compared to that of her sixth year of servitude, when she is more mature and responsible. Thus, if she is to be redeemed after only two or three years, her master would be justified in demanding to be reimbursed for nearly all of his purchase price. Nevertheless, the Torah requires him to assist in her redemption by assigning the same value to each of her working years. Thus, if she were being redeemed after three years, he must accept no more than half the purchase price (Rashi).
To a strange man [lit. To a strange nation], Thee Sages interpret the prohibition to refer to both the father and the master: Neither has the right to sell her to someone after they have betrayed her by the initial sale that did not end up in marriage (Rashi). The literal meaning of the verse is equally valid: it never permitted to betray a Jewish girl by selling her to a foreign nation (R'Bachya).
9. According to the rights of the young woman, who were not sold. These rights, mentioned in the next verse, are a husbands's responsibility to provide his wife with foos, clothing and marital relations (Rashi). Even though this woman had become his wife by means of a "purchase", she had the same rights as a wife who comes from the most distinguished family in Israel. Furthermore, the Torah cautions him that even if he takes another wife, his responsibilities to this one remain full force.
11. These three. If she was not married to her master, his Son, or if not redeemed, she goes free without payment, at the conclusion of her obligated time. The Sages derived from this verse that she has a means of going free that does not apply to make bondsmen: She goes free with the onset of puberty, even if she had not had worked for six years (Rashi).
7 If a man sells his daughter as a bondswoman, she shall not laseave like the leavetaking of the slaves.
8 If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master, who should have designated her for himself, he shall assist in her redeemption; he shall not have power to sell her to a strange man, for he had betrayed her.
9 If he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the rights of a young woman.
10 If he shall take another in addition to her for , he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital relationship.
11 If he does not perform these three things for her, she shall leave free of charge, without payment.
7-11. "Sale" of a daughter. Until a girl reaches puberty, the Torah gives her father the right to "sell" her as a bondswoman, but, as the passage itself and the teachings of the Sages make clear, this right is given him for her benefit. He is permitted to "sell" her because the sale is expected to result in her marriage to either her master or his son. In fact, if neither of the two marries her, the Torah regards it as a betrayal of the girl (v.8). If one of them chooses to marry her, the purchase price received by the father will constitute betrothal money, by means of which she will become consecrated to either of them (Kiddushin 18b), equivalent to the ring that is currently used to effect betrothal. Ordinarily, a father should not exercise his right of betrothal while his daughter is still a child (Kiddushin 41a), but in the case of this passage he may do so because it is an opportunity to provide for her future that would otherwise not be available (R'Hirsch).
The girl goes free without payment in one of three ways: (a) at the end of six years; (b) upon the advent of of the Jubilee Year; and (c) when her puberty begins.
7. She shall not leave.... Neither she nor a Jewish bondsman goes free as a result of a particular sort of mishap that would result in the freedom of non-Jewish slaves, i.e., in the event their master injures them as set forth below (see Exodus 21:26-27) If the master were to inflict such injuries on a Jewish bondsman or girl, he would be required to pay for the damages, but not free them (Rashi).
8. For himself. The Hebrew word spelled means, did not, but it is pronounced, for himself. In such cases, the word is interpreted according to pronunciation, so that our verse indicates that the master had a moral obligation to arrange for the marriage to take place (Ibn Ezra). Taking both the spelling and pronunciation into account, the verse is atatingthat he did not designate her for himself, though he should have.
He shall assist in her redemption, She and her family have the right to buy her freedom from servitude,and the master is obligated to make it easier for them to do so by assigning an unrealistically low financial value to her remaining years. For example, when she if she had been sold when she was five years old, her value as a maidservant in the first year would be negligible compared to that of her sixth year of servitude, when she is more mature and responsible. Thus, if she is to be redeemed after only two or three years, her master would be justified in demanding to be reimbursed for nearly all of his purchase price. Nevertheless, the Torah requires him to assist in her redemption by assigning the same value to each of her working years. Thus, if she were being redeemed after three years, he must accept no more than half the purchase price (Rashi).
To a strange man [lit. To a strange nation], Thee Sages interpret the prohibition to refer to both the father and the master: Neither has the right to sell her to someone after they have betrayed her by the initial sale that did not end up in marriage (Rashi). The literal meaning of the verse is equally valid: it never permitted to betray a Jewish girl by selling her to a foreign nation (R'Bachya).
9. According to the rights of the young woman, who were not sold. These rights, mentioned in the next verse, are a husbands's responsibility to provide his wife with foos, clothing and marital relations (Rashi). Even though this woman had become his wife by means of a "purchase", she had the same rights as a wife who comes from the most distinguished family in Israel. Furthermore, the Torah cautions him that even if he takes another wife, his responsibilities to this one remain full force.
11. These three. If she was not married to her master, his Son, or if not redeemed, she goes free without payment, at the conclusion of her obligated time. The Sages derived from this verse that she has a means of going free that does not apply to make bondsmen: She goes free with the onset of puberty, even if she had not had worked for six years (Rashi).
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