by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

In this week’s portion we learn about a most interesting type of slavery: the slavery of the Jewish slave.

The Torah describes how a poor Jew decides to sell himself as a slave to another Jew. The Torah allows him to do it. But it is a slavery unlike any other. The master may not ask the slave to do demeaning work. If there aren’t enough pillows for everyone, the master must make sure that the slave gets one. In short, the master must treat the slave quite well. In the words of our sages, “When one acquires a slave it is like he acquired a master for himself.” And then, in the Jubilee year G-d declares that the slave must go free.

One wonders: what does the master see in this slavery relationship that makes him acquire a slave that isn’t much of a slave? What does the slave see in the slavery that would make him sell himself? And what is G-d telling them when he terminates the relationship in the Jubilee year even if they would want to continue?

I once read an insightful, children’s story of two firemen. One fireman was in charge of a big fire station. He had big trucks, and was often called to fight big fires. The other fireman was in charge of a small fire station which had small fire trucks, and was often called to fight small fires. At night the two firemen would sleep in their respective firehouses. The big fireman would dream of how nice it would be if he could get to fight little fires. The little fireman would dream of how nice it would be if he would get to fight big fires.

Following, in a similar theme, it is said that in the city of Vilna, during a severe period of unemployment, a significant group of Jews would stay in shul all morning reciting Tehillim. A visiting preacher witnessed their dedication, and praised them in a speech that he gave.

By the next morning, realizing how praiseworthy it is to say Tehillim, a group of wealthy businessmen decided to take the morning off from work to stay with the poor and recite Tehillim. Their plan was short lived. Hearing of the developments, the Rabbis of town entered and shooed them off to work. “You have your way of serving G-d; they have theirs. Both of you have an obligation to say Tehillim and to study Torah. But to spend your mornings being jealous of the unemployed doesn’t do much for anyone.”

When the Torah describes the case of the master and his slave, we are really being told of two classes of people that looked enviously at one another. Like the firemen in the children’s story, each person thinks that the grass is greener in the other person’s life. The slave looks at the wealthy land-owner and thinks, “How wonderful it would be if I could join his family… Even as a slave.” And the wealthy man looks at the simple life of the poor man and says, “I wish I had some of that simplicity in my life.” One day G-d grants them each their wish.

The Torah allows the poor man to become a slave. In the wealthy man’s house he gets to experience fancy pillows and quilts. In his new home he gets to taste the life of the wealthy.

The wealthy man in turn is exposed to the qualities of the poor man. In the few years that the Jewish slave is with him he comes to appreciate the thriftiness and simplicity that is prevalent among the poor. The slave brings a special dimension to the home of his master and to his children. The slave may have much to teach the master’s children regarding appreciation for the blessings of life.

The Torah honors this relationship until the Jubilee year. At that time freedom is declared throughout the land, and the slave must return to his own home. The Torah allows people to experience the grass which seems greener on the other side of the fence, but only for a certain period of time. At the designated time, G-d says, “Return to your inheritance. Return to the mission which I have assigned you.”

It is said that everything that we need to know we learn in kindergarten. Indeed one of the basic skills you will hear in kindergarten is word building skills. It goes like this: Green, greener, greenest.

Perhaps the message of the slave, his master, and the freedom that G-d proclaims throughout the land is this. The grass may indeed be greener by someone else. Try it. You’ll surely learn much from the experience.

But, although the grass may be greener by someone else, the grass is greenest where you are…Provided that you are all that you were meant to be.

With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos.

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