Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Het, Part 5

Introduction

R. Elazar b. R. Shimon said that the mitzvah to release slaves at the Jubilee year is observed outside of Israel even though it is connected to the Land. But the release of slaves is a personal obligation, so why list it as an exception.

שילוח עבדים חובת הגוף היא

סד"א הואיל וכתיב (ויקרא כה, י) וקראתם דרור בארץ בארץ אין בחוצה לארץ לא תלמוד לומר יובל היא מכל מקום אם כן מה תלמוד לומר בארץ בזמן שהדרור נוהג בארץ נוהג בחוצה לארץ אין דרור נוהג בארץ אינו נוהג בחוצה לארץ

[Again], freeing of slaves is a personal obligation!

I might have thought, since it is written, And you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land (Leviticus 25:10), it applies only in the Land, but not outside of the Land; therefore Scripture says, It is a Jubilee, implying, under all circumstances.

If so, why does Scripture say the Land ? To teach you, when liberation [of slaves] is practiced in the Land, it is practiced outside the Land; when it is not practiced in the Land, it is not practiced outside the Land.

While freeing of slaves is a personal obligation, it still needs to be listed as an exception to the rule that mitzvoth tied to the Land are practiced only in the Land. First of all, the verse states throughout the Land, which might give the impression that it is observed only in the Land. Second, its observance outside the Land is dependent on its observance inside the Land. For both of these reasons, R. Elazar b. R. Shimon listed it as an exception to the general rule.