Kiddushin, Daf Tet Zayin, Part 2

 

Introduction

Today s section discusses how a Hebrew slave goes free.

 

וקונה את עצמו בשנים : דכתיב (שמות כא, ב) שש שנים יעבד ובשביעית וגו’ :

 

And acquires himself by years. As it is written, Six years he shall serve: and in the seventh] he shall go out free for nothing (Exodus 21:2).

 

The Mishnah teaches that which is stated explicitly in the Torah.

 

ביובל : דכתיב (ויקרא כה, מ) עד שנת היובל יעבד עמך :

 

And by the Jubilee: As it is written, Until the year of Jubilee he shall work with him (Leviticus 25:40).

 

בגרעון כסף : אמר חזקיה דאמר קרא (שמות כא, ח) והפדה מלמד שמגרע פדיונה ויוצאה

 

And by deduction from the purchase price. Hezekiah said: For Scriptures says, Then he shall let her be redeemed (Exodus 21:18): This teaches that she reduces from her redemption money and goes free.

 

A slave may also go free by essentially buying himself back. This is done by dividing the purchase money into the number of years of acquisition. Then the amount the person has worked is reduced, the slave pays back the rest and goes free.

 

תנא וקונה את עצמו בכסף ובשוה כסף ובשטר

בשלמא כסף דכתיב (ויקרא כה, נא) מכסף מקנתו

שוה כסף נמי (ויקרא כה, נא) ישיב גאולתו אמר רחמנא לרבות שוה כסף ככסף

אלא האי שטר ה"ד אילימא דכתב ליה שטרא אדמיה היינו כסף

אלא שיחרור שטר למה לי לימא ליה באפי תרי זיל א"נ באפי בי דינא זיל

אמר רבא זאת אומרת עבד עברי גופו קנוי והרב שמחל על גרעונו אין גרעונו מחול :

A Tanna taught: And he may acquire himself by money, its equivalent, and by document.

This makes sense for money for it is written, [He shall give back the price of his redemption] out of the money he was bought for (Leviticus 25:51).

Its equivalent also makes sense [for it is also written], He shall give back the price of his redemption, (ibid) this comes to include the equivalent of money as being equal to money.

But this deed, what is the case? If we say that he [the slave] writes a document for the [redemption] money? This is the same as money!

But if it is [a document of] manumission, why is a document necessary? Let him say to him in the presence of two, or in the presence of a court Go free ?

Rava said: This proves that a Hebrew slave belongs bodily [to his master] and if the master forgives him the deduction, the deduction is not forgiven.

 

A baraita teaches that a slave goes free either by money, money s equivalent or a document. The first two are easy to understand and are anchored in the verse. But what about the document? What kind of a document is this? If it is just an IOU, then it is equivalent to money. And seemingly it should not be a document of manumission, because we would think that a slave does not really need a document of manumission. It should be enough that the master simply tells him to go free.

This leads Rava to say that the slave actually belongs bodily to his master and cannot go free without a document of manumission. An oral declaration is not enough.