Sifra Behar Chapter 9

¹1) (Vayikra 25:54) ("And if he not be redeemed with these, then he shall go out on the Yovel year; he and his children with him.") "And if he not be redeemed with these": R. Yossi Haglili says: "with these" (i.e., if he is redeemed by his kin, he goes out) to freedom, and with other men, to servitude (i.e., he serves them for the years he was to serve the gentile). R. Akiva says: "with these" (i.e., if he is redeemed by his kin, he goes out) to servitude, and with other men, to freedom. ²2) R. Shimon says: Whence is it derived that theft of a gentile is "theft" (and forbidden)? From (Vayikra 25:48) "After he is sold, (monetary) redemption shall there be for him" — he shall not be seized (from the gentile without payment). I might think that he may fool him (the gentile into letting him go for a token payment); it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 25:50) "And he shall reckon with his buyer" — with exactitude. ³3) — But perhaps Scripture is speaking of a gentile that is not subject to you, and what can you do to him (to force him? — and for that reason you must be exact with him, and not because theft of a gentile is permitted). — (This is not so, for) "then he shall go out on the Yovel year, he and his children with him" indicates Scripture to be speaking of a gentile who is subject to you. If Scripture speaks thus of a gentile who is subject to you, how much more so of one who is not subject to you! If Scripture is so stringent with theft of a gentile, how much more so, with theft of a Jew! ⁴4) (Vayikra 25:55) "For to Me are the children of Israel servants. They are My servants, whom I took out of the land of Egypt": so that they not subject them to servitude. "I am the L–rd your G d": What is the intent of this (in this context)? We are hereby taught that all who subject them to servitude below are regarded as doing so (to Him) above. ⁵5) ("Do not make for yourselves idols (elilim), and a graven image or a pillar you shall not upraise for yourselves, and a covering stone you shall not place in your land to bow down upon it, for I am the L–rd your G d.") "Do not make for yourselves elilim": This is one of the pejorative names assigned to the gentiles re their rites. "and a graven image or a pillar": Just as a graven image, if you made it, you must void it, so, a pillar, if you made it, you must void it. Just as a pillar comes under "You shall not upraise," so a graven image comes under "You shall not upraise." "You shall not upraise": This refers to (a statue of) Mercury on the ways. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: These are the solar columns on the roof tops. "and a covering stone you shall not place in your land to bow down upon it." In your land you do not prostrate yourselves upon the stones, but you do prostrate yourselves upon the stones in the Temple. ⁶6) "for I am the L–rd your G d, (Vayikra 26:2) My Sabbaths shall you keep and My sanctuary shall you fear." Scripture speaks of one who has been sold to a gentile — that he not say: Since my master serves idolatry, I, too, will serve idolatry; since my master desecrates Sabbaths, I, too, will desecrate the Sabbaths. In this regard it is written "Do not make for yourselves idols," My Sabbaths shall you keep and My sanctuary shall you fear": Scripture hereby exhorts (the servant) to (the fulfillment of) all the mitzvoth. "I am the L–rd" — trusted to reward.