Parshas Mishpatim - Rishon

Chapter 21

(א) וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ (ב) כִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחׇפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם׃ (ג) אִם־בְּגַפּ֥וֹ יָבֹ֖א בְּגַפּ֣וֹ יֵצֵ֑א אִם־בַּ֤עַל אִשָּׁה֙ ה֔וּא וְיָצְאָ֥ה אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (ד) אִם־אֲדֹנָיו֙ יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֔ה וְיָלְדָה־ל֥וֹ בָנִ֖ים א֣וֹ בָנ֑וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֣ה וִילָדֶ֗יהָ תִּהְיֶה֙ לַֽאדֹנֶ֔יהָ וְה֖וּא יֵצֵ֥א בְגַפּֽוֹ׃ (ה) וְאִם־אָמֹ֤ר יֹאמַר֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד אָהַ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֔י אֶת־אִשְׁתִּ֖י וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑י לֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א חׇפְשִֽׁי׃ (ו) וְהִגִּישׁ֤וֹ אֲדֹנָיו֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְהִגִּישׁוֹ֙ אֶל־הַדֶּ֔לֶת א֖וֹ אֶל־הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה וְרָצַ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤יו אֶת־אׇזְנוֹ֙ בַּמַּרְצֵ֔עַ וַעֲבָד֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽם׃ {ס}

(א) וְאִלֵין דִינַיָא דִי תַסְדַר קֳדָמֵיהוֹן: (ב) אֲרֵי תִזְבַּן עַבְדָא בַר יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁתְּ שְׁנִין יִפְלָח וּבַשְׁבִיעֵתָא יִפּוֹק לְבַר חוֹרִין מַגָן: (ג) אִם בִּלְחוֹדוֹהִי יֵיעוֹל בִּלְחוֹדוֹהִי יִפּוֹק אִם בְּעֵל אִתְּתָא הוּא וְתִפּוֹק אִתְּתֵהּ עִמֵהּ: (ד) אִם רִבּוֹנֵהּ יִתֶּן לֵהּ אִתְּתָא וּתְלִיד לֵהּ בְּנִין אוֹ בְנָן אִתְּתָא וּבְנָהָא תְּהֵי לְרִבּוֹנָהָא וְהוּא יִפּוֹק בִּלְחוֹדוֹהִי: (ה) וְאִם מֵימַר יֵימַר עַבְדָא רָחֵימְנָא יָת רִבּוֹנִי יָת אִתְּתִי וְיָת בְּנָי לָא אֶפּוֹק לְבַר חוֹרִין: (ו) וִיקָרְבִנֵהּ רִבּוֹנֵהּ לִקֳדָם דַיָנַיָא וִיקָרְבִנֵהּ לְוָת דָשָׁא אוֹ לְוָת (נ"א דִילְוָת) מְזֻזְתָּא וְיַרְצַע רִבּוֹנֵהּ יָת אוּדְנֵהּ בְּמַרְצְעָא וִיהֵי לֵהּ עֲבַד פָּלַח לְעָלָם:

1. And these are the ordinances that you shall arrange before them: 2. When you acquire a servant (who is) a son of Israel,[1] he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out a free man without payment. 3. If he came in alone,[2] he shall go out alone; if he’s a married man, his wife shall go out with him. 4. If his master gave him a wife and she delivered to him sons or daughters, the wife and her offspring will be the master’s and he[3] shall leave alone. 5. If the servant says, “I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out a free man,” 6. his master shall bring him before the judges.[4] He shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he will be a servant to him, serving forever.

(ז) וְכִֽי־יִמְכֹּ֥ר אִ֛ישׁ אֶת־בִּתּ֖וֹ לְאָמָ֑ה לֹ֥א תֵצֵ֖א כְּצֵ֥את הָעֲבָדִֽים׃ )ח) אִם־רָעָ֞ה בְּעֵינֵ֧י אֲדֹנֶ֛יהָ אֲשֶׁר־[ל֥וֹ] (לא) יְעָדָ֖הּ וְהֶפְדָּ֑הּ לְעַ֥ם נׇכְרִ֛י לֹא־יִמְשֹׁ֥ל לְמׇכְרָ֖הּ בְּבִגְדוֹ־בָֽהּ׃ (ט) וְאִם־לִבְנ֖וֹ יִֽיעָדֶ֑נָּה כְּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַבָּנ֖וֹת יַעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽהּ׃ (י) אִם־אַחֶ֖רֶת יִֽקַּֽח־ל֑וֹ שְׁאֵרָ֛הּ כְּסוּתָ֥הּ וְעֹנָתָ֖הּ לֹ֥א יִגְרָֽע׃ (יא) וְאִ֨ם־שְׁלׇשׁ־אֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לָ֑הּ וְיָצְאָ֥ה חִנָּ֖ם אֵ֥ין כָּֽסֶף׃ {ס}

(ז) וַאֲרֵי יְזַבֵּן גְבַר יָת בְּרַתֵּהּ לְאַמְהוּ לָא תִפּוֹק כְּמַפְקָנוּת עַבְדַיָא: (ח) אִם בִּישָׁא בְּעֵינֵי רִבּוֹנַהּ דִיקַיְמַהּ לֵהּ וְיִפְרְקִנַהּ לִגְבַר אָחֳרָן לֵית לֵהּ רְשׁוּ לְזַבּוֹנַהּ בְּמִשְׁלְטֵהּ בַהּ: (ט) וְאִם לִבְרֵהּ יְקַיְמִנַהּ כְּהִלְכַת בְּנַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יַעְבֵּד לַהּ: (י) אִם אָחֳרַנְתָּא יִסַב לֵהּ זִיוּנַהּ כְּסוּתַהּ וְעוֹנָתַהּ לָא יִמְנָע: (יא) וְאִם תְּלָת אִלֵין לָא יַעְבֵּד לַהּ וְתִפּוֹק מַגָן בְּלָא כְסַף:

7. If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she shall not go out as the departure of male servants. 8. If it’s displeasing in the eyes of her master to keep her for himself,[5] he shall redeem her. He has no permission[6] to sell her to another man[7] because he ruled over[8] her. 9. If he keeps her for his son, he shall treat her according to the law of the daughters of Israel. 10. If he takes another (wife) for himself, he may not reduce her food,[9] her clothing or her marital intimacy. 11. If he doesn’t do these three things, she shall go out for free, without payment.

(יב) מַכֵּ֥ה אִ֛ישׁ וָמֵ֖ת מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ (יג) וַאֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א צָדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אִנָּ֣ה לְיָד֑וֹ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מָק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָנ֖וּס שָֽׁמָּה׃ {ס}

(יב) דְיִמְחֵי לֶאֱנַשׁ וְיִקְטְלִנֵהּ אִתְקְטָלָא יִתְקְטֵל: (יג) וּדְלָא כְמַן לֵהּ וּמִן קֳדָם יְיָ אִתִּמְסַר לִידֵהּ וֶאֱשַׁוִי לָךְ אֲתַר דִי יֵעִרוֹק לְתַמָן:

12. One who strikes a man and kills him, he shall surely be executed.[10] 13. If he did not entrap him, but from before Hashem it was brought to his hand,[11] I will designate for you a place to which he can flee.

(יד) וְכִֽי־יָזִ֥ד אִ֛ישׁ עַל־רֵעֵ֖הוּ לְהׇרְג֣וֹ בְעׇרְמָ֑ה מֵעִ֣ם מִזְבְּחִ֔י תִּקָּחֶ֖נּוּ לָמֽוּת׃ {ס}

(יד) וַאֲרֵי יַרְשַׁע גְבַר עַל חַבְרֵהּ לְמִקְטְלֵהּ בִנְכִילוּ מִן מַדְבְּחִי תִּדְבְּרִנֵהּ לִמְמָת:

14. If a man acts evilly against his fellow to kill him with guile, you shall take him (even) from My altar to die.

(טו) וּמַכֵּ֥ה אָבִ֛יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ {ס}

(טו) וּדְיִמְחֵי אֲבוּהִי וְאִמֵהּ אִתְקְטָלָא יִתְקְטֵל:

15. One who strikes his father or[12] his mother shall be executed.

(טז) וְגֹנֵ֨ב אִ֧ישׁ וּמְכָר֛וֹ וְנִמְצָ֥א בְיָד֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ {ס}

(טז) וְדִיִגְנוּב נַפְשָׁא מִן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיזַבְּנִנֵהּ וְיִשְׁתְּכַח בִּידֵהּ אִתְקְטָלָא יִתְקְטֵל:

16. One who steals a soul from the children of Israel and sells him, and he is found in his hand, shall surely be executed.

(יז) וּמְקַלֵּ֥ל אָבִ֛יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ {ס}

(יז) וְדִיְלוּט אֲבוּהִי וְאִמֵהּ אִתְקְטָלָא יִתְקְטֵל:

17. One who curses his father or[13] his mother shall surely be executed.

(יח) וְכִֽי־יְרִיבֻ֣ן אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְהִכָּה־אִישׁ֙ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ בְּאֶ֖בֶן א֣וֹ בְאֶגְרֹ֑ף וְלֹ֥א יָמ֖וּת וְנָפַ֥ל לְמִשְׁכָּֽב׃ (יט) אִם־יָק֞וּם וְהִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּח֛וּץ עַל־מִשְׁעַנְתּ֖וֹ וְנִקָּ֣ה הַמַּכֶּ֑ה רַ֥ק שִׁבְתּ֛וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן וְרַפֹּ֥א יְרַפֵּֽא׃ {ס}

(יח) וַאֲרֵי יִנְצוּן גֻבְרִין וְיִמְחֵי גְבַר יָת חַבְרֵהּ בְּאַבְנָא אוֹ בְכוּרְמֵיזָא וְלָא יְמוּת וְיִפּוֹל לְבוּטְלָן: (יט) אִם יְקוּם וִיהַלִיךְ בְּבָרָא עַל בּוּרְיֵהּ וִיהֵי זַכָּאָה מָחְיָא לְחוֹד בּוּטְלָנֵהּ יִתֵּן וַאֲגַר אַסְיָא יְשַׁלֵם:

18. If men fight and a man strikes his fellow with a stone or a clod (of dirt)[14] and he doesn’t die and he falls to idleness,[15] 19. if he gets up and walks outdoors in his health,[16] the one who struck shall be acquitted, only he must pay for his idleness and the doctor’s wages.[17]

[1] Rather than “a Hebrew servant.”

[2] The exact meaning of the Hebrew is the subject of dispute.

[3] i.e., the servant.

[4] The Hebrew “elohim,” meaning judges, could also be misunderstood to refer to God.

[5] The Chumash has a kri/ksiv in which the text says that he did not designate her for himself but it is read that he did. Onkelos circumvents this discrepancy.

[6] Rather than “authority.”

[7] Rather than “a foreign people.”

[8] Chumash: “dealt treacherously with her.”

[9] Again, the precise meaning of the Hebrew is debated.

[10] More specific than “he shall surely die.”

[11] Changing the active voice to passive.

[12] Literally, “and.”

[13] Again, “and.”

[14] Rather than “a fist.”

[15] As opposed to “to bed.”

[16] Rather than “upon his staff.”

[17] Chumash: “he shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.”

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