We discussed the fact that if the (male) slave came with a wife, he leaves with a wife, but if he was given a wife by the master, he leaves without the wife and any children, and that if the (male) slave declares that he loves his master, wife and children, he will be taken to God and the doorpost where his ears will be pierced indicating that he will serve the master forever. We, like our artist for today, decried slavery. R. Sara noted that there is a modicum of choice, at least, and that the slave only serves six years. We then discussed slavery in our world, where it exists, in prisons, for example, or in some cities where immigrants are held as slaves. We also discussed unfair labor practices. The point was not to say that slavery in Exodus is good but to note that it is not chattel slavery (at least for the men) like the slavery that was practiced in the Americas and also that our labor practices are not always so great, either.
