Judaism and Slavery

Judaism And Slavery

Judaism's religious texts contain numerous laws governing the ownership and treatment of slaves. Texts that contain such regulations include the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the Talmud, the 12th century Mishneh Torah by noted rabbi Maimonides, and the 16th century Shulchan Aruch by rabbi Yosef Karo. The original Israelite slavery laws found in the Hebrew Bible bear some resemblance to the 18th century BCE slavery laws of Hammurabi. The regulations changed over time. Scholars are not certain to what extent the laws were generally followed, and some scholars suggest that some of the laws were aspirational guidelines. The Hebrew Bible contained two sets of laws, one for Canaanite slaves, and a more lenient set of laws for Hebrew slaves. However, unlike other near-eastern faith based laws, non-Jewish slaves were not to do labor on the Sabbath and Festivals. In later eras, the laws designated for Canaanites were applied to all non-Hebrew slaves. The Talmud's slavery laws, which were established following the biblical era, contain a single set of rules for all slaves, although there are a few exceptions where Jewish slaves are treated differently from non-Jewish slaves. The laws include punishment for slave owners that mistreat their slaves. In the modern era, when the abolitionist movement sought to outlaw slavery, supporters of slavery used the laws to provide religious justification for the practice of slavery.

The third holiest time of the Jewish year following Sabbath and Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday Passover relates, and revolves around freedom from slavery.