Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.

Exodus 21:7-15

Last week, we started the topic of purchased ah-va-Deem (servants), starting with the rules for how long they will serve and when they are to be released. We are continuing with topics like that as we go through the 10+ commandments given to the people who spend 400 years in bondage and servitude (said to be slavery).

When a man sells his daughter le-ah-Mah (for a female servant), she does not go free as the ah-va-Deem (male servants) do. The rules for this situation are;

• If she does not please the master, she should be allowed to be redeemed.

• He has no right to sell her to foreigners.

• If he designates her to his son...

  • The master shall treat her like a daughter (his son's servant).
  • Her food, clothing, and co-habitation rights (with the master?) not to be reduced.
  • If the master does not; keep her, let her be redeemed, give her to his son, then she shall go free for no money.

• Whoever hits someone and they die, he shall be put to death.

  • If he was not waiting to pounce before hand, and God allowed him to be struck, then there will be a place appointed to where he may flee.

Then God reiterates that if he "willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning" then he must die.

• Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

So our General /topical commandments count goes up to 18.
16 ) female servants and rules
17 ) man strikes man and he dies rules
18 ) people who hit their parents rules

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Counting all possible outcomes, the strict list was at 23 last week. Let's add these up.
Sell female servant + if keep her + if redeemed + if son has her + marital rights + if none of the above she goes free. we are at 28. Then man strikes man who dies: put to death + not planned, he flees + a place to which he flees is to be appointed. we are up to 32. And "child strikes parent" makes 33.

So our Strict /detailed list is at 33

Sometimes I wonder if today's Hebrew sons of Y'acov (Jacob) have a book somewhere with 613 underlined commands. What will our final count be?

Today's Reading

English

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

"Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

Hebrew

Next week, stealing servants. What then?

Info on each letter starting at the beginning

If you are just starting, my lessons are all here starting at Alef, adding vowels (the dots and lines) as we go. I explain the meaning of each letter and its numerical value. Just go to my blog and scroll to the bottom or click here

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Thanks for reading.

Shabbat Shalom