Israel and Humanity - Status of foreign slaves in Palestine
§ 4.
STATE OF SLAVE ALIENS IN PALESTINE.
It is impossible to admit that no law governed the religious situation of the foreign slave in Jewish society. The silence of the Bible on this point proves once more the necessity of tradition. He would suggest in fact that the religious freedom of these slaves was extended indefinitely and therefore to the practice of idolatry, which is unlikely, especially since there is no shortage of facts to show us otherwise. [1] The only indication that Scripture provides us with the religion of the slave seems completely equated it to an Israelite by birth, although circumcision is imposed even Abraham for slaves bought or born in the house. Even when that obligation is absolute, which is not established, it would not detract, however, the character of universality of Judaism which would necessarily imply the complete acceptance. Circumcision is indeed the sign of the covenant between God and man, it implies the observation of all conditions, whatever they are, and always keeps its high significance. And do not imagine that the Gentiles, such were the slaves of Abraham, it was just a load; solemn form of the institution gives an entirely different: "We will circumcise one born in the house and one that is bought with money and my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant [2] ".
In fact, contrary to what one might suppose, circumcision remained in the Mosaic as in earlier times to Moses without the slave, who had the duty to submit, for it was held as a result of observe other precepts of Judaism. One proof of this independence of circumcision vis-à-vis the entire Mosaic law, that the Bible speaks of people remained Gentiles, although from Abraham that circumcision alone is imposed on are descendants of Ishmael and Keturah, and we know that the tradition is still an obligation to the race that recognizes the son of Hagar ancestor.
The oral teaching in Israel supplies the silence of Scripture which, apart from what we said is the duty of circumcision, contains no positive data with respect to the religion of the slave. This, according to tradition, was asked to abandon polytheism and into the Jewish family by not binding itself, however, that the performance of duties imposed Jewish woman . This legal provision which would be quite indifferent, if it were a church devoid of any political, acquires exceptional importance in a national religion, jealous of the religious privilege of the race. This only lasted a disadvantage also in the foreign slave as long as he remained subject to a master [3] Jewish. On the other hand, the Jewish slave himself enjoyed some religious exemptions that were considered essential for the faithful performance of his duties as a servant and it is presumed that the freedom given to the Canaanite slave, vis- -vis the precepts which the woman was not subject, had no other motive. This assimilation itself to the conditions of the Israelite woman speaks eloquently enough for our thesis, it is only because of their subordinate status and their multiple obligations within the home and minute that the Act exempts all religious practices that must be accomplished at a fixed time. Limiting the exemption to the Canaanite slave was so inspired by the same considerations as soon as he was freed, he reverted in all respects similar to the Israelite of birth and any Gentile Canaanite or not, which was aggregated to the communion of Israel.
Such was the law which was submitted the foreign slave, when he accepted the invitation of his master to abandon polytheism. We use the word advisedly invitation, because in reality it was nothing, if this term is appropriate to describe an offer that the slave had the option to extend for one year, continuing to teach throughout the time freely and publicly worship idolatrous. We know that the past year, he could definitely decline the proposed conversion to Mosaic, so long as he should accept the natural religion of Noachide and that from the beginning of his slavery, he was free to protest his attachment to this religion, to refuse circumcision while staying at his master and to grow the number of proselytes of the gate in Palestine. All this is well established by the Talmud and Maimonides [4] 48 <super> b </super>. Maimonides, Abadim VIII, 12. </Ref>.
The Scripture itself, if one looks closely at the texts, demonstrates the presence of the slave Noachide uncircumcised in the Holy Land. The following provision relating to the celebration of Passover example assumes no doubt the legal existence of the slaves: "No foreigner ( nechar bin ) do not eat. As to any slave bought with money, if you circumcised, then he eat [5] "If the good guy in question was necessarily subject to Mosaic, the text n would not have mentioned him. In addition, it is evident [6] very terms of this passage that circumcision was optional for him. It is only required if he wanted to participate in the paschal banquet and it should be noted that it did not in this circumstance the value of a full affiliation to Judaism, otherwise it would not have been mentioned this way, the slave then becomes thereby an Israelite like the others. It is even doubtful that participation in the ceremony should be understood as an obligation for the Gentile a slave to a master of Israel. It seems more likely that there is a simple authorization similar to that granted to the same slave to eat Terumah , if his master is cohen , (priest) or aaronide.
It was rightly noted that there is anything of charity in those legal provisions concerning the fate of the foreign slave, it is converted entirely to Mosaism or that its membership will reduce her to some points only. "Circumcision slaves, Luzzatto said about this, is the duty of the master Israelite since the time of Abraham. also we are commanded to rest the Sabbath days and holidays and all that elevates their dignity by comparing their situation to that of their masters. Therefore, only circumcised, they take part as they feast at Easter. Will it be? All the old doctors, with the exception of R. Eliezer, are excluded until the master himself in the celebration of Passover, refusing circumcision to the slave, whom the request. "In the last days of the Second Temple, Luzzatto explains, when the moral qualities became corrupted in Israel, he met teachers who did not want to circumcise their slaves, so you do not have to consider them as Israelites. So the doctors they establish that any teacher who did not circumcise his slaves would not be allowed, either, to celebrate the Passover. R. Eliezer was not of that opinion, because he followed the system of Shammai was nothing innovative in the law is written, is traditional and does not teach anything he had learned from doctors that preceded Israel , how it differed from the views of other rabbis who created new institutions to the requirements of time is what made him excommunicated, "We would be more inclined, for us to see in provisions Rabbinic on the religious situation of [7] [8] slaves one example, among many others, natural development of principles constituting a mosaic forms of tradition.
Let us say in conclusion that whether one focuses on the Scripture alone, either because it combines the oral teaching of the synagogue, one can see that the presence in Palestine of slaves from abroad tended to show gradually one class of citizens not subject to the Mosaic, but living under the sway of their personal status that is other than Noachism, pout sometimes be slightly mixed Judaism by adopting practices such as circumcision or the Sabbath.
