To not make a Hebrew slave perform oppressive work: To not make a Hebrew slave do oppressive work, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:43), “Do not subjugate him with oppressive work.” And what is oppressive work? They, may their memory be blessed, explained (Sifra, Behar, Section 6:2) that it is work that does not have a limit, and so [too,] work that a person does not need but he does it so that the slave not be idle — and like they, may their memory be blessed said, “A man should not say to him, ‘Hoe underneath the vines until I come,’ as behold he has not given him a limit; but rather he should say to him, ‘Hoe until x hour,’ or ‘until place y.’” And they also said in Sifra that he should not say to him, “Heat this cup for me,” when he does not need it; and all that is similar to it. But they, may their memory be blessed, brought an example of the lightest type of work and the quickest to do — and all the more so [is it the case with] other ones. And the principle is that we only make him do work that we have a need for that work that we commanded him. The details of the commandment are short, and behold I have written a few of them.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time the Jubilee is practiced. And we should not make him liable for lashes for it — since it is possible to transgress it with speech alone, without an act. And even though it is not practiced in our time, since the acquisition of Hebrew slaves is not practiced — nonetheless it is fitting for a person to be careful about the content of this commandment also today [if] the poor are members of his household. And he should be very careful about it and place upon his heart that wealth and poverty is a wheel that spins in the world, and it is from God. And He gives to the one that is straight in His eyes so long as He wants — but not a minute longer. As even if he gathers money like the dirt and buries it in the ground and acquires so many lands that they be countless, it will all be lost from him [if he sins] to God. But if he is righteous, the good will be preserved for him, as each type clings to its type.
שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹד בְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי בַּעֲבֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ – שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲבִיד עֶבֶד עִבְרִי בַּעֲבֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה מג) לֹא תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ. וְאֵי זוֹ עֲבֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ? פֵּרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בספרא כאן ו), שֶׁהִיא עֲבֹדָה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ קִצְבָּה, וְכֵן עֲבֹדָה שֶׁאֵין אָדָם צָרִיךְ לָהּ, אֶלָּא יַעֲשֶׂנָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטֵּל הָעֶבֶד, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה לֹא יֹאמַר אָדָם לוֹ עֲדֹר תַּחַת הַגְּפָנִים עַד שֶׁאָבוֹא, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא נָתַן לוֹ קִצְבָּה, אֶלָּא יֹאמַר לוֹ עֲדֹר עַד שָׁעָה פְּלוֹנִית אוֹ עַד מָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי. וְאָמְרוּ גַּם כֵּן בַּסִּפְרָא שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר לוֹ הָחֵם לִי כּוֹס זֶה וְהוּא אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לוֹ, וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, אֲבָל הֵבִיאוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּמָשָׁל הַקַּלָּה שֶׁבַּמְּלָאכוֹת וְהַנִּמְהֶרֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן הָאֲחֵרוֹת. וְהַכְּלָל, שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲבִידֵהוּ זוּלָתִי בִּהְיוֹת הַצֹּרֶךְ לָנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמְּלָאכָה הַהִיא שֶׁנְּצַוֵּהוּ עָלֶיהָ. פְּרָטֵי הַמִּצְוָה קְצָרִים, וְהִנֵּה כָּתַבְתִּי קְצָתָן.
To not make a Hebrew slave perform oppressive work: To not make a Hebrew slave do oppressive work, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:43), “Do not subjugate him with oppressive work.” And what is oppressive work? They, may their memory be blessed, explained (Sifra, Behar, Section 6:2) that it is work that does not have a limit, and so [too,] work that a person does not need but he does it so that the slave not be idle — and like they, may their memory be blessed said, “A man should not say to him, ‘Hoe underneath the vines until I come,’ as behold he has not given him a limit; but rather he should say to him, ‘Hoe until x hour,’ or ‘until place y.’” And they also said in Sifra that he should not say to him, “Heat this cup for me,” when he does not need it; and all that is similar to it. But they, may their memory be blessed, brought an example of the lightest type of work and the quickest to do — and all the more so [is it the case with] other ones. And the principle is that we only make him do work that we have a need for that work that we commanded him. The details of the commandment are short, and behold I have written a few of them.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג. וְאֵין לְחַיֵּב מַלְקוּת עָלֶיהָ, לְפִי שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲבֹר עָלֶיהָ בְּדִבּוּר לְבַד מִבְּלִי מַעֲשֶׂה. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה לְפִי שֶׁאֵין קִנְיַן עֶבֶד עִבְרִי נוֹהֵג, מִכָּל מָקוֹם רָאוּי לוֹ לָאָדָם לְהִזָּהֵר בְּעִנְיַן מִצְוָה זוֹ גַּם הַיּוֹם בִּהְיוֹת עֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי בֵּיתוֹ וּלְהִזָּהֵר בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה, וְיִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ כִּי הָעֹשֶׁר וְהָעֲנִיּוּת גַּלְגַּל הוּא שֶׁחוֹזֵר בָּעוֹלָם, וּמֵהַשֵּׁם הוּא, וְיִתְּנֶנּוּ לַאֲשֶׁר יִישַׁר בְּעֵינָיו כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה וְלֹא יוֹתֵר וַאֲפִלּוּ רֶגַע, שֶׁגַּם כִּי יִצְבֹּר כְּעָפָר כֶּסֶף וְיִטְמְנֵהוּ בַּקַּרְקַע וְיִקְנֶה קַרְקָעוֹת עַד אֵין מִסְפָּר וְטוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה יִהְיֶה לוֹ, הַכֹּל יֹאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ יַחַד בְּחָטְאוֹ לְשֵׁם, וְאִם יִצְדַּק תִּתְקַיֵּם בּוֹ הַטּוֹבָה, כִּי כָּל מִין בְּמִינוֹ יִדְבַּק.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time the Jubilee is practiced. And we should not make him liable for lashes for it — since it is possible to transgress it with speech alone, without an act. And even though it is not practiced in our time, since the acquisition of Hebrew slaves is not practiced — nonetheless it is fitting for a person to be careful about the content of this commandment also today [if] the poor are members of his household. And he should be very careful about it and place upon his heart that wealth and poverty is a wheel that spins in the world, and it is from God. And He gives to the one that is straight in His eyes so long as He wants — but not a minute longer. As even if he gathers money like the dirt and buries it in the ground and acquires so many lands that they be countless, it will all be lost from him [if he sins] to God. But if he is righteous, the good will be preserved for him, as each type clings to its type.