Parshas Behar

Bs”d

Parshas Behar (5775)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

20:39—The pasuk warns that if one sells himself as an eved one should not impose on him belittling service such as carrying the clothes of his master when escorting him to the bathhouse or arranging leather on his feet to create footwear; it seems the only work permissible is professional type such as carpentry. In making these limitations one would say the issue involved is human dignity or lack of it even though it is difficult to grasp what is such a terrible indignity in carrying the clothing to the bathouse.

In the Chumash we see that Hashem Himself exclaims—you are my slaves which I acquired upon redeeming you from Mitzrayim. It is important to understand the deep and true implication of this. The conventional understanding is that the avdus we have to Hashem is a spiritual idea of committing ourselves to serve Hashem as an eved in fulfilling the mitzvos. However, what the pasuk is really revealing here is that we are actually avodim to Hashem in the literal, true sense of the word. A person can’t sell himself as an eved because he actually belongs to Hashem and the owner can’t request of the supposed eved anything in the form of the service of an eved something which he never bought.

There is absolutely nothing undignified or degrading in carrying the clothes to the bathhouse—the only problem is that this is avodas eved and a person doesn’t even own himself to sell it, and all the more so there is nothing for the master to buy in the person as an eved, it literally belongs to Hashem. This is the simple meaning of the pasuk – you are My slaves and cannot be sold as an eved.

The avodah is just a workman on a long-time basis. The idea of an eved Hashem is not just idealistic and inspirational but something practical and down to earth. I thank Hashem for what seems like clarity in understanding the eved Ivri and certainly gives us a new perspective and insight in the understanding of our relationship to Hashem.

Have a wonderful, fulfilling Shabbos.