Reeh 15:18 · unit 1

TT #337 · Parashas Reeh · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 15:18

The Complete Passuk

לֹא־יִקְשֶׁ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֗ךָ בְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֙ אֹת֤וֹ חׇפְשִׁי֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ כִּ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ שְׂכַ֣ר שָׂכִ֔יר עֲבָֽדְךָ֖ שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

It shall not seem hard to you when you send him free from you, for he has served you six years—double the service of a hired worker—and Hashem your God will bless you in all that you do.

Chabad.org — 15:18

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kiddushin.

Sefaria — Kiddushin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
מִשְׁנֶה שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר – מַהוּ מִשְׁנֶה שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר, שָׂכִיר אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם וְזֶה עוֹבֵד בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה; הָא כֵּיצַד, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁרַבּוֹ מוֹסֵר לוֹ שִׁפְחָה כְּנַעֲנִית.

English: "Double the service of a hired worker" — What is the force of "double the service of a hired worker"? A hired worker works only by day, while this one works by day and by night. How so? Rabbi Yitzchak said: This teaches that his master may give him a Canaanite maidservant.

On the daf / in context: The “double” service is explained by the master’s right to assign a Canaanite maidservant, whose offspring belong to the master.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Kiddushin) — the meaning of double service.

What Is Learned

A Hebrew slave’s service is called double because, unlike a day-laborer, he may be given a Canaanite maidservant and thereby serve the master also by night.