Ein kanaanitischer Knecht wird durch Geld, Schrift und Chazakah (Eigentumsrecht) erworben (es wird geschrieben (3. Mose 25:46)): "Und du sollst sie (kanaanitische Knechte) als Erbe für deine Söhne halten, nachdem du sie als Erbe geerbt hast Halten. " (Kanaanitische) Knechte werden hiermit mit Land verglichen. So wie Land durch Geld, Schrift und Chazaka erworben wird, so wird ein kanaanitischer Knecht durch Geld, Schrift und Chazaka erworben. Die Chazakah (dh des Erwerbs) des Bondman: z. B. der Bondman löst den Schuh seines Herrn oder zieht ihn an oder trägt seine Sachen hinter sich zum Badehaus, zieht ihn aus, wäscht ihn, salbt ihn, massiert ihn, kleidet ihn , ihn tragen oder von ihm getragen werden—(durch all dies) erwirbt der Meister den Schuldner.] Und er erwirbt sich durch Geld durch andere, dh durch andere, die er seinem Meister unter der Bedingung gibt, dass er befreit wird. Aber er selbst kann es von ihnen nicht akzeptieren, selbst unter der Bedingung, dass sein Meister keine Rechte daran hat (diese Tanna), dass ein Schuldner in keiner Weise etwas unabhängig von seinem Meister erwerben kann.] Und durch ein Schreiben (von Manumission) ) durch sich selbst (dh was er selbst akzeptiert), [dies bedeutet, dass es eine Verpflichtung für den Schuldner ist, seinen Herrn für die Freiheit zu verlassen. Denn wenn sein Meister ein Cohein wäre, würde er dadurch vom Essen von Terumah ausgeschlossen; und wenn er der Knecht eines Israeliten wäre, würde ihm eine Knechte verboten. Aus diesem Grund erlangt er seine Freiheit nicht durch ein Schreiben, das (in seinem Namen) von anderen erhalten wurde, sondern nur (mit einem von ihm erhaltenen). Denn da es eine Haftung für ihn ist, "wird eine Haftung nur in seiner Gegenwart auferlegt." Aber Geld durch andere zu erlangen, ist anders. Für den Empfang des Geldes durch seinen Meister wird er an sich befreit, und es sind nicht die anderen, die die Haftung verursachen, sondern der Empfang des Geldes durch den Meister. Der Meister wird in diesem Fall nicht sein Bote, sondern nimmt das Geld für sich selbst, wobei der Schuldner seine Freiheit als natürliche Folge erlangt. Dies sind die Worte von R. Meir. Die Weisen sagen: Durch Geld durch sich selbst [Sie sind der Meinung, dass ein Schuldner etwas unabhängig von seinem Herrn erwerben kann, weshalb er sich selbst durch sich selbst mit Geld erwerben kann; und es versteht sich von selbst, durch andere.] und durch ein Schreiben durch andere. [Denn sie halten es für eine Bereicherung für den Schuldner, seinen Herrn für die Freiheit zu verlassen, und "Man kann einem Mann zugute kommen, auch nicht in seiner Gegenwart." Die Halacha entspricht den Weisen. Und ein kanaanitischer Bondman erwirbt sich selbst, wenn sein Meister sein Auge blind macht oder seinen Zahn ausschlägt oder eine seiner vierundzwanzig Gliedmaßen abschneidet: Fingerspitzen, Zehen, Ohrstöpsel, Nasenspitze, Membranspitze und Brustspitzen bei einer Frau . Der Grund, warum diese in der Mischna nicht zusammen mit den anderen Mitteln erwähnt werden, mit denen sich ein Schuldner erwirbt, ist, dass einer, der seine Freilassung durch (das Abschneiden von) Organvorsprüngen erlangt, von seinem Meister eine Manumissionsurkunde benötigt, so dass er im Wesentlichen , "erwirbt sich mit einem Schriftstück."], unter der Bedingung, dass das Geld (das Geld) anderer ist. [Denn ein Bondman besitzt nichts. Denn selbst was er findet und was er als Geschenk erhält, gehört seinem Meister. Und wenn er sich selbst einlösen will, muss das Geld von anderen kommen, die es ihm unter der Bedingung geben, dass der Meister keine Rechte daran hat.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
עבד כנעני נקנה בכסף ובשטר ובחזקה – As it is written (Leviticus 25:46): “You may keep them as a possession for your children [after you], for them to inherit as property…,” they (i.e., the Rabbis) made an analogy [on a principle common to both between] עבדים /servants to קרקעות/property. Just as property is acquired by money, document and/or claim based upon undisturbed possession [during a legally fixed period], so also, a Canaanite slave is acquired by money, document and undisturbed possession. And the undisturbed possession of the [Canaanite] slave, such as that he unloosed the shoe for his master, or he helped him put on his shoe, or carried his utensils after his master to the bath house, or undressed him, or washed him, or anointed him, dragged [his possessions], or dressed him, or lifted him up or the master lifted up the slave, he has acquired him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Introduction
In today’s mishnah we learn how Canaanite slaves are acquired. We should note that Canaanite slaves essentially become Jews by being owned by Jews. The males are usually to be circumcised, both male and female slaves must undergo ritual immersion and according to halakhah are obligated by most of the commandments.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
בכסף על ידי אחרים – and they will give it (i.e., the money) to the Master in order that this one (i.e., the Canaanite slave) will be a free person, but he himself cannot receive from them, and even on the condition that the Master does not have control over him, since he holds that there is no acquisition for the slave in any side without his Master [being involved].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
A Canaanite slave is acquired by money, deed, or by possession, And acquires himself by money through the agency of others, and by document through his own agency, the words of Rabbi Meir. The Sages say: by money, through his own agency, and by document, through the agency of others, providing that the money comes from others. Money and deed acquire Canaanite slaves, just as they acquire Hebrew slaves. In addition, Canaanite slaves can be acquired through “possession”, which could also alternatively be translated as “presumption of ownership.” We learned the rules of possession in the third chapter of Bava Batra. Practically this would mean that a slave, who treated a certain person as if that person were his owner, would become the property of that person.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ובשטר ע"י עצמו – For he holds that is obligatory for the slave that he leave from under the hands of his master to freedom, for if the slave is of a Kohen, this disqualifies him from eating the Priest’s due, and if the slave is of an Israelite, it prohibits him from [marrying] a slave/handmaid; and because of this it is said that he does not go out to freedom with a document from/by others, but only by himself, and because it is an liability for him, we do not act on behalf of a person to the latter’s disadvantage other than in his presence (see Mishnah, Tractate Eruvin, Chapter 7, Mishnah 11). And [through] money, which is via others, is different, for the acceptance by the master causes him to be liberated on his own, and these others cannot act on behalf of a person to the latter’s disadvantage, other than through the acceptance of the master, for the master is not made into his agent, but rather, for the needs of himself, and who transfers [possession] on his own.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Both Rabbi Meir and the Sages agree that a slave acquires his freedom either through a manumission document or through his freedom being purchased with money. However, they disagree over whether or not the slave may purchase himself back. According to Rabbi Meir a Canaanite slave can never own property. Any property which he would acquire would automatically become the property of his owner, since the owner owns the slave. Therefore, only other people may purchase the slave’s freedom. When it comes to a document, the document must be received by the slave himself. The Sages disagree on both counts. They hold that a slave may, under certain circumstances, own his own property. This is possible if other people give the slave money with the condition that the owner not take possession of that money. According to the Sages either he or others may purchase his freedom. Similarly, they disagree about the document. The master can write out a manumission document, give it to another person beside the slave and thereby free the slave. Note that the Sages could have stated that “a slave is acquired by documents or money through his own agency or the agency of others.” This would have been a clearer and slightly briefer statement of the sages’ intent. Instead, the mishnah phrases their statement as the opposite of Rabbi Meir’s statement in order to retain the parallelism.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
וחכ"א בכסף ע"י עצמו – for they hold that there is acquisition for the slave without his master; therefore, he acquires himself through money, even through himself, and all the more so, through others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ובשטר ע"י אחרים – as they hold that it is a benefit to the slave that he would go out from under the hand of his master to freedom, and we do something for another’s benefit in his absence. And the Halakha is according to the Sages. But the Canaanite slave acquires his [freedom] if his master blinded his eye or caused him to lose a tooth or mutilated from him one of twenty-four heads of limbs, which are [the tops] of the fingers of the hand, and digits of the feet, and the tops of the ears, the head of the nose, and head of the male genitals, and the tops of a woman’s breasts, and that which is not considered in our Mishnah to be included in those things that the slave acquires himself, because one who goes free through the tops of his limbs requires a document of manumission from his master, that is, that he acquires himself through a document.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ובלבד שיהא הכסף משל אחרים – for a slave has nothing, for even what he finds and/or receives as a gift – everything belongs to his master. And if he came to be redeemed by himself, the monies must come from others who would give it him on the condition that his master has no control over him.
