Mishpatim | The Hebrew Maidservant and Marital Obligations

Mishpatim | The Hebrew Maidservant and Marital Obligations, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Why does האמה העבריה serve as the source for a husband's obligations towards his wife?

The second entry into the Law Code (Parashat Mishpatim) is the law of the Hebrew maid - האמה העבריה. In a surprising twist, the rules governing her proper treatment serve as the basis for the Torah's mandated obligations of husband to wife. We explore the text and attendant Midrash Halakha, in both Mekhiltot and both Talmudim, continuing with a survey of the Rishonim. After a brief tangential excursus about the methodology of P'shat study of legal passages, we revisit the five verses that make up this Parasha and propose a novel reading of the text with several surprising results.

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