[Avodah] evolving ethics?

[Zev Sero]

On 30/11/22 12:42, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 30, 2022 at 01:46:25AM -0500, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
>> On 29/11/22 22:58, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:

>>> Example –is slavery presumed to be an existential institution supported
>>> by halacha or an institution which must be dealt with halachically but
>>> not encouraged?

>> If it were not to be encouraged, then it wouldn't be forbidden to free a
>> slave.

> If the reason for forbidding (in normal cases) shichrur eved Kenaani were
> because of a position on the morality of EK, why would it be permissed
> lesheim mitzvah? Implied is that the problem with shichrur E"K is
> something that their having a mitzvah purpose obviates.

You have it backwards.   The premise Reb Joel proposed was that slavery 
might be something that halacha doesn't really like; it deals with it 
only because it has to, but it is not to be encouraged.

My reply is that if that were the case, the halacha would not forbid 
freeing a slave.  The fact that this issur exists means that the halacha 
has no objection to slavery at all, but rather sees something positive 
in it.  Of course that positive thing can be outweighed by things that 
are even more positive, but the point is that it is not a negative or 
even parev.

Thus the first prong of Reb Joel's question must be the correct one: It 
is an existential institution supported by halacha.

Indeed I often point out in discussions of this subject that when Moshe 
is sent to confront Par'oh, he does not say one word to him about the 
fact that the Egyptians enslaved the Jews.  Hashem seems to have no 
objection to that.  He simply tells Par'oh that you have been using My 
property, with My permission, but now I want it back.  If you give it 
back immediately, then we will remain on good terms, because what you 
did in the past was not wrong.  But if you keep My property after I have 
demanded its return, then you will be sorry.

Yetzias Mitzrayim would also have been the perfect time for Hashem to 
tell the Jews "You know what slavery is like, you're glad you're no 
longer slaves, so don't own slaves".  But rather than saying that, right 
in the Aseres Hadibros Hashem tells them it's fine for them to own 
slaves, and the very first Mishpat they are told after Matan Torah is 
how to treat an Eved Ivri.


-- 
Zev Sero            “Were we directed from Washington when to sow
zev at sero.name       and when to reap, we should soon want bread.”
		    –Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821.