Parshas Behar
“You shall not make him work the work of a slave!” (Vayikra 25:39)
It is a negative commandment that one may not ask a Jewish slave to perform work which contains degradation and humiliation, in the way that one makes a Canaanite slave work, as it says “You shall not make him work the work of a slave!”.
Amongst the roots of this commandment are that a person must reflect that our nation is the most honored and respected of all the nations. By thinking this, he will love his nation and his Torah, and consider also that in the same way as the Jewish slave has been sold because of his poverty, so too this fate could befall himself or one of his own sons if they commit too many sins. By respecting the slave, he will definitely think about these things, and because he thinks about it, he will be careful not to sin. Another thing achieved by keeping this commandment is that a person will become accustomed to behaving with kindness and mercy, and keep away from the evil trait of cruelty, and by preparing his body for goodness he will also receive goodness and we must always remember that Hashem wants to give His blessings to His creations.
This commandment applies to both men and women, at the time when the jubilee year applies (as at other times there is no law of having a Jewish slave).
