Nazir 62 – Willing slaves

A slave acquired by a Jew has to undergo circumcision and accept on himself the majority of the mitzvot: he will be obligated to keep all the "don't do” prohibitions but not all of the “do” commandments. Thus, his obligations are the same as a Jewish woman keeps.

What happens if a slave does not want to undergo circumcision or accept the commandments? – The master can keep him for a year to see if he changes his mind, but afterward, must sell him back.

Another uncommon feature of such slaves is that if the master accidentally or intentionally kicks out his tooth, eye, or finger, the slave goes to freedom. Once any slave acquires his freedom – he cannot be made a slave again. In fact, he becomes a full Jew, with the additional mitzvot of a Jewish man.

There is a difference between the laws of nazir for women and for slaves. For a woman, a husband can annul her vow, particularly of becoming a nazir (nazirah). The annulment is still active if they divorce or if the husband dies. However, with the slave, it is not so. While the master can force the slave to drink wine and go to a cemetery, this does not cancel the vow; when the slave goes free, he needs to complete his term of nazir.

Art: Slaves on the West Coast of Africa by Francois-Auguste Biard