AlephBeta Logo
  • Home
  • Patron Circle
My List
Your list is waiting
Add Torah lessons you want to reflect on, revisit, or binge later.
Upgrade to All Access

Unlock all videos, transcripts, and study materials.

Start Free Trial
AlephBeta Logo

Stay Connected

Follow Aleph Beta on social media

InstagramTikTokFacebookYouTubePodcastsSpotify

About Us

  • About
  • Careers
  • Weekly Parsha

Our Team

  • Team

Get Help

  • Contact

Support Us

  • Subscribe
  • Educators
  • Shop
  • Donate
AlephBeta Logo

A Nonprofit Media Company helping people closely read the Torah to discover its beauty, meaning and relevance

Cookies Policy
Legal Terms
Privacy Policy

© 2026 Aleph Beta. All rights reserved.

HomeSearchProfile
Back

Slavery and Psychology



In this week's parsha, we are given the commandments relating to a Jew having a Jewish slave. The Biblical slavery laws in Deuteronomy seem strange: we give gifts to our slaves? If they want to stay, we must pierce their ear? It can be difficult to relate to these kinds of ancient Hebrew slavery laws, which hardly seem relevant thousands of years later. How are we supposed to understand these weird Jewish laws of slavery in a modern context?

Rabbi Fohrman goes through these oddities to show us that the Bible is reminding us of our own national slavery in Egypt. In doing so, he uncovers a modern guide on how we should also let go of those who work with us, with grace and empathy.