Slavery and Racism
What They Don't Teach in Yeshiva
The Torah doesn't just permit slavery—it regulates it. And the racial attitudes in some Jewish texts are deeply troubling. This chapter confronts these uncomfortable truths head-on.
Torah on Slavery
The Torah doesn't abolish slavery—it regulates it. There are two categories of slaves in Jewish law:
Eved Ivri (Hebrew Slave):
- A Jewish person sold into servitude (for theft or poverty)
- Serves for 6 years, released in the 7th (Shemos 21:2)
- Has significant protections and rights
- Must be treated relatively well
Eved Canaani (Canaanite/Non-Jewish Slave):
- A non-Jewish slave
- Can be enslaved permanently and passed down as inheritance (Vayikra 25:44-46)
- The Torah explicitly states: "You may keep them as a possession for your children after you, to inherit as property for all time"
- Has fewer protections than a Jewish slave
Vayikra 25:44-46 is particularly stark: "As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the nations that are around you... You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves."
This is not a metaphor. This is not about "indentured servitude." This is a divine endorsement of owning human beings as property, with explicit racial/ethnic distinctions in treatment.
📜 Sources
Racism in the Texts
While Judaism is not inherently a race-based religion, certain texts and traditions contain deeply problematic racial attitudes:
The Curse of Ham/Canaan (Bereishis 9:20-27): Noah curses his grandson Canaan to be a "slave of slaves." This text has been used throughout history—by Jews and Christians alike—to justify the enslavement of African people.
Tanya Chapter 1: The foundational text of Chabad Chassidism states that Jewish souls come from the "side of holiness" while non-Jewish souls come from the "side of impurity" (klipah). This creates an ontological distinction—Jews and non-Jews have fundamentally different types of souls.
Kuzari: Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi's philosophical work argues that Jews possess a special spiritual faculty (the "divine element") that other nations lack.
These aren't fringe texts—they're studied regularly in mainstream Orthodox institutions. The racial and ethnic superiority embedded in them is real, and it shapes attitudes that many who leave must actively unlearn.
📜 Sources
🌱 Your Next Steps
- →Examine any attitudes of superiority you may have internalized
- →Learn about the real history of slavery and racism, not just the sanitized version
- →Actively practice treating all people as equals—not just in theory, but in daily life