To not allow a gentile to work a Hebrew slave sold to him: That we not allow a gentile that dwells in our lands work a Hebrew slave, who sold himself to him, with oppressive work — as it is stated (Leviticus 25:53), “he shall not subjugate him oppressively in your eyes.” And we should not say, “Since this Hebrew sinned against himself and sold himself to the gentile, let us leave him to suffer all the work. And they said in Sifra, Behar, Chapter 8:8), “‘He shall not subjugate him oppressively in your eyes’ — you are only commanded ‘in your eyes.’” [This is] meaning to say that we are not obligated to look for it and to enter the house of the gentile to see if he has him work oppressively or not; but rather any time we see the thing, we have to prevent it from him.
And [it] is practiced by males and females at the time that our hand is powerful over the nations, that we have the power with us over them to command them to do a thing or not to do it. And one who transgresses it and saw the gentile make the Israelite work with oppressive work — and he has the power in his hand to prevent him — but he does not prevent him, violates this negative commandment. But we do not administer lashes for it, since there is no act [involved] with it.
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַנִּיחַ לְגוֹי לַעֲבֹד בְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי הַנִּמְכָּר לוֹ – שֶׁלֹּא נַנִּיחַ הַגּוֹי הַשּׁוֹכֵן בְּאַרְצוֹתֵינוּ לְהַעֲבִיד בְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי שֶׁמָּכַר עַצְמוֹ לוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה נג) לֹא יִרְדֶּנּוּ בְּפֶרֶךְ לְעֵינֶיךָ. וְלֹא נֹאמַר אַחַר שֶׁזֶּה הָעִבְרִי, עָבַר עַל נַפְשׁוֹ וּמָכַר עַצְמוֹ לַגּוֹי נַנִּיחֶנּוּ לִסְבֹּל כָּל עֲבוֹדָה. וְאָמְרוּ בַּסִּפְרָא (בהר ח ח) לֹא יִרְדֶּנּוּ בְּפֶרֶךְ לְעֵינֶיךָ. אֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה אֶלָּא לְעֵינֶיךָ, כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ חַיָּבִים לְחַזֵּר עָלָיו וּלְהִכָּנֵס בְּבֵית הַגּוֹי לִרְאוֹת אִם יַעֲבִידֶנּוּ בְּפֶרֶךְ אִם לֹא, אֶלָּא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁנִּרְאֶה הַדָּבָר נִמְנָעֶנּוּ מִמֶּנּוּ.
To not allow a gentile to work a Hebrew slave sold to him: That we not allow a gentile that dwells in our lands work a Hebrew slave, who sold himself to him, with oppressive work — as it is stated (Leviticus 25:53), “he shall not subjugate him oppressively in your eyes.” And we should not say, “Since this Hebrew sinned against himself and sold himself to the gentile, let us leave him to suffer all the work. And they said in Sifra, Behar, Chapter 8:8), “‘He shall not subjugate him oppressively in your eyes’ — you are only commanded ‘in your eyes.’” [This is] meaning to say that we are not obligated to look for it and to enter the house of the gentile to see if he has him work oppressively or not; but rather any time we see the thing, we have to prevent it from him.
שֹׁרֶשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ נִגְלֶה הוּא לְכָל רוֹאֵי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. דִּינֶיהָ כְּלוּלִים בְּעִקָּרָהּ.
The root of this commandment is revealed to all who see the sun. Its laws are included in its essence.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁיָּדֵנוּ תַּקִּיפָה עַל הָאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּנוּ כֹּחַ עֲלֵיהֶם לְצַוּוֹתָם לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְרָאָה הַגּוֹי מַעֲבִיד הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ, וְיֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּיָדוֹ לְמָנְעוֹ וְלֹא מְנָעוֹ עוֹבֵר עַל לָאו זֶה, אֲבָל אֵין מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ עָלָיו, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה.
And [it] is practiced by males and females at the time that our hand is powerful over the nations, that we have the power with us over them to command them to do a thing or not to do it. And one who transgresses it and saw the gentile make the Israelite work with oppressive work — and he has the power in his hand to prevent him — but he does not prevent him, violates this negative commandment. But we do not administer lashes for it, since there is no act [involved] with it.