Female servitude / concubinage to achieve social equality

[FollowingHim]

This is a fascinating take on the Biblical practice of purchasing female servants / slaves, then taking them as wives / concubines. The author turns the entire thing on its head, and explains it as a method for achieving social equality through marriage between rich and poor families. I am not convinced all his statements are biblical, I expect some come from rabbinical interpretations and applications of the law over time. But this 9 minute animation is very well worth watching.

Mishpatim: Female Servitude...Wait, What?
(can't embed it sorry)

 

[Mojo]

Interesting take. It makes sense, but we can't take the conclusions as absolute biblical. It does show how some of our modern conclusions on life aren't necessarily God's conclusions on life (slavery, marriage, polygyny).

I am amazed at what people find disgusting and reprehensible, aren't necessarily in God's eyes.

It does seem like the maker of this video doesn't accept polygamy as valid any longer. I wonder what he would base that on, since he is using such a clear section of scripture that allows for it.

 

[FollowingHim]

The author is a Jewish rabbi, so many of his points do come from rabbinical sources rather than purely Torah. So he will most likely base his rejection of polygamy on Rabbi Gershom's ban (around 1000AD).

 

[aineo]

I appreciate you sharing that, Samuel. I thought it was an interesting way to look at it.

 

[NetWatchR]

Fascinating. It explained in detail what i just took at face value. never thought to look beyond the text to how that would affect things in a wide-scale economic system.

 

[steve]

1) I feel that to state that this "selling daughters" idea will have any effect on the economics of a society is pretty weak. It would definitely change the economics in a few low income families. If rich men married all of the female children from the power classes, then yes, male children of poor households would have no one to marry and propagate with.
The reality is that all land reverted to the original families every Jubilee Year, that does much more to level the playing field.

2) The boughten servant wife would probably not be a first wife, very likely a concubine, but at least second or third wife.
The first wife would probably be from his social class.

3) Very likely Isaac's Rebecca was a bit of a parallel here. Some rabbis believe that she is much younger than is generally thought, placed in his mothers tent and taught the ways of a YHWH fearing family for several years before the actual marriage took place. I think that people read waaay too much into a single verse.