Following the 10 Commandments given at Mount Sinai, Parshat Mishpatim opens with the laws of the Jewish indentured servant:

And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them. Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge. …. But if the slave says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go free,” his master shall bring him to the judges, and he shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.1

This passage raises several questions—most glaringly, the significance of ear piercing and why it is performed specifically by the door. Furthermore, why does the Torah introduce its extensive legal rulings in Parshat Mishpatim with this particular set of laws?

1. So That it Would Be Apparent to All

Rashbam writes that the ear was pierced simply as a sign of slavery, and it was done by the doorpost so that everyone could witness that this individual was now a permanent slave.2 Some add that this had to take place at the door to the public domain to ensure that it was well documented.3

2. The Ear Heard “Do Not Steal”

Rashi, based on the Talmud and Mechilta, cites no less than three explanations: two for why the ear was pierced, and one for why it was done adjacent to the door.

The first explanation cited by Rashi is found in the Mechilta and is predicated on the understanding that the servant in question is one who stole and was unable to repay the victim, and was thus sold to work off his debt:

And why was the ear chosen to be pierced rather than any other limb? Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai would explain this in a beautiful manner: The ear that heard “You shall not steal”4 and yet the person went and stole—that ear shall be pierced above all his other limbs.5

(According to this understanding, the eighth of the Ten Commandments would also refer to monetary theft. However, Rashi seems to indicate that it refers exclusively to kidnapping. Perhaps this is why Rashi offers a second explanation. For more on this, see: Do the Ten Commandments Forbid Kidnapping or Theft?)

3. The Ear Heard “For the Children of Israel Are Slaves to Me”

The second interpretation quoted by Rashi is lifted from the Talmud in Tractate Kiddushin:

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai would expound this verse in a beautiful manner: Why is the ear different from all the other limbs in the body, as the ear alone is pierced? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This ear heard My voice on Mount Sinai when I said: “For to Me the children of Israel are slaves” (Leviticus 25:55), which indicates: And they should not be slaves to slaves. And yet this man went and acquired a master for himself. Therefore, let this ear be pierced.6

Taking these two explanations into account, the Rebbe explains why these laws are among the first to be discussed right after the giving of the Torah, despite the fact that they would not become applicable for many years to come due to the great wealth the Jews amassed during the Exodus. This commandment is fundamentally connected to the Ten Commandments, the Rebbe explains, as the indentured servant represents the antithesis of freely serving G‑d.7

4. The Door G‑d Passed Over During the Plague of the Firstborn

The explanation Rashi provides for why this had to take place by the door is the continuation of the Talmud quoted above.

And Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would likewise expound this verse in a beautiful manner: Why are the door and a doorpost different from all other objects in the house, that the piercing is performed with them? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: The door and the doorpost were witnesses in Egypt when I passed over the lintel and when I passed over the two doorposts of houses in which there were Jews (Exodus, chapter 12), and I said: “For to Me the children of Israel are slaves,” and they should not be slaves to slaves. And I delivered them at that time from slavery to freedom, and yet this man went and acquired a master for himself. Therefore, let him be pierced before them, as they are witnesses that he violated G‑d’s will.8

It is interesting to note a variation of this teaching as it appears in the Jerusalem Talmud:

Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: Why [is the ear pierced] by the door? Because it was through the door that they went from slavery to freedom.9

5. It Was an Unnoticeable Mark

The Rebbe extensively analyzes the Rashi cited above, raising several questions.

  1. Rashi begins by citing the Talmud,10 which uses a gezeirah shavah (one of the 13 hermeneutical principles that connects identical words in different passages) to establish that only the right ear is pierced. If Rashi’s goal is to explain the reasoning behind this unique command, why does he start with that? This seems to be a standalone teaching rather than an explanation for why the ear is pierced.
  2. Additionally, Rashi’s final explanation—regarding why the door was specifically chosen as the designated “piercing zone” (as cited above)—has nothing to do with the ear. Why, then, does Rashi insert it here, in his commentary about the words “his master shall bore his ear with an awl,” instead of placing it on the phrase “bring him to the door?”

Due to these and other difficulties, the Rebbe explains that Rashi is not addressing why the ear was chosen for piercing. Rather, the question here is: why specifically the right ear?

The Rebbe explains that while the punishment of the indentured servant may seem excessively harsh and degrading, the reality is quite the opposite. The ear was chosen for piercing precisely because it would not be particularly conspicuous—many people voluntarily pierce their ears to wear earrings.

If this were the reasoning, however, one would expect the less dominant ear—the left—to be chosen. This is why Rashi cites the Talmud, which clarifies that the right ear was chosen based on the principle of gezeirah shavah.

But this, in turn, raises another difficulty: the fact that it had to be specifically the right ear suggests that the reason for the piercing was not merely that it should be subtle. If inconspicuousness was the goal, why insist on the right ear?

To resolve this, Rashi cites the deeper explanations—even though they deviate from the straightforward reading of the verse—namely, that this is the ear that heard at Sinai. Since the piercing serves as a reminder of what was heard, the more dominant ear is chosen. This also explains why this particular punishment was instituted, now that we have dismissed the idea that it was meant as an unobtrusive penalty.

We now also understand why Rashi includes the explanation about the door in this context. Once we establish that this ritual carries deep symbolic meaning—serving as a reminder of the ear that heard at Mount Sinai, rather than merely a subtle mark of slavery—Rashi highlights additional symbolism. Specifically, the door represents the doorposts in Egypt.11

6. To Make it Difficult for Him

Rabbi Abraham, the son of Maimonides, understood this process as a means to discourage the servant from remaining with the household. It was designed to make him despise his attachment to worldly matters, which he chose over devotion to his faith. Ultimately, this would lead him to seek true freedom—returning to liberty, his rightful state, and to serving G‑d.12

7. It is a Reminder of the Slavery in Egypt

Tosafot13 and the Chizkuni14 quote a Midrash, also cited as the Jerusalem Talmud:15

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I decreed that Israel would be enslaved for 400 years, but I skipped the designated time for their sake and shortened their servitude. Yet this person went and enslaved himself—therefore, he shall be pierced with an instrument whose numerical value equals 400, which is the awl (מרצע).”

8. A Lesson in Divine Service

The Rebbe uses these laws to draw an important lesson in our service of G‑d.

There are those so immersed in physicality that they become slaves to their material desires. Even when the seventh day—Shabbat—arrives, offering them the chance to break free, they refuse to detach themselves from their love of worldly matters.

Regarding this, the Torah warns: “For to Me, the children of Israel are slaves.” A person's purpose in this world is to serve G‑d through studying Torah and performing mitzvot. True freedom can only be achieved through Torah study, the Mishnah explains: “There is no one as free as one who engages in Torah study.”16 And this personal freedom will ultimately lead to true global freedom ushered in with the coming of Moshiach.17