hey should be
burdened with excessive labor, wherefore the Lord commanded (Deut.
5:14) that on the Sabbath day "thy manservant and thy maidservant"
should "rest even as thyself"--and also as to the infliction of
punishment, for it ordered those who maimed their servants, to set
them free (Ex. 21:26, 27). Similar provision was made in favor of a
maidservant when married to anyone (Ex. 21:7, seqq.). Moreover, with
regard to those servants in particular who were taken from among the
people, the Law prescribed that they should go out free in the
seventh year taking whatever they brought with them, even their
clothes (Ex. 21:2, seqq.): and furthermore it was commanded (Deut.
15:13) that they should be given provision for the journey.

With regard to wives the Law made certain prescriptions as to those
who were to be taken in marriage: for instance, that they should
marry a wife from their own tribe (Num. 36:6): and this lest
confusion should ensue in the property of various tribes. Also that a
man should marry the wife of his deceased brother when the latter
died without issue, as prescribed in Deut. 25:5, 6: and this in order
that he who could not have successors according to carnal origin,
might at least have them by a kind of adoption, and that thus the
deceased might not be entirely forgotten. It also forbade them to
marry certain women; to wit, women of strange nations, through fear
of their losing their faith; and those of their near kindred, on
account of the natural respect due to them. Furthermore it prescribed
in what way wives were to be treated after marriage. To wit, that
they should not be slandered without grave reason: wherefore it
ordered punishment to be inflicted on the man who falsely accused his
wife of a crime (Deut. 22:13, seqq.). Also that a man's hatred of his
wife should not be detrimental to his son (Deut. 21:15, seqq.).
Again, that a man should not ill-use his wife through hatred of her,
but rather that he should write a bill of divorce and send her away
(Deut. 24:1). Furthermore, in order to foster conjugal love from the
very outset, it was prescribed that no public duties should be laid
on a recently married man, so that he might be free to rejoice with
his wife.

With regard to children, the Law commanded parents to educate them by
instructing them in the faith: hence it is written (Ex. 12:26,
seqq.): "When your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of
this service? You shall say to