For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt—I am Hashem, your God. (Vayikra 25:55)

How is an employee different from a slave?

While they are working, both the employee and the slave have limited freedom and are obligated to do what the master/employer says.

The difference is that a slave doesn’t have the option to quit; even if he refuses to work he remains a slave. However, the moment an employee decides to stop doing his job, he is no longer an employee.

Another difference is that the employee contractually elected to be in his situation, while the slave had no say at all. However, in neither case is there any indication that either would like to be there at all! For many employees, the workplace is only a means to earn enough money so that he can do the things he enjoys outside of the workplace! There are also employees who choose to make their job a “career” – part of their identity, and the vocation may actually become a labor of love – though the employee would not necessarily work for free.

Which of these describes our relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu? The Torah tells us that we were taken out of Egypt and contractually we became the servants of Hashem. This sounds like it is a forced relationship – one in which we would like to leave as quickly as possible. The Ohr HaChaim explains the words in the beginning of the verse quoted above, “…they are my slaves…” as a defining statement. Yes, it is true that we have to serve Hashem because he took us out of Egypt, but aside from that, it is also our natural position to be serving Him.

In the world of medicine there are two domains: there are those who treat patients, e.g. family doctors and surgeons; and there are medical researchers who are involved in developing cures and solutions to medical problems. They each have their area of expertise, and there is no doubt that each in their own field feel satisfaction, and the world of medicine could not exist without both. But when it comes to avodas Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu engineered it so that we should understand that our essence is both to want to be servants of Hashem and also to understand that we have a contractual obligation to serve him.

I have a first cousin with whom I am also very good friends. He once remarked to me that there is an advantage of being both first cousins and friends because our relationship has a higher level of intensity together with a higher level of love. Each aspect bolsters the other aspect.

This idea extends also to our fellow Jew. Aside from the fact that we are brothers, we have contractually accepted responsibility for our fellow Jew – kol Yisrael areivim zeh l’zeh. We should understand that this too is an extension of our obligations, together with our natural disposition of v’ahavta l’reacha k’mocha.

As we count sefira towards Shavuos, we should keep in mind both of these ideas: We have the special relationship that came from Hashem choosing us to accept the Torah which should generate feelings of love towards Hashem and fulfilling his Mitzvos. But we also have an obligation to accept the Torah as His servants, listening to His commandments no matter what. Both of these feelings together should bring us to a fuller and more meaningful relationship with Hashem.