Commentary for Gittin 75:18

ואביי משום איסורא לא האמר רב חנינא בר רב קטינא אמר ר' יצחק מעשה באשה אחת שחציה שפחה וחציה בת חורין

ransomed her in order to marry her. They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Jewish authorities in the district. ');">¹⁶</span> sent a message to him [R. Abba] saying, If you wish to act well, send her a deed of emancipation. What was the point of this message? If they were able to redeem her,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the heathen was willing to surrender her for a ransom. ');">¹⁷</span> why did they want a deed of emancipation?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They could redeem her back into slavery. ');">¹⁸</span> If they were not able to ransom her, of what good would a deed of emancipation be? — The fact was that it was possible to ransom her, and if he sent them a deed of emancipation, they would club together and [find the money] to ransom her. Or if you like I can say that they were not [at first] able to ransom her, but if the master would send her a deed of emancipation she would go down in the esteem of the heathen<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it would become generally known that she was the slave of a Jew. ');">¹⁹</span> and he would consent to her ransom. But has not a Master said that the heathen like the cattle<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore the slaves also. ');">²⁰</span> of Israel better than their [own] wives? — This is their real sentiment, but they think it beneath their dignity to show it. There was a certain female slave in Pumbeditha who was used by men for immoral purposes — Abaye said: Were it not that Rab Judah has said in the name of Samuel that whoever emancipates his [heathen] slave breaks a positive precept, I would compel her master to make out a deed of emancipation for her. Rabina said; In such a case, Rab Judah would agree [that this is proper], in order to check immorality. And would not Abaye [act in the same way] to prevent immorality, seeing that R. Hanina b. Kattina has reported in the name of R. Isaac that the master of a certain woman who was half slave and half free<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra 42a. ');">²¹</span>

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