A Hebrew servant is formally acquired through kinyan kesef — the transfer of money to the court (if court-sold) or to the servant himself (if self-sold).
Question 2
A servant sold by the court becomes sick for two of his six years. When is he freed?
Sickness does not extend the service term. A court-sold servant is freed after six years from the date of sale, even if he was unable to work part of that time.
Question 3
May a self-sold servant sell himself for more than six years?
Unlike a court-sold servant who is limited to six years, a person who voluntarily sells himself may sell for more than six years — up to the Jubilee year.
Question 4
If a master dies, who does the Hebrew servant continue to serve?
If the master dies and leaves a son, the servant continues to serve the son. He does not serve the master's daughter or other heirs — the obligation is specific to the son.
Question 5
When a Jew sells himself to a gentile and cannot self-redeem, what is the obligation of his relatives?
When a Jew sells himself to a gentile and cannot obtain funds to redeem himself, the Torah obligates his relatives (starting with the nearest) to redeem him. This is a positive Torah commandment.