Today's day speaks of eved ivri, the slavery of Hebrews. These agreements are actually contractual work arrangements. Beyond the contract, ki tov lo imach, because the slave fares well with the owner, some slaves choose to stay (Devarim 15:16).
The master is required to provide those slaves meals together with the family. Our barita reminds us that the master must provide Hebrew slaves with the same quality of bread, wine, sheets. In fact, it teaches us that kol ha-koneh eved, koneh adon le-atzmo, anyone who acquires a slave has acquired a master for himself. Ancient concepts of slavery are an important way to care for the needs of those who are impoverished.
The Meiri tells us that the obligations of masters are in fact mitzvot. Slaves cannot take their masters to court for a higher living standard because their contracts are not monetary. The Meiri argues that these laws about slavery should inform us about relationships between bosses and workers. Workers should be housed, clothed and fed similarly to the bosses. Tosafot agree with this point of view. They provide a prooftext from Vayikra (25:40): ke'sachir detoshav ya'avod imach, a slaved should be treated like a hired servant.
The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that Rabbi Yochanan treated all people who worked for him in this way, both Jewish and non-Jewish slaves
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