Good evening, Neil! In all honesty, all three things that you reflected upon were also of interest to me. I was likewise surprised at how different religions and denominations have viewed the Ten Commandments. I always felt they were straightforward, but I guess I never opened myself to the possibility to such organizational variations. Similarly, the fact that the priest had the power to grant or withhold forgiveness made me think much more about how the godliness of priests and clergy have shifted over the many years.
But, as the Book of the Covenant detailed the slavery laws, I was hoping to more clearly understand the story of Jacob, primarily as it relates to Laban. As Jacob enters servitude for the hand of Rachel, I was confused as to why it was for a period of seven years, when Collins notes "that the service of Hebrew slaves (was) always limited to six years" (85). I'm not sure why Jacob works for an extra year, whether he is classified as a slave or a worker. I imagine it falls more in line with slavery since there would be a debt for the bride-price. And on a side note, I do not understand how Laban is allowed to be deceitful, by subbing in Leah for Rachel, when the Holiness Code declares: "you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another" (Lev. 19:11). Sorry for the rant. I was drawn by the fact that slaves might have had more rights than Jacob, in dealing with his uncle.