Daily Chumash Matos Maaseiy Shabbos – The cities of refuge

Shishi (Shevi’i when combined with Matos)

1. The cities of refuge:
   • Hashem spoke to Moshe saying that he is to command Bnei Yisrael that upon then passing the Jordan towards the land of Canaan they are to designate cities of refuge for one guilty of unintentional manslaughter. The cities will be used by the murderer as a refuge from the relative of the victim. The murderer is not to be killed until he has a court case.
   • Amount and locations: There are to be six Arei Miklat. Three of the cities are to be in Eretz Yisrael and the other three past the Jordan river. They are to be a city of refuge for all accidental murderers, whether a Jew or a convert.
   • An intentional or unintentional murderer: If the murderer intentionally or premeditatedly killed someone using a metal object, or a stone object, or a wooden object, then he is to be put to death. The Goal Hadam [relative of the victim] is to kill the murderer. If, however, the murderer killed him without intent and he is not his enemy, then the assembly shall judge between him and the relatives and save him from being killed by the relatives. They are to escort him to the city of refuge.
   • The conditions of the Ir Miklat: The accidental murderer is to remain in the city of refuge until the anointed Kohen Gadol passes away. If the murderer leaves the city of refuge, he has given up his blood and may be killed by the Goal Hadam (avenger).
   • Laws of a murder trials: A single witness may not be used as testimony to kill a murderer. One may not take a ransom from the murderer to save him from punishment of death or Ir Miklat. “Do not corrupt and defile the land that I dwell in by not giving due punishment to the murderers, as the land will not have atonement for the spilled blood. I am Hashem who dwells amongst the Jewish people.”

Shevi’i

2. The marriage of Bnos Tzelafchad:
   • The family of Gilead, son of Machir, who is the son of Menasheh, approached Moshe complaining that the lands inherited by the daughters of Tzelafchad will be inherited by their husbands and consequently leave our tribe. Hashem agreed with their complaint and Moshe thus commanded the daughters of Tzelafchad to marry within their tribe. He also commanded all the Jewish people that all female heirs may only marry into their tribe in order to prevent a family heritage from falling into the hands of other tribes.
   • The daughters of Tzelafchad; Machlah, Tirtzah, Chaglah, Milcah, and Noah did as they were instructed and married their cousins from the tribe of Menasheh.