English translation — שופטים ב

1.

After the command

(in our parshah¹),

that "when the L-rd your G-d cuts off the nations etc. and you dispossess them etc." one should set aside²

three cities of refuge — "and it shall be for every murderer to flee there"³

— the verse continues and adds⁴

: "And if the L-rd your G-d enlarges your border as He swore to your fathers and gives you all the land which He spoke to give to your fathers ..

you shall add for yourself three more cities besides these three."

It stands in the Sifri

(and Yerushalmi⁵)

brought in Rashi on the spot,

that the command refers to the time in the future,

when Jews will also receive "the land of the Kenite and Kenizzite and Kadmonite"⁶

; and so also the Rambam rules⁷

: "In the days of King Moshiach they add three others to these six ..

And where do they add them? In the cities of the Kenite

and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite, with whom a covenant was made with Abraham our father concerning them etc."

It is known in this the question⁸

: For what will one need

(further)

to add in the future after the cities of refuge?

— Prima facie, will there then not be any murderers⁹

even among the nations of the world — as the prophet says¹⁰

"Nation shall not lift up sword against nation"¹¹

And even though the cities of refuge are primarily because of one who kills a person <b>unintentionally</b> — nevertheless, also the reality of killing a person unintentionally is not relevant in the future,

both from the side of the killed and from the side of the killer:

This very thing that a person is killed is a proof that he <b>deserves</b> a death penalty,

as the Gemara¹²

says on the verse¹³

"And if he did not lie in wait and God brought it to his hand — of what does the Scripture speak? Of two people who killed a soul, one killed unintentionally and one killed intentionally

(and there is no testimony etc.)

the Holy One, blessed be He, brings them to one inn; this one who killed intentionally sits under the ladder,

and this one who killed unintentionally descends the ladder and falls upon him and kills him; this one who killed intentionally is killed, and this one who killed unintentionally goes into exile" — and since in the future there will not be any case of an intentional killer,

then automatically there will not be such a one who is liable to death,

that he should need to be killed unintentionally.

And so too from the aspect of the <b>killer</b> of a soul unintentionally — because it is known¹⁴,

that transgressing a sin unintentionally comes from this that one has some connection

(at least somewhat,

as above regarding "and God brought it to his hand")

to that

(evil in it)

sin

(for which "all unintentional ones require atonement"¹⁵)

— and since in the future the evil in the world will be nullified¹⁶,

will then consequently also not be any place to commit a transgression even inadvertently&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;.

B.

There are commentators&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;

who learn,

that that which one will in the future set aside yet three cities of refuge is — "for a mitzvah",

or in the language of the Minchas Chinuch&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;

"And it is &lt;b&gt;a decree of the Scripture &lt;/b&gt;

(for according to reason they will not need cities of refuge in the future because only peace and truth and good will be in the days of the king, the hoped-for, speedily in our days, only a decree of the Scripture to do this mitzvah and a decree of the Scripture that there will be a total of nine)

It is, however, seemingly difficult to say so,

because in the portion itself,

Continuing from the command "If the Lord your God will enlarge your border etc., you shall add for yourself three more cities," the verse explains and states the <b>reason</b>: "And innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance"²⁰.

That even then the cities of refuge will be connected with a killer.

3.

There are commentators²¹

who say,

that the need for the cities of refuge in the future will be only in the time of the beginning of the days of the Messiah,

when then "there is no difference between this world and the days of the Messiah except subjugation to the kingdoms alone"²²

; but not so in the later period of the days of the Messiah²³

— "In the continuation of the time when knowledge will increase in Israel" — "then they will not need cities of refuge"²⁴.

And based on this it comes out,

that from this command "And when the L-rd your G-d shall enlarge your border" — to add three cities of refuge in the future — is a proof to the aforementioned opinion and the view of the Rambam²⁵,

that "There is no difference between this world and the days of Mashiach except the subjugation of the kingdoms alone",

(at the beginning of the time of Mashiach at least²³),

as the Rambam elaborates in his book²⁶

: "And let it not enter your mind that in the days of Mashiach anything from the custom of the world will be nullified or there will be a novelty

in the work of creation, but the world will follow its custom"²⁷.

And consequently there will also be applicable the existence of a killer

(unintentionally²⁸).

With this one could also explain a precision in the Rambam: after the Rambam²⁹

speaks about the belief in the coming of Moshiach,

that "whoever does not believe in him etc. not only is he a denier of the other prophets but of the Torah and Moshe Rabbeinu, for the Torah testified about him as it says etc. even in the portion of Bilaam it says etc.",

he continues and brings another proof in a <b>separate</b> halacha³⁰

: "Even regarding cities of refuge it says 'And if³¹

Hashem your G-d will expand your border and you will add for yourself three more cities etc. and this thing never happened nor did the Holy One, blessed be He, command in vain' — and superficially it is not understood: why does the Rambam set apart <b>the</b> proof in a halacha by itself?

And according to the above it can be said,

that with this the Rambam intends to hint³²,

that the proof from cities of refuge pertains not only to what he says in the halacha <b>before this</b>

(about the coming of Moshiach in general),

but also to the content discussed in the halacha <b>after this</b>³³

"And³⁴

let it not enter your mind that the king Mashiach needs to perform signs and wonders and renew things in the world or revive the dead and the like of these things; the matter is not so, for Rabbi Akiva etc."

(and brings the proof from ben Koziva)

Also on <b>this</b>

(that there will then not be any novel thing in the world)

there is a proof from the commandment to add cities of refuge in the future,

which teaches us that also in the days of Mashiach it will be "the world follows its customary way."

And consequently it is understood that this is not the essence of Mashiach and this is not the quality by which he is Mashiach³⁵.

4.

It is however difficult to learn thus in Rambam:

If the Rambam means to say that from the addition of cities of refuge is a proof <b>conclusive</b> that King Moshiach does not need to make any "signs and wonders and renew things in the world",

he would have said this explicitly

(and especially since this is a proof from a verse and commandment in the Torah,

and the proof that he brings from ben Koziva is from the words and exposition of our Sages).

Further: from the style of the language,

with which the Rambam begins the halacha

(c)

above ch. 11: “&lt;b&gt;And let it not arise in your mind &lt;/b&gt;that the King Moshiach needs to perform signs and wonders and renew things in the world”

(and not “And the King Moshiach does not need to perform etc.”)

implies,

that also &lt;b&gt;after &lt;/b&gt;the halacha

(b)

regarding cities of refuge in the future could be a possible misconception

(“it will arise in your mind”)

that Moshiach

“needs to perform signs etc.” only it is negated because R. Akiva etc.

D.

E.

That from this command to add cities of refuge in the future, there is no proof that Mashiach will not need to show signs and wonders etc.

And based on this it is understood,

That there is also no proof from this that there will not be a change in the custom of the world³⁶.

5.

And it may be explained this explanation in this:

From the addition of cities of refuge in the future there is no proof that <b>then</b> the world will follow its usual course,

because the cities of refuge will be for an unintentional murderer <b>before</b> this — <b>in the present era</b>³⁷.

And being then in the lands of Keni, Kenizi, and Kadmoni³⁸

he will need to go into exile in a city of refuge³⁹.

As one finds regarding the obligation of a sin-offering,

that Rabbi Yishmael⁴⁰

wrote in his notebook that "when the Temple is built, I will bring a fat sin-offering"⁴¹.

And even though the reason for the separation of the cities of refuge — "to prepare for you the way and many cities of refuge⁴²

— is: "lest the avenger of blood pursue the murderer because <b>his heart is hot</b> and overtake him <b>because the way is long</b> and strike him dead"⁴³

— in order to be able to flee from the avenger of blood⁴⁴,

and therefore "if the Lord your God <b>enlarges</b> your border etc. <b>you shall add</b> for yourself three more cities",

that even then the cities of refuge are a place of rescue from the avenger of blood —

And superficially, &lt;b&gt;his heart was heated&lt;/b&gt; etc. is not relevant to the future,

One says, however, in the Sifri on our portion — "&lt;b&gt;A commandment &lt;/b&gt;is in the hand of the blood-avenger to pursue"&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;

; and since it is a commandment&lt;sup&gt;46&lt;/sup&gt;

it is understood,

that this is relevant also to the future.

And consequently, the cities of refuge must be in order to flee from the avenger of blood⁴⁷.

it is stated that it is a mitzvah for the avenger of blood to kill the murderer,

only in the case of a murderer who went outside the boundary

(cities of refuge)

and the avenger of blood found him,

but not when he is still in the process of fleeing to the city of refuge,

But in order not to increase dispute, one must say⁴⁹,

that also according to that opinion,

it does not mean that specifically <b>then</b>

(after he entered his city of refuge and from there went out beyond the boundary)

is <b>renewed</b> the commandment of the blood redeemer⁵⁰,

but before the murderer comes to the city of refuge, there is a prohibition on the blood redeemer to kill the

murderer

(just like any other person)⁵¹

But that also according to this view is initially,

even before the test of the city of refuge there is already a commandment

(in the manner of the opinion of the Sifri⁵²)

upon the blood avenger to avenge the death of his relative; but since the Torah gives the unintentional killer the protection of the city of refuge,

it is thereby safeguarded,

that as long as the murderer has not yet arrived at his city of refuge⁵³

he is the fourth upon it upon the blood avenger and he cannot fulfill his commandment⁵⁴].

6.

One must still, however, understand

(according to the opinion of the Rambam)

The Rambam indeed rules⁵⁵

that it is only a permission in the hand of the blood avenger to kill him

(when he went outside his boundary willfully).

And at first glance,

even according to his view that in the future the world will follow its customary way,

it is indeed that there can be an unintentional manslayer,

but how then does it come — &lt;b&gt;his heart will be hot &lt;/b&gt;

(and consequently)

a

reality of the blood avenger.

Since

(the Rambam himself rules)⁵⁶

that "at that time there will be no famine nor war &lt;b&gt;nor envy and competition &lt;/b&gt;etc. and the occupation &lt;b&gt;of the entire world &lt;/b&gt;will be only to know God alone"; there is no situation,

of "nor envy and competition" and being occupied "to know God &lt;b&gt;alone&lt;/b&gt;",

then how can it be that one should kill another who "has &lt;b&gt;no &lt;/b&gt;judgment of death",

only because of that which "his heart will be hot".

And one cannot answer that that which in the future they will need to have cities of refuge will be — not to save the unintentional murderer from the blood redeemer,

but — as an atonement for the sin

(because the subject of cities of refuge is not only protection and rescue,

but also atonement&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;

for the sin)

— because the verse says explicitly "and blood shall not be shed etc.",

that they will be

(also in the future)

for the sake of protection and rescue.

In addition to this: if the cities of refuge in the future will be only because an unintentional murderer should have an atonement,

then there is no concern that "the way will be long and he will strike him dead",

there is no necessity for cities of refuge in the land of the Kenite, Kenizzite, and Kadmonite specifically — there are already cities of refuge in the Land of Israel and Transjordan&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;

But not so when the reason is

(also and primarily)

in order to save the unintentional murderer from the blood avenger,

is

It is understood why one needs the addition of cities in the land of Keni, Kenizi, and Kadmoni,

since regarding "to flee there" it matters that there should not be "the way would be too long."

7.

And one can say the explanation in this:

The law of the blood redeemer with all the details is not a matter of "the Torah spoke ...

against the evil inclination"⁵⁹

which will incite and cause that "his heart will become warm" about it, therefore the Torah, without any alternative, gave permission

(or a command)

to kill the murderer

— Because if an unintentional murderer is <b>not</b> liable to death,

how is it possible to say that the blood redeemer has permission to kill him,

and all the more so — that it is a <b>commandment</b> upon the blood redeemer?

But this is a conduct initially according to Torah or a commandment⁶⁰

: there are cases when the Torah commands the court to carry out the death penalty — when there are witnesses and warning; there are cases when it comes to death by <b>heaven</b>; and in the case of an unintentional murderer,

since through him a soul from Israel was killed⁶¹,

the Torah has handed this over⁶²

to the

What "worthy to inherit him"⁶³

(a connection to him — and consequently is

(according to Torah)

"his heart grows warm"⁶⁴)

to kill the murderer⁶⁵,

to remove the "and the avenger of blood shall kill the murderer etc. and you shall not take ransom for him to flee etc. and you shall not defile the land etc. and the land shall not be atoned for the blood etc. except by the blood of him who shed it"⁶⁶

— the act of sin.

And therefore also according to the opinion of the Rambam who rules that "<b>permission </b>to the avenger of blood to kill him",

one needs to have cities of refuge in the future for fleeing from the avenger of blood,

since the avenger of blood is a matter according to <b>Torah</b>⁶⁸

(not

(only)

from a natural

(evil inclination)

feeling of revenge)

— his heart grows warm,

And consequently, this is also in the time

(in the future to come)⁶⁹

when it is "no jealousy and competition" but "the occupation of the entire world is solely to know G‑d."

8.

May it be His will that through the service of the cities of refuge in the present time in spirituality — the study of Torah,

which "words of Torah ...

absorb"⁷⁰,

And particularly in this <b>time</b> that was given as a "refuge" — the month of Elul whose acronym is⁷¹

"I have come to His hand and placed for you",

"to hint that the Holy One, blessed be He, in His mercy came and set the month of Elul for anyone who sinned during the year to then repent and be accepted"⁷²,

One should merit soon to the "may the Lord your God enlarge your territory" and simply,

and it will be the "you shall add for yourself three more cities" — the addition of three cities of refuge,

And also in spirituality,

the revelation of the reasons of the Torah in the future⁷³

through our righteous Mashiach⁷⁴

Speedily in our days, literally.

(From sichos of Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Balak and Pinchas 5738)