 |
Haven on Earth
|
|
Haven on Earth
|
'RABBI SIMLAI EXPOUNDED, 'THEN MOSHE SET APART THREE CITIES BEYOND THE JORDAN, TOWARDS THE SHINING OF A SUN RISE." DEVARIM 4. HE SPOKE TO HIM, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, TO MOSHE, NOW MAKE SHINE A SUN RISE FOR MURDERERS. OTHERS HAVE IT, HE SPOKE TO HIM [PROPHETICALLY], YOU HAVE MADE A SUN RISE [THAT WILL] SHINE FOR MURDERERS. RABBI SIMLAI EXPOUNDED, ... OUR MASTER MOSHE, WHO, WHILE KNOWING THAT THE THREE CITIES BEYOND THE JORDAN WOULD NOT HARBOUR REFUGEES SO LONG AS THE THREE IN KENAAN HAD NOT BEEN SET APART, NEVERTHELESS SAID, THE CHARGE HAVING COME WITHIN MY REACH, I SHALL GIVE EFFECT TO IT NOW!' MAKKOT 10A.
Set up a storehouse teaching shalom
'THEN MOSHE SET APART THREE CITIES ACROSS THE JORDAN TOWARDS THE SHINING OF A SUN RISE.' DEVARI 4.
THESE REFUGE CITIES ARE TO BE MADE NOT AS SMALL STATION FORTS AND NOT AS LARGE WALLED CAPITALS BUT RATHER AVERAGE RURAL TOWNS.
THEY ARE TO INCLUDE: CLEAN WATER - MARKET - KEPT POPULATED AREAS AND NO SALE OF WEAPONS OR TRAPS.
RABBI YITZHAK ASKED WHAT IS THE VERSE FOR THESE LAWS? '... AND HE SHALL FLEE TO ONE OF THESE CITIES AND HE SHALL LIVE.' DEVARIM 4. WHICH MEANS: PROVIDE ALL THAT HE NEEDS FOR LIVING.
A TANNA TAUGHT, WHEN A STUDENT IS SENT AWAY [TO A REFUGE CITY] HIS TEACHER IS SENT AWAY WITH HIM. BECAUSE IT SAYS, ... AND HE SHALL FLEE TO ONE OF THESE CITIES AND HE SHALL LIVE.WHICH MEANS: PROVIDE ALL THAT HE NEEDS FOR LIVING.' MAKKOT 10A.
'THESE ARE THE TERRITORIES WHICH ELAZER THE KOHEN, AND YEHOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, AND THE HEADS OF THE FATHERS OF THE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL DIVIDED FOR AN INHERITANCE BY LOT IN SHILO BEFORE THE L~RD, AT THE DOOR OF THE TENT OF MEETING. SO THEY MADE AN END OF DIVIDING THE COUNTRY. AND THE L~RD SPOKE TO YEHOSHUA, SAYING, SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL, ASSIGN FOR YOURSELVES CITIES OF REFUGE, OF WHICH I SPOKE TO YOU BY THE HAND OF MOSHE.' YEHOSHUA 20.
'RABBI YEHUDA AND THE RABBIS DIFFER [AS TO THE REASON FOR THE STRONG TERMS, SPOKE ... SPEAK ... SPOKE]: ONE THINKS IT IS BECAUSE YEHOSHUA MUST HAVE SOMEWHAT DELAYED THE APPOINTMENT OF THOSE [CITIES OF REFUGE]; WHEREAS THE OTHER THINKS IT WAS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF ITS IMPORTANCE BEING AN ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH. MAKKOT 11A.
'AND THE PEOPLE SAID TO YEHOSHUA, THE L~RD OUR EL~HIM WILL WE SERVE, AND HIS VOICE WILL WE OBEY. SO YEHOSHUA MADE A COVENANT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT DAY, AND SET THEM A STATUTE AND AN ORDINANCE IN SHEKHEM. AND YEHOSHUA WROTE THESE WORDS IN THE BOOK OF THE TORAH OF EL~HIM, AND TOOK A GREAT STONE, AND SET IT UP THERE UNDER THE OAK, THAT WAS BY THE SANCTUARY OF THE L~RD.' YEHOSHUA 24.
'AND YEHOSHUA WROTE THESE WORDS IN THE BOOK OF THE TORAH OF EL~HIM, ... ' YEHOSHUA 24. RABBI YEHUDA AND RABBI NEHEMIAH DIFFER: ONE THINKING THEM AS THE FINAL EIGHT VERSES [IN THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSHE, DEVARIM 34:5-12], WHILE THE OTHER THINKS THEM TO BE THE SECTION ON THE CITIES OF REFUGE [YEHOSHUA 20] ... WE TAKE THEM IN THIS WAY: 'AND YEHOSHUA WROTE', IN HIS OWN BOOK, 'THESE WORDS' [CONCERNING THE CITIES OF REFUGE THAT ARE PRESCRIBED] 'IN THE BOOK OF THE TORAH OF EL~HIM.' MAKKOT 11A.