Makkot 2:7-2:8

ByDavid Schuck

Mishnah Makkot Shiur @ Beth El Synagogue Center

משנה מכות ב׳:ז׳

(ז) נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ בְלֹא כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, הַהוֹרֵג כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁהָרַג, אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם. וְאֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא לֹא לְעֵדוּת מִצְוָה וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת מָמוֹן וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת נְפָשׁוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים לוֹ, וַאֲפִלּוּ שַׂר צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה, אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה) אֲשֶׁר נָס שָׁמָּה, שָׁם תְּהֵא דִירָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא מִיתָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרָתוֹ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָעִיר קוֹלֶטֶת, כָּךְ תְּחוּמָהּ קוֹלֵט. רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁיָּצָא חוּץ לַתְּחוּם וּמְצָאוֹ גוֹאֵל הַדָּם, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, מִצְוָה בְיַד גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם, וּרְשׁוּת בְּיַד כָּל אָדָם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, רְשׁוּת בְּיַד גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם, וְכָל אָדָם אֵין חַיָּבִין עָלָיו. אִילָן שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּחוּם וְנוֹפוֹ נוֹטֶה חוּץ לַתְּחוּם, אוֹ עוֹמֵד חוּץ לַתְּחוּם וְנוֹפוֹ נוֹטֶה לְתוֹךְ הַתְּחוּם, הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַנּוֹף. הָרַג בְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר, גּוֹלֶה מִשְּׁכוּנָה לִשְׁכוּנָה. וּבֶן לֵוִי, גוֹלֶה מֵעִיר לְעִיר:

Mishnah Makkot 2:7

(7) The more comfortable their lives in the city of refuge, the less urgency they would feel to leave, and the less likely it would be that they would pray for the death of the High Priests. If, after the unintentional murderer’s verdict was decided and he was sentenced to exile, the High Priest died, he is not exiled, as the death of the High Priest exempts him from exile. If it was before his verdict was decided that the High Priest died and they appointed another in his place, and thereafter his verdict was decided, he returns from exile with the death of the second High Priest. If the verdict of a murderer was decided at a time when there was no High Priest, and likewise in the cases of one who unintentionally killed a High Priest and in the case of a High Priest who killed unintentionally, the unintentional murderer never leaves the city of refuge. And one who is exiled may not leave the city at all, either for testimony relating to a mitzva, or for testimony relating to monetary matters, or for testimony relating to capital matters. And even if the Jewish people require his services, and even if he is the general of the army of Israel like Joab ben Zeruiah, he never leaves the city of refuge, as it is stated: “And the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, that he fled there” (Numbers 35:25), from which it is derived: There shall be his dwelling, there shall be his death, there shall be his burial. The mishna continues: Just as an unintentional murderer is admitted to the city of refuge, so is he admitted to its outskirts, located within the Shabbat boundary. Once he entered the outskirts of the city, the blood redeemer may not kill him. In a case where a murderer emerged beyond the Shabbat boundary of the city of refuge and the blood redeemer found him there, Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: It is a mitzva for the blood redeemer to kill him, and it is optional for every other person to do so. Rabbi Akiva says: It is optional for the blood redeemer, and every other person is liable for killing him. The previous mishna teaches that the halakhic status of the outskirts of the city is like that of the city itself in terms of the unintentional murderer being provided refuge there. The mishna adds: With regard to a tree that stands within the Shabbat boundary of a city of refuge, whose boughs extend outside the boundary, or a tree that stands outside the boundary and its boughs extend inside the boundary, the status of the tree, whether it is considered inside or outside the boundary, in all cases follows the boughs. If an unintentional murderer, exiled to a city of refuge, unintentionally killed a person in the same city, he is exiled from that neighborhood where he resided to another neighborhood within that city. And a Levite who is a permanent resident of a city of refuge and unintentionally killed a person is exiled from that city to another city.

משנה מכות ב׳:ח׳

(ח) כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁגָּלָה לְעִיר מִקְלָטוֹ וְרָצוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר לְכַבְּדוֹ, יֹאמַר לָהֶם רוֹצֵחַ אָנִי. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, יְקַבֵּל מֵהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט) וְזֶה דְּבַר הָרֹצֵחַ. מַעֲלִים הָיוּ שָׂכָר לַלְוִיִּם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיוּ מַעֲלִים לָהֶן שָׂכָר. וְחוֹזֵר לַשְּׂרָרָה שֶׁהָיָה בָהּ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיָה חוֹזֵר לַשְּׂרָרָה שֶׁהָיָה בָהּ:

Mishnah Makkot 2:8

(8) Similarly, in the case of a murderer who was exiled to a city of refuge and the people of the city sought to honor him due to his prominence, he shall say to them: I am a murderer. If the residents of the city say to him: We are aware of your status and nevertheless, we wish to honor you, he may accept the honor from them, as it is stated: “And this is the matter [devar] of the murderer” (Deuteronomy 19:4), from which it is derived that the murderer is required to say [ledabber] to them that he is a murderer. He is not required to tell them any more than that. The unintentional murderers would pay a fee to the Levites as rent for their living quarters in the cities of refuge, which were Levite cities; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: They would not pay a fee to them, but would reside rent free, as they are required to live there by Torah law. They also disagreed with regard to the status of the unintentional murderer when he returns home after the death of the High Priest. He returns to the same public office that he occupied prior to his exile; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: He does not return to the office that he occupied.

ריטב"א על מכות י״ב ב:ז׳

והא דתנן רוצח שגלה לעיר מקלט ורצו אנשי עיר לכבדו. יש משניות שגורסין כיוצא בו רוצח שגלה לעיר מקלט ומחקי לה רבנן ז"ל דמאי שייכותא דהא בהדי דלעיל דליתני כיוצא בו ונראה שיש למחוק ולקיים הגירסא דמשום דקתני דבן לוי גולה מעיר לעיר ואעפ"י שהכל מפלכו וטעמא כדי שיהא נכנע יותר בעצמו בגלותם לכך שנינו כיוצא בו לענין ההכנעה:

Ritva on Makkot 12b:7

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דברים י״ט:ד׳-ה׳

(ד) וְזֶה֙ דְּבַ֣ר הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־יָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה וָחָ֑י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֶּ֤ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַת וְה֛וּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֥ל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃ (ה) וַאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּעַר֮ לַחְטֹ֣ב עֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץ וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּס אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה וָחָֽי׃

Deuteronomy 19:4-5

(4) Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: one who has killed another unwittingly, without having been his enemy in the past. (5) For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into a grove to cut wood; as his hand swings the ax to cut down a tree, the ax-head flies off the handle and strikes the other so that he dies. That man shall flee to one of these cities and live.—

רש"י על מכות י״ג א:א׳:ב׳

חוזר לשררה שהיה בה - אם היה נשיא או ראש בית אב חוזר לגדולתו כשישוב לעירו במיתת כה"ג:

Rashi on Makkot 13a:1:2

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מכות י״ג א:ב׳

גמ׳ אמר רב כהנא מחלוקת בשש דמר סבר (במדבר לה, יב) לכם לקליטה ומר סבר לכם לכל צרכיכם אבל בארבעים ושתים דברי הכל היו מעלין להם שכר

Makkot 13a:2

GEMARA: Rav Kahana said: This dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir is with regard to payment of rent to the Levite landlords in the six cities of refuge designated in the Torah and in the book of Joshua, as one Sage, Rabbi Yehuda, holds that in the verse: “They shall be cities of refuge for you” (Numbers 35:11), the term “for you” means that the cities shall be for you only for providing refuge, and therefore they must pay rent to the Levites. And one Sage, Rabbi Meir, holds that the term “for you” means for all your needs; therefore, they are not required to pay rent. But with regard to the forty-two additional Levite cities, which also served as cities of refuge, everyone agrees that the unintentional murderers would pay rent to the Levite landlords.

במדבר ל״ה:י״א-ט״ו

(יא) וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם לָכֶם֙ עָרִ֔ים עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לָכֶ֑ם וְנָ֥ס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃ (יב) וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֧ם הֶעָרִ֛ים לְמִקְלָ֖ט מִגֹּאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א יָמוּת֙ הָרֹצֵ֔חַ עַד־עָמְד֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ (יג) וְהֶעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֵּ֑נוּ שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה לָכֶֽם׃ (יד) אֵ֣ת ׀ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ הֶעָרִ֗ים תִּתְּנוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר לַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְאֵת֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ הֶֽעָרִ֔ים תִּתְּנ֖וּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ (טו) לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְלַגֵּ֤ר וְלַתּוֹשָׁב֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔ם תִּהְיֶ֛ינָה שֵׁשׁ־הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לְמִקְלָ֑ט לָנ֣וּס שָׁ֔מָּה כָּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃

Numbers 35:11-15

(11) you shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge to which a manslayer who has killed a person unintentionally may flee. (12) The cities shall serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer may not die unless he has stood trial before the assembly. (13) The towns that you thus assign shall be six cities of refuge in all. (14) Three cities shall be designated beyond the Jordan, and the other three shall be designated in the land of Canaan: they shall serve as cities of refuge. (15) These six cities shall serve the Israelites and the resident aliens among them for refuge, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

ביצה כ״ח ב:ה׳

דָּרַשׁ רַב חִסְדָּא וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב יוֹסֵף אֶחָד סַכִּין שֶׁנִּפְגְּמָה וְאֶחָד שַׁפּוּד שֶׁנִּרְצַם וְאֶחָד גְּרִיפַת תַּנּוּר וְכִירַיִם בְּיוֹם טוֹב בָּאנוּ לְמַחְלוֹקֶת רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבָּנַן דְּתַנְיָא אֵין בֵּין יוֹם טוֹב לַשַּׁבָּת אֶלָּא אוֹכֶל נֶפֶשׁ בִּלְבָד רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתִּיר אַף מַכְשִׁירֵי אוֹכֶל נֶפֶשׁ

Beitzah 28b:5

Rav Ḥisda taught, and some say it was Rav Yosef who taught: A knife that became nicked on a Festival, a roasting skewer [shappud] that was crushed on a Festival and its point broke off, and the sweeping of the coals in an oven and a stove on a Festival to prepare them for baking, with regard to all of these we have arrived at the dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and the Rabbis. As it is taught in a baraita: The difference between a Festival and Shabbat is only with regard to the preparation of food. Rabbi Yehuda permits even actions that facilitate preparation of food on a Festival.

ביצה כ״ח ב:ו׳

מַאי טַעְמָא דְּתַנָּא קַמָּא אָמַר קְרָא הוּא לְבַדּוֹ יֵעָשֶׂה לָכֶם הוּא וְלֹא מַכְשִׁירָיו וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר קְרָא לָכֶם לָכֶם לְכׇל צׇרְכֵיכֶם

Beitzah 28b:6

The Gemara explains: What is the reason of the first tanna for prohibiting actions that facilitate food preparation? The verse states: “Save that which every person must eat, that alone may be done for you” (Exodus 12:16), from which it may be inferred: “That” may be done on a Festival, but not actions that facilitate it. And Rabbi Yehuda adduces proof for his view from the fact that the verse states: “For you,” indicating: For you, for all your needs, and that which facilitates food preparation is also a need.

מכות י״ג א:ג׳

א"ל רבא הא ודאי לכם לכל צרכיכם משמע אלא אמר רבא מחלוקת בארבעים ושתים דמר סבר (במדבר לה, ו) ועליהם תתנו כי הנך לקליטה ומר סבר ועליהם תתנו כי הנך מה הנך לכל צרכיכם אף הני נמי לכל צרכיכם אבל בשש דברי הכל לא היו מעלים להן שכר:

Makkot 13a:3

Rava said to him: But the term “for you” certainly indicates for all your needs; therefore, the dispute cannot be as Rav Kahana explains it. Rather, Rava said: The dispute is only with regard to the forty-two Levite cities, as one Sage, Rabbi Yehuda, holds that from the verse: “They shall be the six cities of refuge…and beside them you shall give forty-two cities” (Numbers 35:6), it is derived that the forty-two cities are like these original six cities, only insofar as with regard to the unintentional murderer being admitted. And one Sage, Rabbi Meir, holds that from the verse: “They shall be the six cities of refuge…and beside them you shall give forty-two cities,” it is derived that the forty-two cities are like these original six cities in every sense: Just as those six cities were given to you, i.e., the unintentional murderers, for all your needs, so too, these forty-two cities were given to you, i.e., the unintentional murderers, for all your needs. But with regard to the six cities specifically designated as cities of refuge, everyone agrees that unintentional murderers would not pay the Levites a fee.

במדבר ל״ה:ו׳

(ו) וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֵ֚ת שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְּנ֔וּ לָנֻ֥ס שָׁ֖מָּה הָרֹצֵ֑חַ וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתְּנ֔וּ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם עִֽיר׃

Numbers 35:6

(6) The towns that you assign to the Levites shall comprise the six cities of refuge that you are to designate for a manslayer to flee to, to which you shall add forty-two towns.

מכות י״ג א:ד׳

חוזר לשררה שהיה בה כו': תנו רבנן (ויקרא כה, מא) ושב אל משפחתו ואל אחוזת אבותיו ישוב למשפחתו הוא שב ואינו שב למה שהחזיקו אבותיו דברי ר"י ר"מ אומר אף הוא שב למה שהחזיקו אבותיו אל אחוזת אבותיו כאבותיו

Makkot 13a:4

§ The mishna teaches that there is a dispute as to whether the unintentional murderer returns to the same public office that he occupied prior to his exile. On a related note, the Sages taught with regard to a Hebrew slave liberated during the Jubilee Year, about whom it is written: “And he returns to his family, and to the estate of his fathers he shall return” (Leviticus 25:41): He returns to his family, but he does not return to that status of prominence and honor that his ancestors held; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: He even returns to that status of prominence and honor that his ancestors held. From the phrase “to the estate of his fathers he shall return,” it is derived that he returns to be like his fathers.

מכות י״ג א:ה׳

וכן בגולה כשהוא אומר ישוב לרבות את הרוצח

Makkot 13a:5

And likewise, the same is true with regard to an exile sent to a city of refuge, as when the verse states: “To the estate of his fathers he shall return,” the term “he shall return” is redundant and it serves to include the unintentional murderer.

מכות י״ג א:ו׳

מאי וכן בגולה כדתניא (במדבר לה, כח) ישוב הרוצח אל ארץ אחוזתו לארץ אחוזתו הוא שב ואינו שב למה שהחזיקו אבותיו דברי רבי יהודה ר"מ אומר אף הוא שב למה שהחזיקו אבותיו גמר שיבה שיבה מהתם:

Makkot 13a:6

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: And likewise, the same is true with regard to an exile? The Gemara explains: It is as it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “The murderer shall return to his ancestral land” (Numbers 35:28), from which it is derived that he returns to his ancestral land, but he does not return to that status of prominence and honor that his ancestors held; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: He even returns to that status of prominence and honor that his ancestors held. Rabbi Meir derives this by means of a verbal analogy from there, i.e., between the term of “return” written with regard to the unintentional murderer, and the term of “return” written with regard to the Hebrew slave. The verbal analogy teaches that just as a Hebrew slave returns to his father’s estate and the status of prominence held by his ancestors, so too, the unintentional murderer returns to his ancestral land and to the status of prominence held by his ancestors.

ויקרא כ״ה:מ״א

(מא) וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב׃

Leviticus 25:41

(41) Then he and his children with him shall be free of your authority; he shall go back to his family and return to his ancestral holding.—

במדבר ל״ה:כ״ח

(כח) כִּ֣י בְעִ֤יר מִקְלָטוֹ֙ יֵשֵׁ֔ב עַד־מ֖וֹת הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֑ל וְאַחֲרֵ֥י מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֔ל יָשׁוּב֙ הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

Numbers 35:28

(28) For he must remain inside his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; after the death of the high priest, the manslayer may return to his land holding.

מכות י״ג א:ז׳

הדרן עלך אלו הן הגולין

Makkot 13a:7

We shall return to you, Chapter "Aielu hein haGolen"

משנה תורה, הלכות רוצח ושמירת נפש ז׳:י״ד

אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר לַשְּׂרָרָה שֶׁהָיָה בָּהּ לְעוֹלָם. אֶלָּא הֲרֵי הוּא מוּרָד מִגְּדֻלָּתוֹ כָּל יָמָיו הוֹאִיל וּבָאָה תַּקָּלָה זוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה עַל יָדוֹ:

Mishneh Torah, Murderer and the Preservation of Life 7:14

Even though he had obtained atonement, he could never come back to public office held by him previously. He was deprived of his high office throughout his life, because such a dire mishap had occurred through him.