Chumashחומש

והקריתם. אֵין הַקְרָיָה אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הַזְמָנָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "כִּי הִקְרָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנָי" (בראשית כ"ז):

והקריתם — This verb קרה (in the Hiphil) denotes “preparing”. Similarly it says, (Genesis 27:20) “Because the Lord thy God made it ready (הקרה) before me”(Sifrei Bamidbar 159:4).

מגאל. מִפְּנֵי גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם, שֶׁהוּא קָרוֹב לַנִּרְצָח:

מגאל — [AND THE CITIES SHALL BE UNTO YOU AS A REFUGE] מגאל — i.e. as a refuge on account of the avenger of blood, — he who is the near relative of the murdered man.

שש ערי מקלט. מַגִּיד שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהִבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה בְּחַיָּיו שָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, לֹא הָיוּ קוֹלְטוֹת עַד שֶׁנִּבְחֲרוּ שָׁלֹשׁ שֶׁנָּתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן (ספרי; מכות ט'):

שש ערי מקלט [AND AS TO THE CITIES WHICH YOU SHALL GIVE] SIX CITIES OF REFUGE (THERE SHALL BE FOR YOU] — This tells us that although Moses during his life-time set aside three cities on that side of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 4:41), they did not provide refuge until the three had been chosen which Joshua assigned in the land of Canaan on the west side of the Jordan (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:2; Makkot 9b).

את שלש הערים וגו'. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן תִּשְׁעָה שְׁבָטִים וְכָאן אֵינָן אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם וָחֵצִי, הִשְׁוָה מִנְיַן עָרֵי הַמִּקְלָט שֶׁלָּהֶם, מִשּׁוּם דִּבְגִלְעָד נְפִישֵׁי רוֹצְחִים, דִּכְתִיב (הושע ו') "גִּלְעָד קִרְיַת פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן עֲקֻבָּה מִדָּם" (שם):

את שלש הערים וגו׳ THE THREE CITIES [YE SHALL GIVE ON THIS SIDE OF THE JORDAN etc.] — Although in the land of Canaan there were nine tribes and here (on the east side of the Jordan) there were only two and a half, it (Scripture) gives them (the latter) the same number of cities of refuge, because in Gilead (on the east side) murderers were more numerous, as it is written, (Hosea 6:8): “Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, it is covered with footprints of blood” (Makkot 9b; cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 160:2).

ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו. אֵין זֶה מְדַבֵּר בְּהוֹרֵג בְּשׁוֹגֵג הַסָּמוּךְ לוֹ, אֶלָּא בְּהוֹרֵג בְּמֵזִיד, וּבָא לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַהוֹרֵג בְּכָל דָּבָר צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא בוֹ שִׁעוּר כְּדֵי לְהָמִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּכֻלָּם "אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בּוֹ", דִּמְתַּרְגְּמִינַן "דְּהִיא כְמִסַּת דִּימוּת בֵּיהּ", חוּץ מִן הַבַּרְזֶל, שֶׁגָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁהַבַּרְזֶל מֵמִית בְּכָל שֶׁהוּא, אֲפִלּוּ מַחַט, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא נָתְנָה בוֹ תּוֹרָה שִׁעוּר לִכְתֹּב בּוֹ אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בּוֹ; וְאִם תֹּאמַר בְּהוֹרֵג בְּשׁוֹגֵג הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר לְמַטָּה אוֹ בכל אבן אשר ימות בה בלא ראות וְגוֹ', לִמֵּד עַל הָאֲמוּרִים לְמַעְלָה שֶׁבְּהוֹרֵג בְּמֵזִיד הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:

ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו BUT IF HE SMOTE HIM WITH AN INSTRUMENT OF IRON — This is not speaking of one who kills inadvertently, who is mentioned near this (in the preceding verse), but of one who kills intentionally; and its purpose is to teach us that with whatever instrument one kills, it is necessary that it must have a size sufficient to cause death, because in the case of all of them (vv. 17, 18) it is said, אשר ימות “[an instrument] by which one may die”, the Hebrew of which we translate in the Targum by, “[an instrument] which is of such a size that one may die through it” — in the case of all, except in that of iron, because it is manifest and known to the Holy One, blessed be He, that iron kills whatever size it may be (however small it is), even a needle. Therefore the Torah does not assign a size to it by writing ,אשר ימות בה (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:3; Sanhedrin 76b). And if you say that Scripture is speaking of one who kills inadvertently, — but surely it says lower down, (v. 23) “Or with any stone, even though one may die by it, (even though it is large enough to kill him) seeing him not”, which certainly is by inadvertence. This proves as regards the cases mentioned before it, that Scripture is speaking of one who kills intentionally.

באבן יד. שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מְלֹא יָד (ספרי):

באבן יד [AND IF HE SMOTE HIM] WITH A STONE IN THE HAND (more lit., with a stone of the hand) — one which has the size of a full hand (i.e., large enough to fill a hand).

אשר ימות בה. שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ שִׁעוּר לְהָמִית, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ; לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהִכָּה אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בְּאֶבֶן" (שמות כ"א), וְלֹא נָתַן בָּהּ שִׁעוּר, יָכוֹל כָּל שֶׁהוּא, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אשר ימות בה:

אשר ימות בה signifies: which has a size sufficient to cause death, as the Targum understands it. Because it has been stated, (Exodus 21:18) “If one man smote another with a stone” but it assigned no size for it, one might think that it means, whatever size it may be! Therefore it states here, “by which one may die” (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:3).

או בכלי עץ יד. לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) "וְכִי יַכֶּה אִישׁ אֶת עַבְדּוֹ אוֹ אֶת אֲמָתוֹ בַּשֵּׁבֶט", יָכוֹל כָּל שֶׁהוּא, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "בְּעֵץ אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בּוֹ" — שֶׁיְּהֵא בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְהָמִית (ספרי):

או בכלי עץ יד OR [IF HE SMITE HIM] WITH A WEAPON OF WOOD IN HIS HAND — Because it has been stated, (Exodus 21:20) “And if a man smite his bondman or his bondwoman with a rod”, one might think that it means whatever size it may be! Therefore it states here of the wooden instrument אשר ימות בה — meaning that it must have a size sufficient to cause death (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:4).

בפגעו בו. אֲפִלּוּ בְּתוֹךְ עָרֵי מִקְלָט:

בפגעו בו WHENEVER HE MEETETH HIM [HE MAY KILL HIM] — even in the cities of refuge.

בצדיה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, "בְּכָמְנָא" — בְּמַאֲרָב:

בצדיה — Understand this as the Targum does: בכמנא, BY LAYING IN WAIT.

בפתע. בְּאֹנֶס, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "בִּתְכֵיף", שֶׁהָיָה סָמוּךְ לוֹ וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ שָׁהוּת לְהִזָּהֵר עָלָיו:

בפתע means BY ACCIDENT. In the Targum it is translated by בתכיף (in close proximity), meaning that he was very close to him and so had no time to be careful about him (i.e. to be on his guard not to kill him; see Rashi on Makkot 7b).

או בכל אבן אשר ימות בה. הִכָּהוּ:

או בכל אבן אשר ימות בה OR WITH ANY STONE WHEREBY ONE MAY DIE, he smote him.

בלא ראות. שֶׁלֹּא רָאָהוּ:

בלא ראות — i.e. that he (the slayer) did not see him (Not: without anyone having seen him, i.e. that there were no witnesses).

ויפל עליו. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ הַהוֹרֵג דֶּרֶךְ יְרִידָה גּוֹלֶה, דֶּרֶךְ עֲלִיָּה אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה (מכות ל'):

ויפל עליו AND HE CAST IT UPON HIM — From here (i.e. from these words) they (the Rabbis) said: he who kills inadvertently by way of a falling movement goes into exile (i.e. must escape to and reside in a city of refuge); he who kills by way of an upward movement does not go into exile (Makkot 7b; cf. our Note on Exodus 21:13).

עד מות הכהן הגדול. שֶׁהוּא בָא לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהַאֲרִיךְ יְמֵיהֶם, וְהָרוֹצֵחַ בָּא לְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמְקַצֵּר אֶת יְמֵי הַחַיִּים, אֵינוֹ כְדַאי שֶׁיְּהֵא לִפְנֵי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל (ספרי); דָּבָר אַחֵר — לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁלֹּא תֶאֱרַע תַּקָּלָה זוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחַיָּיו (עי' מכות י"א):

עד מות הכהן הגדול [HE SHALL ABIDE IN IT] UNTIL THE DEATH OF THE HIGH PRIEST — because he serves to cause the Shechinah to dwell in Israel and thereby prolong their days, whilst the murderer serves to make the Shechinah depart from Israel and thereby shortens the days of the living. He is therefore not worthy that he should stand before a High Priest (that he should be anywhere near a High Priest) (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:9). Another explanation why he had to remain there until the High Priest’s death: Because the High Priest should have prayed that this misfortune might never happen in Israel in his days (cf. Makkot 11a).

אשר משח אותו בשמן הקדש. לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ מִן הַמִּקְרָאוֹת הַקְּצָרִים הוּא, שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרֵשׁ מִי מְשָׁחוֹ, אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ אֲשֶׁר מְשָׁחוֹ הַמּוֹשֵׁחַ אוֹתוֹ בְּשֶׁמֶן הַקֹּדֶשׁ; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְרָשׁוּהוּ בְמַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת (שם) לִרְאָיַת דָּבָר, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁאִם עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ מֵת הַכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וּמִנּוּ אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, וּלְאַחַר מִכָּאן נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ, חוֹזֵר בְּמִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אשר משח אתו, וְכִי הוּא מוֹשְׁחוֹ לַכֹּהֵן אוֹ הַכֹּהֵן מָשַׁח אוֹתוֹ? אֶלָּא לְהָבִיא אֶת הַנִּמְשָׁח בְּיָמָיו שֶׁמַּחֲזִירוֹ בְּמִיתָתוֹ:

אשר משח אתו בשמן הקדש WHO WAS ANOINTED WITH THE HOLY OIL — According to its plain sense, this is one of the elliptical sentences — for it does not expressly mention who anointed him, but it is the same as אשר משחו המושח בשמן המשחה “… the High Priest whom he who carried out the anointing had anointed with the holy oil”. — Our Rabbis, however, expounded it in Treatise Makkot 11b as a proof for a law: that it intends to teach that if, before the sentence on him has been passed that he should go into a city of refuge, the High Priest died and they appointed another in his stead, and afterwards his case was finished, he returns home through the death of the second, because it is said, אשר משח אתו. But did he anoint the priest or did the priest anoint him? for the words may literally mean either: “until the death of the High Priest whom he (the murderer) had anointed” or “until the death of the High Priest who has anointed him (the murderer)” — but the words are used to include the case of the High Priest who was anointed in his days (and whom, as it were he had anointed), viz., that he (such a High Priest) causes him to return home through his death.

אין לו דם. הֲרֵי הוּא כְּהוֹרֵג אֶת הַמֵּת, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ דָּם:

אין לו דם [AND THE AVENGER OF BLOOD MAY SLAY THE MURDERER] THERE IS NO BLOOD GUILT FOR HIM (more lit., he has no blood) — He is as one who has killed a dead man, who is one who has no blood (cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:1).

בכל מושבתיכם. לִמֵּד שֶׁתְּהֵא סַנְהֶדְרִין קְטַנָּה נוֹהֶגֶת בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁנּוֹהֶגֶת בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (מכות ז'):

בכל מושבתיכם [AND THESE THINGS SHOULD BE AN ORDINANCE OF JUSTICE FOR YOU] IN ALL YOUR DWELLINGS — This teaches that the "minor Sanhedrin" functions outside the Land as long as there is [the main] one functioning in the Land of Israel [namely, while the Temple stood].(Makkot 7a)

כל מכה נפש וגו'. הַבָּא לְהָרְגוֹ עַל שֶׁהִכָּה אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ (עי' ספרי):

כל מכה נפש וגו׳ HE WHO KILLETH A PERSON, etc. — This means: He who proposes to kill him because he had killed a person,

לפי עדים ירצח. שֶׁיָּעִידוּ שֶׁבְּמֵזִיד וּבְהַתְרָאָה הֲרָגוֹ:

לפי עדים ירצח BY THE EVIDENCE OF WITNESSES ONE SHALL SLAY [THE MURDERER] — who testify that intentionally and after due warning he killed him.

ולא תקחו כפר. לֹא יִפָּטֵר בְּמָמוֹן (כתובות ל"ז):

ולא תקח כפר AND YE SHALL TAKE NO RANSOM — He (the murderer) shall not be freed by a monetary payment (Ketubot 37b).

ולא תקחו כפר לנוס אל עיר מקלטו. לְמִי שֶׁנָּס אֶל עִיר מִקְלָט, שֶׁהָרַג בְּשׁוֹגֵג, אֵינוֹ נִפְטָר מִגָּלוּת בְּמָמוֹן, לִתֵּן כֹּפֶר לשוב לשבת בארץ טֶרֶם יָמוּת הַכֹּהֵן (שם):

ולא תקחו כפר לנוס אל עיר מקלטו AND YE SHALL TAKE NO RANSOM לנוס TO HIS CITY OF REFUGE — The last words are the same as לַנָּס אל עיר מקלטו, "ye shall take no ransom for one who is fled to a city of refuge, i.e., one who has killed inadvertently, cannot be freed from exile by money, by giving a ransom (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:12), לשוב לשבת בארץ THAT HE SHOULD RETURN TO DWELL IN THE LAND before the High Priest dies.

לנוס. כְּמוֹ לַנָּס, כְּמוֹ "שׁוּבֵי מִלְחָמָה" (מיכה ב') — שֶׁשָּׁבוּ מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה, וְכֵן "נוּגֵי מִמּוֹעֵד" (צפניה ג'), וְכֵן "כִּי מֻלִים הָיוּ" (יהושע ה'); כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר שׁוּב עַל מִי שֶׁשָּׁב כְּבָר, וּמוּל עַל שֶׁמָּל כְּבָר, כֵּן תֹּאמַר לָנוּס עַל מִי שֶׁנָּס כְּבָר, וְקוֹרֵהוּ נוּס, כְּלוֹמַר מֻבְרָח. וְאִם תֹּאמַר לָנוּס — לִבְרֹחַ, וּתְפָרְשֵׁהוּ לֹא תִקְחוּ כֹפֶר לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לִבְרֹחַ לְפָטְרוֹ מִן הַגָּלוּת (עי' ספרי), לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הֵיאַךְ יֹאמַר לָשׁוּב לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ, הֲרֵי עֲדַיִן לֹא נָס, וּמֵהֵיכָן יָשׁוּב?:

לנוס (the passive participle) has the same meaning as לַנָּס (the active participle), just as, (Micha 2:8) "שובי מלחמה”, which means “those who have returned from battle”; and so, too, (Zephaniah 3:18) “those who are removed far (נוני) from the appointed season”; (Joshua 5:5): “for they were circumcised men (מולים)”. Now just as you say שוב in reference to one who has already returned, and מול in reference to one who is already circumcised, so you can say לנוס in reference to one who has already fled. It calls him נוס (the passive participle), as much as to say “one who was made to flee”; — But you say that לנוס means “to flee” (the infinitive) explaining it thus: “ye shall take no ransom for one who ought to flee”, in order to free him from exile (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 160:12), then I do not know how it can be said: “ye shall take no ransom … so that he should return to dwell in the land”, for you see, he has not yet fled, so from where shall he return?

ולא תחניפו. לֹא תַרְשִׁיעוּ, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ — "וְלָא תְחַיְבוּן":

ולא תחניפו means AND YE SHALL NOT [MAKE THE LAND] WICKED, as it is translated in the Targum: לא תחיבון.

אשר אני שכן בתוכה. שֶׁלֹּא תַשְׁכִּינוּ אוֹתִי בְטֻמְאָתָהּ:

אשר אני שכן בתוכה [AND YE SHALL NOT DEFILE THE LAND] … IN WHICH I DWELL — It means: Do not do anything defiling to the land so that you will make Me dwell amidst its uncleanness,

כי אני ה' שכן בתוך בני ישראל. אַף בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵם טְמֵאִים שְׁכִינָה בֵינֵיהֶם (ספרי):

‎'כי אני ה שכן בתוך בני ישראל FOR I, THE LORD, DWELL AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — for even when they (the Israelites) are unclean My Shechinah remains amongst them (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:15).

ונוסף על נחלת המטה. שֶׁהֲרֵי בְנָהּ יוֹרְשָׁהּ, וְהַבֵּן מִתְיַחֵס עַל שֵׁבֶט אָבִיו:

ונוסף על נחלת המטה AND IF THEY BECOME WIVES TO ANY SONS OF THE OTHER TRIBES … THEN WILL THEIR INHERITANCE] BE ADDED TO THE INHERITANCE OF THE TRIBE [WHEREUNTO THEY SHALL BELONG] — for her son will be her heir and the son reckons his pedigree after his father’s tribe.

ואם יהיה היבל. מִכָּאן הָיָה רַ' יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עָתִיד הַיּוֹבֵל שֶׁיִּפְסֹק (ספרא ויקרא ב'):

ואם יהיה היבל may mean AND IF THERE WILL BE THE JUBILEE — From this R. Judah said: The observance of the Jubilee will cease at some time or other (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Section 13 1 on Leviticus 2:14).

ואם יהיה היובל. כְּלוֹמַר, אֵין זוֹ מְכִירָה שֶׁחוֹזֶרֶת בַּיּוֹבֵל, שֶׁהַיְרֻשָּׁה אֵינָהּ חוֹזֶרֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִהְיֶה הַיּוֹבֵל לֹא תַחֲזֹר הַנַּחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטוֹ, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁנּוֹסְפָה על נחלת המטה אשר תהיינה להם:

ואם יהיה היבל may mean, too: AND WHEN THERE WILL BE THE JUBILEE [THEN WILL THEIR INHERITANCE BE ADDED TO THE INHERITANCE OF THE TRIBE TO WHICH THEY SHALL BELONG] — meaning: This is no sale of land so that it returns to the original owner at the Jubilee, for a heritage never returns. Therefore even when the Jubilee will be, the inheritance will not return to its tribe, and it will follow that it will be added על נחלת המטה אשר תהיינה להם TO THE INHERITANCE OF THE TRIBE TO WHICH THEY SHALL BELONG.

וכל בת ירשת נחלה. שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בֵן לְאָבִיהָ:

וכל בת ירשת נחלה AND EVERY DAUGHTER THAT INHERITS A POSSESSION because her father had no son, [SHALL BE WIFE, etc.]

מחלה תרצה וגו'. כָּאן מְנָאָן לְפִי גְדֻלָּתָן זוֹ מִזּוֹ בַּשָּׁנִים, וְנִשְּׂאוּ כְּסֵדֶר תּוֹלְדוֹתָן, וּבְכָל הַמִּקְרָא מְנָאָן לְפִי חָכְמָתָן, וּמַגִּיד שֶׁשְּׁקוּלוֹת זוֹ כְּזוֹ (עי' בבא בתרא ק"כ):

מחלה תרצה וגו׳ MAHLA, TIRZA etc., — Here it enumerates them according to their superiority over one another in years for they were married in the order in which they were born. But everywhere else in the Bible it enumerates them according to their intelligence: This tells us that they were all equal (cf. Bava Batra 120a; Rashi on Numbers 27:1).