Makkot 10: More on the Cities of Refuge

The rabbis begin with a debate about the cities of refuge.  Were these really the locations of the cities?  Why were some closer together and others far apart?  Where were the murders committed more frequently?  Were there more cities than the six listed in our Mishna?  Perhaps there were in fact 42 cities more, but they could only be accessed if one intended to arrive there.  What if a city were too small to safely protect a murderer?  What if a city were too large to protect a murderer from a vengeful relative entering?

The rabbis decide about the size, nature and work of a city chosen as refuge.  For example, they determine that the city should be of intermediate size with sufficient water and food to sustain its inhabitants.  The  Sages taught that if the murderer is a student, his rabbi should move with him to the city of refuge.  Thus rabbis are warned to teach Torah only to students who are fit to learn.  Then again, an accidental killing might not be avoidable.  Rabbi Yehuda suggests that when a rabbi moves to a city of refuge, his school should travel with him.  Torah is seen as protective.

If Torah is protective, perhaps one is safe as long as one is learning Torah.  We are reminded of the story of Rabbi Chisda, who avoided the angel of death by reading Torah on a tree in Rav's study hall for an extended time.  When the angel of death split the tree, Rav Chisda was startled and looked up for a moment.  Because he stopped learning for that small moment, the angel was able finally to kill Rabbi Chisda.  The rabbis then discuss whether or not those who crave abundance in different areas are rewarded.

The rabbis then return to our past Mishna and note that the roads leading to the cities of refuge were marked with directional signs.  This is elaborated upon.  Perhaps G-d decides who will walk down which path; who will choose righteousness and who will sin.  

When considering punishment, the rabbis tell of two men who killed, one intentionally and one unintentionally.  They says that the intentional murderer sit beneath a ladder and the unintentional murderer descend the ladder.  When the person descending falls, he kills the man under the ladder. This leads to the appropriate punishments: the intentional murderer is killed and the unintentional murderer must be exiled.

We learn that an unintentional murderer is not permitted to live in a city of refuge with too many unintentional murderers, nor is he permitted in a city with too few elders.  There should be a balance of residents in every city.  Further, there are a number of mitzvot associated with elders, particularly for those who are exiled to a city of refuge.