as it is written:

<<‘Gilad

<<is a city of

<<workers of

<<iniquity,

<<tracked

<<with blood.’

<<What is

<<‘tracked

<<with blood’?

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<that they would

<<lie in wait

<<to kill

<<people.

And what is different

<<on this side

<<and on that side

<<that they are far apart,

<<and what is different

<<about the middle ones

<<that they are close together?

Abaye said:

<<in Shechem

<<too

<<are common

<<murderers,

<<as it is written:

<<‘and as bands lying in wait for

<<a man,

<<troops —

<<the company of

<<priests;

<<on the road

<<they murder

<<toward Shechem’

<<and so on.

<<What is

<<‘the company of

<<priests’?

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<that they would

<<band together

<<to kill

<<people,

<<like priests

<<those

<<who band together

<<to divide

<<terumah

<<at the threshing floors.

And there are no more?

<<But

<<it is written:

<<‘and in addition to them

<<you shall give

<<forty-two

<<cities’!

<<Abaye said:

<<these

<<afford refuge

<<whether

<<knowingly

<<or

<<unknowingly;

<<those —

<<knowingly

<<they afford refuge,

<<unknowingly

<<they do not afford refuge.

And Chevron

<<a city of refuge

<<was it?

<<But it is written:

<<‘and they gave

<<to Calev

<<Chevron,

<<as

<<spoke

<<Moshe’!

<<Abaye said:

<<its outskirts,

<<as it is written:

<<‘but

<<the field of

<<the city

<<and

<<its villages

<<they gave

<<to Calev

<<ben Yefuneh.’

And Kedesh

<<a city of refuge

<<was it?

<<But it is written:

<<‘and the fortified cities:

<<Tziddim,

<<Tzer,

<<and Chammas,

<<Rakkas,

<<and Kinneres

<<and so on,

<<and Kedesh,

<<and Edrei,

<<and Ein Chatzor’;

<<and it is taught:

<<cities

<<these —

<<they do not

<<make

<<them

<<neither

<<small villages

<<nor

<<large cities,

<<but

<<medium-sized towns!

<<Rav Yosef said:

<<two

<<Kedeshes

<<there were.

<<(Said)

<<Rav Ashi

<<[said]:

<<such as

<<Seleucia

<<and the fortress

<<of Seleucia.

The matter itself:

<<cities

<<these —

<<they do not

<<make

<<them

<<neither

<<small villages

<<nor

<<large cities,

<<but

<<medium-sized towns.

<<And they do not

<<establish

<<them

<<except

<<in a place of

<<water;

<<and if

<<there is no

<<there

<<water,

<<they bring

<<to them

<<water.

<<And they do not

<<establish

<<them

<<except

<<in a place of

<<markets;

<<and they do not

<<establish

<<them

<<except

<<in a place of

<<population.

<<[If] diminished

<<their population,

<<they add

<<to them;

<<[if] diminished

<<their residents,

<<they bring

<<to them

<<kohanim,

<<levi'im

<<and yisraelim.

And they do not

<<sell

<<in them

<<neither

<<weapons,

<<nor

<<trapping gear —

<<the words of

<<Rabbi Nechemya.

<<And the Sages

<<permit.

<<And they agree

<<that they do not

<<spread

<<within them

<<traps,

<<and they do not

<<let down

<<into them

<<ropes,

<<so that

<<shall not

<<be

<<the foot of

<<the blood-avenger

<<common

<<there.

Rabbi Yitzchak said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<‘and he shall flee

<<to

<<one

<<of

<<cities

<<these

<<and live’ —

<<do

<<for him

<<something

<<that will be

<<for him

<<a life.

A tanna taught:

<<a student

<<who is exiled —

<<they exile

<<his teacher

<<with him,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and live’ —

<<do

<<for him

<<something

<<that will be

<<for him

<<a life.

<<Rabbi Zeira said:

<<from here

<<that should not

<<teach

<<a person

<<a student

<<who is not

<<worthy.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<a teacher

<<who is exiled —

<<they exile

<<his yeshiva

<<with him.

<<Is that so?

<<But

<<did not Rabbi Yochanan say:

<<from where [do we know]

<<regarding words of Torah

<<that they

<<afford refuge?

<<As it is said:

<<‘Betzer

<<in the wilderness’

<<and so on,

<<[and it is written after it:]

<<‘and this is

<<the Torah.’

It is not a difficulty:

<<this is

<<at the time

<<that he is occupied

<<with it;

<<this is

<<at the time

<<that he is not

<<occupied

<<with it.

And if you wish, say:

<<what is

<<‘afford refuge’?

<<from the Angel of Death.

<<Like

<<this [story]

<<of Rav Chisda:

<<he was

<<sitting

<<and studying

<<in the study hall,

<<and not

<<was

<<able

<<the messenger

<<[of the Angel of Death]

<<to come near

<<to him,

<<for not

<<was

<<silent

<<his mouth

<<from study.

<<He went up

<<and sat

<<on the cedar

<<of the study

<<hall;

<<cracked

<<the cedar,

<<and he fell silent,

<<and it overpowered

<<him.

Rabbi Tanchum bar Chanilai said:

<<why

<<did merit

<<Reuven

<<to be counted

<<in rescue

<<first?

<<Because

<<he

<<opened

<<with rescue

<<first,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and heard

<<Reuven

<<and rescued him

<<from their hand.’

Expounded

<<Rabbi Simlai:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<‘then

<<set aside

<<Moshe

<<three

<<cities

<<across the Jordan,

<<toward the rising

<<[of the sun]’?

<<Said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<make shine

<<the sun

<<for the killers.

<<Some say

<<He said

<<to him:

<<you have made shine

<<the sun

<<for the killers.

Expounded

<<Rabbi Simai:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<‘one who loves

<<silver

<<will not

<<be sated

<<with silver,

<<and whoever

<<loves

<<abundance,

<<not

<<produce’?

<<‘One who loves

<<silver

<<will not

<<be sated

<<with silver’ —

<<this is

<<Moshe our teacher,

<<who

<<knew

<<that do not

<<the three

<<cities

<<across the Jordan

<<afford refuge

<<before

<<were chosen

<<the three

<<in the land of

<<Canaan,

<<and he said:

<<a mitzvah

<<that has come

<<to my hand

<<I will fulfill it.

‘And whoever

<<loves

<<abundance,

<<not

<<produce’ —

<<for whom

<<is it fitting

<<to teach

<<the multitude?

<<One

<<all of

<<the produce

<<is his.

<<And that is

<<what said

<<Rabbi Elazar:

<<‘what is

<<that which is written:

<<who

<<can utter

<<the mighty deeds of

<<Hashem,

<<make heard

<<all

<<His praise?’

<<For whom

<<is it fitting

<<(to teach) [to utter]

<<the mighty deeds of

<<Hashem?

<<One

<<who is able

<<to make heard

<<all

<<His praise.

And the Rabbis —

<<and some say

<<Rabba bar Mari —

<<said:

<<‘whoever

<<loves

<<the multitude,

<<his is

<<the produce’ —

<<anyone

<<who loves

<<(to teach)

<<the multitude,

<<his is

<<the produce.

<<Set

<<on him

<<the Rabbis

<<their eyes —

<<on Rava son of Rabba.

(Mnemonic:

<<Ashi —

<<to learn;

<<Ravina —

<<to teach.)

Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<anyone

<<who loves

<<to learn

<<with the multitude —

<<his is

<<the produce.

<<And that is

<<what said

<<Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Chanina:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<‘a sword

<<upon

<<the boasters,

<<and they shall become foolish’?

<<A sword

<<upon

<<the necks of

<<the enemies

<<of

<<Torah scholars

<<who sit

<<and engage

<<in Torah

<<alone by themselves;

<<and not only that,

<<but

<<they become foolish —

<<it is written

<<here:

<<‘and they shall become foolish,’

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<‘in that

<<we have acted foolishly.’

<<And not only that,

<<but

<<they sin,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and in that

<<we have sinned.’

<<And if you wish, say

<<from here:

<<‘have become foolish

<<the princes of

<<Tzoan.’

Ravina

<<said:

<<anyone

<<who loves

<<to teach

<<the multitude —

<<his is

<<the produce.

<<And that is

<<what said

<<Rabbi:

<<much

<<Torah

<<I learned

<<from my teachers,

<<and from my colleagues

<<more

<<than from them,

<<and from my students

<<more

<<than from all of them.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<‘standing

<<were

<<our feet

<<within your gates,

<<Jerusalem’?

<<What

<<caused

<<our feet

<<to stand

<<in war?

<<The gates of

<<Jerusalem,

<<where they were

<<engaged

<<in Torah.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<what is

<<that which is written:

<<‘a song of ascents

<<of David:

<<I rejoiced

<<when they said

<<to me,

<<“to the House of Hashem

<<let us go”’?

<<David said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the Universe,

<<I heard

<<people

<<who were

<<saying:

<<‘when

<<will die

<<old man

<<this,

<<and there will come

<<Shlomo

<<his son

<<and build

<<the Chosen House,

<<and we will go up

<<for the festival?’

<<— and I rejoiced.

<<Said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<‘for

<<better is

<<a day

<<in your courts

<<than a thousand’ —

<<better

<<to Me

<<is one day

<<that you

<<engage

<<in Torah

<<before Me,

<<than a thousand

<<burnt-offerings

<<that is destined

<<Shlomo

<<your son

<<to offer

<<before Me

<<upon

<<the altar.

‘And they aligned

<<for them

<<roads’

<<etc.

<<It is taught:

<<Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov

<<says: