‘Refuge’

<<was

<<written

<<at

<<the crossroads,

<<so that

<<would recognize [it]

<<the killer

<<and turn

<<there.

<<Rav Kahana said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<‘you shall prepare

<<for yourself

<<the road’ —

<<make

<<[for yourself]

<<a preparation

<<for the road.

Rav Chama bar Chanina

<<opened

<<an introduction

<<to this

<<section

<<from here:

<<‘good

<<and upright

<<is Hashem;

<<therefore

<<He guides

<<sinners

<<on the way.’

<<If

<<sinners

<<He guides,

<<how much more so

<<the righteous.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish

<<opened

<<an introduction

<<to this

<<section

<<from here:

<<‘and who

<<did not

<<lie in wait,

<<but God

<<brought it about

<<to his hand’

<<and so on;

<<‘as

<<says

<<the parable of

<<the Ancient One:

<<from the wicked

<<comes forth

<<wickedness’

<<and so on.

Of what

<<does the verse

<<speak?

<<Of two

<<people

<<who killed

<<a person —

<<one

<<killed

<<unwittingly

<<and one

<<killed

<<intentionally;

<<for this one

<<there are no

<<witnesses,

<<and for that one

<<there are no

<<witnesses.

<<The Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<brings them together

<<at an inn,

<<the same one:

<<the one

<<who killed

<<intentionally

<<sits

<<under

<<the ladder,

<<and the one

<<who killed

<<unwittingly

<<descends

<<the ladder,

<<and falls

<<on him

<<and kills him;

<<the one

<<who killed

<<intentionally

<<is killed,

<<and the one

<<who killed

<<unwittingly

<<is exiled.

Rabba bar Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Huna,

<<and some say

<<Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Elazar:

<<from

<<the Torah,

<<and from

<<the Prophets,

<<and from

<<the Writings:

<<on the road

<<that a person

<<wishes

<<to go

<<on it,

<<they lead

<<him.

From

<<the Torah,

<<as it is written:

<<‘do not

<<go

<<with them,’

<<and it is written:

<<‘arise,

<<go

<<with them.’

<<From

<<the Prophets,

<<as it is written:

<<‘I am

<<Hashem

<<your God,

<<who teaches you

<<for your benefit,

<<who leads you

<<on the way

<<(that)

<<you would go.’

<<From

<<the Writings,

<<as it is written:

<<‘if

<<the scorners —

<<He

<<scorns them,

<<and to the humble

<<He gives

<<grace.’

Rav Huna said:

<<a killer

<<who was exiled

<<to a city of refuge,

<<and found him

<<the blood-avenger

<<and killed him —

<<he is exempt.

<<He holds:

<<‘and for him

<<there is no

<<judgment of

<<death’ —

<<of the blood-avenger

<<is it

<<written.

They raised an objection:

<<‘and for him

<<there is no

<<judgment of

<<death’ —

<<of the killer

<<the verse

<<speaks.

<<You

<<say

<<of the killer,

<<or

<<is it not

<<rather

<<of the blood-avenger?

<<When

<<it says:

<<‘and he

<<did not

<<hate

<<him

<<yesterday

<<or the day before,’

<<hence

<<say:

<<of the killer

<<the verse

<<speaks.

He

<<says

<<like

<<this

<<tanna,

<<as it is taught:

<<‘and for him

<<there is no

<<judgment of

<<death’ —

<<of the blood-avenger

<<the verse

<<speaks.

<<You

<<say

<<of the blood-avenger

<<the verse

<<speaks,

<<or

<<is it not

<<rather

<<of the killer?

<<When

<<it says:

<<‘for

<<not

<<hating

<<was he

<<him

<<yesterday

<<or the day before,’

<<behold

<<the killer

<<is mentioned;

<<so

<<how

<<do I

<<fulfill

<<‘and for him

<<there is no

<<judgment of

<<death’?

<<Of the blood-avenger

<<the verse

<<speaks.

We learned:

<<they send

<<with him

<<two

<<Torah scholars,

<<lest

<<he kill him

<<on the way,

<<and they will speak

<<to him.

<<What,

<<is it not

<<that they forewarn

<<him,

<<so that if

<<he kills,

<<he is liable to execution?

No;

<<as it is taught:

<<‘and they will speak

<<to him’ —

<<words

<<appropriate

<<to him.

<<They say

<<to him:

<<do not

<<treat

<<him

<<in the manner of

<<blood-shedders;

<<unwittingly

<<came

<<the deed

<<to his hand.

<<Rabbi Meir

<<says:

<<he

<<speaks

<<on his own behalf,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and this is

<<the word of

<<the killer.’

<<They said

<<to him:

<<much

<<agency

<<achieves.

Said

<<the Master:

<<‘unwittingly

<<came

<<the deed

<<to his hand.’

<<That is obvious!

<<For if

<<intentionally,

<<is he subject to exile?

<<Yes.

But

<<it is taught:

<<Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda

<<says:

<<at first,

<<both

<<the unwitting

<<and

<<the intentional

<<hasten

<<to the cities of refuge,

<<and the court

<<sends

<<and brings

<<them

<<from there.

One

<<who was found liable to

<<death —

<<they executed him,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and shall send

<<the elders of

<<his city

<<and take

<<him

<<from there

<<and give

<<him

<<into the hand of

<<the blood-avenger

<<and he shall die.’

<<One

<<who was not

<<found liable —

<<they released him,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and shall rescue

<<the congregation

<<the killer

<<from the hand of

<<the blood-avenger.’

<<One

<<who was found liable to

<<exile —

<<they return

<<him

<<to his place,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and shall return

<<him

<<the congregation

<<to

<<the city of

<<his refuge

<<to which

<<he fled

<<there.’

Rabbi

<<says:

<<of their own accord

<<they

<<go into exile.

<<They think,

<<they,

<<that both

<<the unwitting

<<and

<<the intentional

<<[the cities] take in,

<<and they

<<do not

<<know

<<that the unwitting

<<they take in,

<<the intentional

<<they do not

<<take in.

Rabbi Elazar said:

<<a city

<<whose majority are

<<killers

<<does not

<<afford refuge,

<<as it is said:

<<‘and he shall speak

<<in the ears of

<<the elders of

<<city

<<that

<<his words’ —

<<and not

<<[elders] that are equal,

<<their words,

<<to his words.

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<a city

<<that has no

<<in it

<<elders

<<does not

<<afford refuge,

<<for we require

<<‘the elders of

<<the city,’

<<and there are none.

<<It was stated:

<<a city

<<that has no

<<in it

<<elders —

<<Rabbi Ami

<<and Rabbi Asi:

<<one

<<says:

<<it affords refuge;

<<and one

<<says:

<<it does not

<<afford refuge.

<<According to the one who says

<<it does not

<<afford refuge,

<<we require

<<‘the elders of

<<the city,’

<<and there are none.

<<According to the one who says

<<it affords refuge,

<<it is a mitzvah

<<merely.

And a city

<<that has no

<<in it

<<elders —

<<Rabbi Ami

<<and Rabbi Asi:

<<one

<<said:

<<there can be

<<in it

<<a wayward and rebellious son;

<<and one

<<said:

<<there cannot

<<be

<<in it

<<a wayward and rebellious son.

<<According to the one who says

<<there cannot

<<be

<<in it

<<a wayward and rebellious son,

<<we require

<<‘the elders of

<<his city,’

<<and there are none.

<<According to the one who says

<<there can be

<<in it

<<a wayward and rebellious son,

<<it is a mitzvah

<<merely.

And a city

<<that has no

<<in it

<<elders —

<<Rabbi Ami

<<and Rabbi Asi:

<<one

<<said:

<<it brings

<<a heifer whose neck is broken;

<<and one

<<said:

<<it does not

<<bring

<<a heifer whose neck is broken.

<<According to the one who says

<<it does not

<<bring

<<a heifer whose neck is broken,

<<we require

<<‘the elders of

<<city

<<that,’

<<and there are none.

<<According to the one who says

<<it brings

<<a heifer whose neck is broken,

<<it is a mitzvah

<<merely.

Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said:

<<why

<<was stated

<<the section of

<<killers