What is Shabbat Shalom?
Jews all over the world read a portion of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, in the synagogue every Shabbat morning. The cycle begins right after the Feast of Tabernacles and concludes the following year at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. Traditionally, Jewish families discuss the Torah portion at their Shabbat Table, bringing new insights, each year, to the same inspirational words and stories that they have been reading for years. In this weekly column, Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland's Israel Director, shares her personal reflections on the weekly Torah portion.
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Feast of Tabernacles October 12-19, 2011 Succahs will appear at many homes throughout all of Israel, as these families observe this festive holiday.
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Masei (Travels) Numbers 33:1 - 36:13
Chapter 32 details the rules of cities of refuge that are established throughout the Land of Israel, three on the eastern side of the Jordan and three on the western side. Only one who kills someone by accident is entitled to seek refuge in such a city. If someone has intentionally killed someone, or used a weapon or a dangerous tool to strike someone, he is considered to have killed intentionally and is not eligible for protection.
These six cities of refuge are part of the 48 Levite cities which are set aside within the various tribal territories for the Levites who do not inherit any territory of their own. The Levites' main job is to serve G-d in the Temple, but they also teach the people throughout the land.
It is interesting, therefore, that these six cities of refuge are home to two very different sorts of people: accidental killers and Levites. In practice, however, the cities of refuge often offer temporary refuge to intentional killers as well: "Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil." (Numbers 35:24-25) When someone has been killed, the killer flees to the city of refuge. However, a trial takes place and the congregation, represented by the courts, will judge according to the rules listed in this chapter, whether the homicide was indeed accidental or not. If they rule it to be accidental, then the killer will be returned to the city of refuge and will, therefore, be protected by the relative who seeks vengeance for the death of his kin. This situation remains until the death of the high priest, at which time the killer is free to leave the city of refuge and the avenger of blood is prohibited from taking revenge.
It is interesting to note that there is full legitimacy for the avenger to take the life of the killer, even if the homicide was accidental. While society judges the killer leniently and his life is spared, the relative is entitled to avenge the death of his relative anywhere outside of the city of refuge.
This arrangement seems odd to the modern era, but is actually quite brilliant. When ones' loved one has died and someone is, in fact, at fault, albeit accidentally, the relative cannot help but blame him and want to avenge his loved one's death. The Bible does not criticize this very basic feeling; however, it limits it severely. The avenger is not allowed to enter the city of refuge and he is not allowed to avenge the death of his relative after the death of the high priest. While the Bible recognizes the most basic of human passions, in limiting them it is forcing the human being to control his behavior.
However, should the accidental killer leave the city of refuge, he is no longer protected. What would possess the killer from leaving the city of refuge and risking his life? Only if he were so arrogant as to not take seriously the degree of pain that he has caused to the avenger. Forcing him to remain in a city of refuge, therefore, represents a very clear statement to the killer - "you may not have intended to kill someone, but as a result of your carelessness, someone lost their life. You must take this seriously. You must understand the pain of the people the victim left behind and you must be exiled from your loved ones yourself. For only in this way can you begin to understand the tragedy that you have wrought upon others."
The presence of the Levites, therefore, serves a very important function. As teachers of the nation, they are in the best position to assist the accidental killer in understanding the tremendous harm he has caused. The city of refuge, serving as a Levite city as well, is, therefore, the best place for the accidental killer to contemplate his actions and to repent for his carelessness. Upon his departure from the city, he should have achieved a higher spiritual level and be ready to re-enter society once again.
Shabbat Shalom from Samaria, Sondra Sondra Baras Director, Israel Office
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