And Hashem spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
verse value 2206 — יְהֹוָ֛ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "at·Jordan" (עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "saying" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "and·he·spoke" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moab', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר [and·he·spoke] (222) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה [to·Moses] (376) + בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת [in·steppes] (674) + מוֹאָ֑ב [Moab] (49) + עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן [at·Jordan] (364) + יְרֵח֖וֹ [Jericho] (224) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 2206.
Onkelos
Hashem spoke with Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan of Jericho, saying:
"Command the children of Israel, that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall you give to the Levites.
verse value 6164
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "instruct!" (צַו֮, 2 letters) and the longest is "around·them" (סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 116: to·the·Levites, to·the·Levites. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "their·possession" (אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם), "and·pasture" (וּמִגְרָ֗שׁ), "for·the·towns" (לֶֽעָרִים֙). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "and·they·shall·give" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). First appearance of the root מגרש ("and·pasture") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·dwell', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: צַו֮ [instruct!] (96) + אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י [sons] (463) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ [Israel] (541) + וְנָתְנ֣וּ [and·they·shall·give] (512) + לַלְוִיִּ֗ם [to·the·Levites] (116) + מִֽנַּחֲלַ֛ת [from·inheritance-of] (528) + אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם [their·possession] (456) + עָרִ֣ים [towns] (320) + לָשָׁ֑בֶת [to·dwell] (732) + וּמִגְרָ֗שׁ [and·pasture] (549) + לֶֽעָרִים֙ [for·the·towns] (350) + סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם [around·them] (529) + תִּתְּנ֖וּ [you·shall·give] (856) + לַלְוִיִּֽם [to·the·Levites] (116) = 6164.
Onkelos
Command the children of Israel that they shall give to the Levites, from the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; and open land around the cities you shall give to the Levites.
Rashi
ומגרש AND OPEN LAND — an area consisting of an open space round about the city outside it, serving to beautify the city. It was not permitted to build houses there nor to plant vineyards nor to sow a plantation (cf. Arakhin 33b).
Ramban
AND OPEN LAND — “a space [consisting of] open land outside and around the city, in order to make the city pleasant; and they [the Levites] are not permitted to build any building there or to plant a vineyard, or to sow any crop. 4. A THOUSAND CUBITS ROUND ABOUT. But afterwards [in Verse 5] it says [that it should be] two thousand cubits! How can we explain this? He assigned two thousand cubits for them around [the cities], of which the inner [area with a radius of a] thousand [cubits, as mentioned in Verse 4] was to be free [open] space, and the outer [area of a thousand cubits] was to be for fields and vineyards round about.” This is Rashi’s language taken from the words of our Rabbis. The correct interpretation according to the plain meaning of Scripture seems to be that Scripture [in Verse 4] is stating that they should assign as open space a thousand cubits directly round about the city, meaning that [the combined open space of both sides of the city] should be a thousand cubits long, five hundred on each side, and similarly [the open space of both sides together] of the width, should be a thousand cubits, five hundred cubits on each side. After this He stated [in Verse 5] that they should make a square [the dimension of which to be] two thousand cubits by two thousand cubits, and the city should be situated in the center of the square. He thus added to them [the dimensions — in Verse 5] an open space not directly facing the city, equal to the measurement directly in front of the city, so that you find when leaving a thousand cubits as open space round about the city as He assigned at first [in Verse 4], the city, a thousand by a thousand cubits, will be in [the center of] the square. Thus the city given to the Levites was in the form of a square. Know that the term pei’ah [in Verse 5] signifies “a whole side” [i.e., the whole length of the distance of any of the four sides of the outer square, and not merely any point along that side]. Similarly the expression, a hundred cubits long ‘lapei’ah ha’echath’ means “for the whole ‘one’ side,” and so also similar expressions mentioned there [with reference to the dimensions of the Tabernacle]. This is also true of the term pei’ah at the end of the Book of Ezekiel [with reference to the dimensions of the city of Jerusalem and the Sanctuary of the future]. Moreover, if the intent of the verse was to have been [as Rashi interpreted] that they were to assign two thousand cubits round about the city in each direction, He would have said, “And you shall measure without the city ‘l’pe’ath keidmah (‘to’ the east side — two thousand cubits) etc.;” but instead He says [in Verse 5] And you shall measure without the city ‘eth’ pe’ath keidmah, which means “the measure of that [whole] side” [i.e., the whole distance along the eastern side of the outer square area, and also on each of the other outer sides, as the verse continues]. Such a four-sided plane figure having all its sides equal [and all its angles, ...
Ibn Ezra
"And its open land" — this is well known.
Or HaChaim
ונתנו ללוים מנחלת אחוזתם, "that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession, etc." The meaning of this verse is that while it is true that the Levites were not to have a claim to an inheritance in the land, there was nothing to prevent them from accepting parcels of land as a gift from the other tribes. This is in the same category as the rule that one should provide a livelihood for people who have not been fortunate enough to provide it for themselves. When the Torah is specific, writing ערים לשבת, "cities to dwell in," the meaning is that seeing the Levites have to live some place they need to be allocated cities for themselves. The Torah repeats the statement to indicate that the first time the Torah writes לשבת is to justify why these cities have to be given to the Levites; when the Torah continues with והיו הערים להם לשבת (verse 3) the Torah emphasises that these "cities" must be fit to dwell in. We are told in Makkot 12 that the meaning is that cities must be reserved for residential purposes and that it is forbidden to convert land set aside for residential purposes into מגרשים, open playfields, etc.
Chizkuni
ערים לשבת, “cities to dwell in;” while the Levites were not given ancestral lands, at least they were given houses, i.e. some real estate where to make their permanent homes. (B’chor shor)
Rabbeinu Bahya
צו את בני ישראל ונתנו ללוים מנחלת אחוזתם ערים לשבת ומגרש לערים סביבותיהם, “instruct the Children of Israel to allocate (give) to the Levites from the heritage of their possessions, cities for dwelling and an open space around their cities.” The expression מגרש describes an empty space outside the city for decorative purposes extending around the walls of a city 1,000 cubits all around that city. This area must not be used to build houses on, nor must it be used to plant trees or perform any agricultural activities. It is reserved for use by the livestock of the Levites and their free-roaming animals.
And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their open land shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.
verse value 3451 — וּלְכֹ֖ל = 86 (Elohim)
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "and·for·all" (וּלְכֹ֖ל) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·pasture" (וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֗ם, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·their·pasture" (וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֗ם), "for·their·cattle" (לִבְהֶמְתָּם֙), "and·for·their·property" (וְלִרְכֻשָׁ֔ם). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "and·for·all" (root כל, 98x in Numbers); "to·them" (root הם, 63x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·dwell', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהָי֧וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + הֶֽעָרִ֛ים [the·towns] (325) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + לָשָׁ֑בֶת [to·dwell] (732) + וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֗ם [and·their·pasture] (604) + יִהְי֤וּ [they·shall·be] (31) + לִבְהֶמְתָּם֙ [for·their·cattle] (517) + וְלִרְכֻשָׁ֔ם [and·for·their·property] (596) + וּלְכֹ֖ל [and·for·all] (86) + חַיָּתָֽם [their·animals] (458) = 3451.
Onkelos
The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their open lands shall be for their cattle, their property, and all their livestock.
Rashi
ולכל חיתם means FOR ALL THEIR NEEDS (the needs of their life; it does not mean for their animals) (Nedarim 81a).
Sforno
לבהמתם, for riding and carrying loads. ולרכושם, cattle and flocks. ולכל חיתם, such as bees and their beehives or pigeons and their habitats, etc.
Or HaChaim
ולכל חיתם, "and for all their livestock." The plain meaning of the verse is that these מגרשים, "open spaces" are to serve the various needs of the Levites. The Talmud in Makkot 12 derives from the word חיתם, that these spaces are to serve only the needs of the living, they are not to be used as burial plots, with the exception of burying an involuntary murderer who had used this city as his city of refuge. This is based on the word תהיינה in verse 15 of our chapter from which the Talmud derives "there shall be their burial." According to the exegetical approach of our sages in the Talmud the words ולכל חיתם are difficult. Seeing that these words are only intended to forbid burial of the regular residents of these cities in their מגרשיהם, all the Torah should have written was the word לחיתם leaving out the word ולכל which implies all kinds of other usages. The addition of the letter ו at the beginning of the word ולכל makes this even more difficult to understand as we are clearly dealing with a רבוי, an expression intended to include additional meanings. Perhaps we can best explain this by saying that the רבוי implied in the word ולכל was meant to counteract the מיעוט, the restrictive nature of the word חיתם. The meter of the verse then is as follows: ולכל, "the use of the מגרש is permitted for every kind of use for the living, i.e. only burial of the dead is excluded." Had the Torah only written לחיתם, I would have concluded that anything which is not directly required for life is prohibited, i.e. a host of activities other than burial.
Chizkuni
ולכל חיתם, “and for all their livestock.” The choice by the Torah of the word: חיה for livestock, instead of בהמה, is to underline that the Levites’ function on earth is to promote constructive life not burial rites, as pointed out by our sages in the Talmud, tractate Makkot folio12.
And the open land about the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
verse value 3338
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·pasture-of" (וּמִגְרְשֵׁי֙, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·pasture-of" (וּמִגְרְשֵׁי֙), "from·wall-of" (מִקִּ֤יר), "the·town" (הָעִיר֙). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "you·shall·assign" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers); "a·thousand" (root אלף, 103x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·Levites', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּמִגְרְשֵׁי֙ [and·pasture-of] (559) + הֶֽעָרִ֔ים [the·towns] (325) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + תִּתְּנ֖וּ [you·shall·assign] (856) + לַלְוִיִּ֑ם [to·the·Levites] (116) + מִקִּ֤יר [from·wall-of] (350) + הָעִיר֙ [the·town] (285) + וָח֔וּצָה [and·outward] (115) + אֶ֥לֶף [a·thousand] (111) + אַמָּ֖ה [cubits] (46) + סָבִֽיב [all·around] (74) = 3338.
Onkelos
The open lands of the cities that you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward, one thousand cubits all around.
Rashi
אלף אמה סביב A THOUSAND CUBITS ROUND ABOUT — But afterwards, (v. 5) it says, “two thousand cubits”!? How can that be? They assign two thousand for them (for the Levites) round about their cities, and of these, the innermost thousand serves as the “open space” and the outermost is for fields and vineyards (Sotah 27b).
Tur HaArokh
ומגרשי הערים וגו', “and the open spaces of the cities, etc.” Nachmanides, explaining the plain meaning of the text, states that the text first commands that there should be an open space of 1000 cubits around the city. This is to be arrived at by measuring 500 cubits extending outwards from all four directions, and describing a square using the line forming the outer perimeter of these four sides. When the Torah speaks later (verse 5) of measuring 2000 cubits in each direction outwards, so that the city core will be in the center of the new perimeters, we wind up with a total of 4.000 000 cubits square in all. When measured from the respective corners to the outer rim of the city core, this area, of course, was far longer than 2000 or 500 cubits from the edge of the city core. [Nachmanides’ calculation of the size of the city including all its outer areas is by far smaller than the area arrived at by either Rashi or Maimonides. Ed.] The entire length of each side is called פאה, “corner,” by the Torah. The first 1000 cubits of “suburbia” were not meant to be used for planting gardens, etc., but were a “green-belt.”
And you shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the open land about the cities.
verse value 7520
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 113 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "side·east" (אֶת־פְּאַת־קֵ֣דְמָה, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 161: two·thousand, two·thousand, two·thousand, two·thousand. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·measure" (וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם), "the·town" (לָעִ֗יר), "side·east" (אֶת־פְּאַת־קֵ֣דְמָה). The root פאה appears 4 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "two·thousand" (root אלף, 103x in Numbers); "to·them" (root הם, 63x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·center', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 5 words.
Onkelos
You shall measure from outside the city: the eastern side, two thousand cubits; the southern side, two thousand cubits; the western side, two thousand cubits; and the northern side, two thousand cubits — with the city in the middle. This shall be the open land of the cities for them.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ומדותם מחוץ לעיר אלפים באמה, “you shall measure outside the city ...approx 2,000 cubits (in each direction).” The meaning is that the Levites were to be given a belt of two thousand cubits of land, the inner half of which has already been described in verse 2. The outer 1,000 cubits could be used to plant vineyards, etc. (compare Rashi).
Rashbam
אלפים באמה, 1000 cubits described as מגרש, open space, the balance devoted to fields and vineyards.
And the cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee there; and beside them you shall give forty and two cities.
verse value 8191
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֤ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·towns" (וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 856: you·assign, you·shall·designate, you·shall·add. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·the·towns" (וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים), "six·cities-of" (אֵ֚ת שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֣י), "the·refuge" (הַמִּקְלָ֔ט). The root עיר appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "and·upon·them" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "you·assign" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). First appearance of the root מקלט ("the·refuge") in Numbers. First appearance of the root רצח ("the·manslayer") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·manslayer', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Onkelos
Among the cities that you shall give to the Levites, there shall be six cities of refuge that you shall designate for a slayer to flee there; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
Or HaChaim
ואת הערים…את שש ערי המקלט, "and the cities…the six cities of refuge, etc." From this verse we learn that these six cities were to serve primarily the involuntary murderers who had to be exiled there and not the Levites. Seeing that in verse 7 the Torah mentions that the grand total of the number of cities allocated to the Levites is 48, it is clear that the Levites were also entitled to live in the six cities of refuge. Apparently, the Torah wrote matters in such a way that we understand that the Levites and the inadvertent murderers (Israelites) had equal rights in the six cities of refuge. This is why the Torah stressed the rights of the inadvertent murderers in the first verse whereas in the second verse it appears to stress the rights of the Levites. From all this it is clear that the exiles do not have the right to charge rent to the Levites. All the opinions discussing this subject in Makkot 13 are agreed on this point. I may add that it is my view that in the event that there is a surfeit of exiles in any of the six cities of refuge, a Levite may be forced to leave in order to make room for an inadvertent murderer.
Chizkuni
ועליהם תתנו ארבעים ושתים עיר, “and in addition you will add 42 towns” (which can also serve as cities of refuge). The difference between the six cities of refuge named and the cities of the Levites is that the former serve as such regardless of if the unintentional killer is aware of their function or not, whereas the 42 cities of the Levites serve as such only if specifically chosen by the unintentional killer for that purpose. Talmud tractate Makkot, folio 10.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ועליהם תתנו ארבעים ושתים עיר, “In addition to them (the 6 cities designated for involuntary manslaughterers to take refuge) you will add another 42 cities for the Levites.” This would make a total of 48 cities in which the Levites would dwell. Three of the cities of refuge were to be situated in the territories of the two and a half tribes on the east bank of the Jordan, the remaining three in Eretz Yisrael proper.
Kli Yakar
Forty-two cities. Corresponding to the 42 encampments where Israel camped and were like strangers in all of them. Similarly, they gave to the Levites, who had no portion in the land, 42 cities. And the cities of refuge shall be from among the cities of the Levites because one who flees to his city of refuge is a stranger there. There is concern that the inhabitants of the land might say to him, “You are a stranger in the land.” Therefore, God commanded that the cities of refuge should be from the cities of the Levites, because the Levites are also like strangers and [the newcomers] could say to him [in effect], “Do not point out a blemish in your fellow if you have the same blemish.” This follows the principle stated You know the soul of the stranger, for you were strangers (Exodus 23:9), and as it is said Your offspring shall be strangers in a land not their own (Genesis 15:13) — meaning in a land that does not belong to the inhabitants, for Joseph relocated them to cities where they would be like strangers, so that they would not be able to say to Israel, “You are strangers.”
All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall you give with the open land about them.
verse value 4323
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֤ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·pasture" (וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן, 10 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "all·the·towns" (כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֗ים), "eight" (וּשְׁמֹנֶ֖ה), "and·their·pasture" (וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "you·assign" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers); "to·the·Levites" (root לוי, 71x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'towns', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֗ים [all·the·towns] (375) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [that] (501) + תִּתְּנוּ֙ [you·assign] (856) + לַלְוִיִּ֔ם [to·the·Levites] (116) + אַרְבָּעִ֥ים [forty] (323) + וּשְׁמֹנֶ֖ה [eight] (401) + עִ֑יר [towns] (280) + אֶתְהֶ֖ן [them] (456) + וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן [and·their·pasture] (1015) = 4323.
Onkelos
All the cities that you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their open lands.
And concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few; each tribe according to its inheritance which it inherits shall give of its cities to the Levites."
verse value 7531
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֤ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·Israel" (בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·holding-of" (מֵאֲחֻזַּ֣ת), "the·larger" (הָרַב֙), "you·shall·take-less" (תַּמְעִ֑יטוּ). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·Israel" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "each" (root איש, 130x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·take-less', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Onkelos
As for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the children of Israel — from the larger tribes you shall give more, and from the smaller tribes you shall give fewer; each tribe, in proportion to the inheritance they inherit, shall give of its cities to the Levites.
Ramban
FROM THE MANY YE SHALL TAKE MANY, AND FROM THE FEW YE SHALL TAKE FEW. Here too, in the opinion of our Rabbis [the meaning is that] from the paternal families which received a large amount as their inheritance, they should take many [cities], as He mentioned according to your families, while each tribe received exactly the same amount of land [and therefore had to provide an equal number of cities for the Levites]. And although you will find in the Book of Joshua that the number of cities which they gave to the Levites was not equal, according to the number of tribes, that was because of the [different] value of the particular cities, since some were more important than the others, for the Land was divided according to its value. A proof to this is the fact that from [the tribes of] Judah, Shimon and Benjamin they gave thirteen cities [to the Levites], and from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Menasheh, [also] thirteen [cities were given], and yet these [latter tribes] were larger than the former ones in their population. And from the tribe of Ephraim they gave four cities [to the Levites], and from the tribe of Dan four cities, and yet the children of Dan were double [the population] of the children of Ephraim.
Sforno
מאת הרב תרבו, seeing that the value of the land had been determined not in terms of quantity but in terms of quality, when the tribe with large tracts of land contributed more square cubits for the cities of the Levites this did not represent an unfair burden.
Tur HaArokh
מאת הרב תרבו ומאת המעט תמעיטו, “from the many (numerous) you shall increase, and from the few (in number) you shall decrease;” Nachmanides, quoting our sages who claim that all the tribes received territorially equal amounts of land, writes that we need to explain what is written here in terms of the number of families per tribe. A family who had received a large allocation of land (within its tribe) would have to cede relatively many cities of refuge from its territory, whereas a family that had received a relatively small parcel of land would not have to cede proportionately as much for the purpose of providing cities of refuge (including the cities of the Levites). This was so in spite of the fact that when these cities are listed by name and the tribal territory they were in, you will find that the tribes did not all contribute equal numbers. (Joshua chapter 21. [According to verse 3 in that chapter the distribution or allocation of these cities may have proceeded upon divine command after consultation with the urim vetumim. Ed.]
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·he·spoke" (וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר, 5 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "saying" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "and·he·spoke" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers). Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר [and·he·spoke] (222) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה [to·Moses] (376) + לֵּאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 895.
"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
verse value 3512
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "when" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Jordan" (אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "to·the·land·of" (אַ֥רְצָה). The root אל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "speak!" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: דַּבֵּר֙ [speak!] (206) + אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י [to·sons·of] (93) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + אֲלֵהֶ֑ם [to·them] (76) + כִּ֥י [when] (30) + אַתֶּ֛ם [you] (441) + עֹבְרִ֥ים [crossing] (322) + אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן [the·Jordan] (670) + אַ֥רְצָה [to·the·land·of] (296) + כְּנָֽעַן [Canaan] (190) = 3512.
Onkelos
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
Ibn Ezra
"To the land of Canaan" — this too is well known, and this passage is connected [to what precedes].
then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that kills any person through error may flee there.
verse value 3767
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "for·yourselves" (לָכֶם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·designate" (וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: for·yourselves, for·you. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·designate" (וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם), "and·may·flee" (וְנָ֥ס), "slayer·of·a·person" (מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ). The root לכם appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "for·yourselves" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers); "there" (root שם, 75x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם [and·you·shall·designate] (761) + לָכֶם֙ [for·yourselves] (90) + עָרִ֔ים [towns] (320) + עָרֵ֥י [cities·of] (280) + מִקְלָ֖ט [refuge] (179) + תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה [they·shall·be] (480) + לָכֶ֑ם [for·you] (90) + וְנָ֥ס [and·may·flee] (116) + שָׁ֙מָּה֙ [there] (345) + רֹצֵ֔חַ [manslayer] (298) + מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ [slayer·of·a·person] (495) + בִּשְׁגָגָֽה [unintentionally] (313) = 3767.
Onkelos
you shall designate for yourselves cities; they shall be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
Rashi
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).
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall designate" — derived from the root קריה (city/town).
Rabbeinu Bahya
והקריתם לכם ערים, ערי מקלט, “you shall designate cities for yourselves, cities of refuge.” The expression והקריתם is derived from קריה, city. ונס שמה רוצח מכה נפש בשגגה, “and to such a city a murderer who killed a person unintentionally shall flee.” Such a person is not guilty of the death penalty seeing he did not intend to kill his victim. This law demonstrates that the heart of the person is the prime driving force of man’s activities. This principle applies to the performance of all the commandments as well as to the commission of any sins. Exile is the penalty decreed here seeing that the man’s heart was not associated with his action. The death penalty never applies unless body and heart had committed the sin in question in tandem, in agreement with each other. The body contributes the relevant movement, the heart the relevant intention. Seeing in the example mentioned there was no such co-ordination between body and mind, the guilty party only has to be exiled. By the same token, if a person performed a commandment, in accordance with all its details but his heart was not involved, i.e. he did not mean to perform a commandment by doing what he did, he will not receive a reward for his deed (compare Nazir 23). This is what David meant when he said in Psalms 119,48: “I raise my palms toward Your commandments which I love, etc.” The “raising of hands” which David speaks of is the intention harboured by his heart. We find these two words side by side in Lamentations 3,41: “let us raise our hearts with our palms.” A Midrashic approach based on Tanchuma Massey 12: “the words: ‘he who kills a person inadvertently,’ emphasise the fact that the deed was inadvertent not accompanied by malice.” If a person who had killed intentionally were to claim that his deed had been committed inadvertently the city of refuge does not afford him any refuge even if he had already reached it. He would be removed even from the Holy Altar in the Temple and convicted. We know this from Exodus 21,14: ”if someone kills a person deliberately, using subterfuge, you shall even remove him from My Altar to apply the death penalty to him.” We find that this is precisely what happened to Yoav, David’s commander-in-chief, who held on to the corners of the Altar in order to escape prosecution for murder (Kings I 2,28). He was forcefully removed and executed by Benayahu. On the other hand, we find that the law to exile an involuntary murderer dates back already to the very beginning of human history when David exclaimed in Psalms 25,6: “O Lord be mindful of Your compassion and Your faithfulness; they are as old as time.” According to the Midrash we quoted David said to G’d: ”Your compassion and faithfulness extend to the inadvertent killer of a human being for whom You have prepared a city of refuge seeing that such killer who did not kill intentionally is not guilty of death. This compassion of Yours dates back to the time You created man.” Although Adam brought death into the world, You did not kill him but You only exiled him as we know from Genesis 3,23: “He exiled him from Gan Eden.” We also have a verse describing this as an expulsion (verse 24 immediately following). [I suppose the Midrash bases itself on the repetition of the reference to Adam being expelled. Ed.]
Rashbam
YOU SHALL PROVIDE [V'HIKRITEM]. You shall prepare.
Daat Zkenim
והקריתם לכם לערים, “you shall appoint for yourselves as towns;” In Deuteronomy 19,3, the Torah instructs the Jewish people to erect pointers guiding potential inadvertent killers with how to get to the nearest city of refuge at each juncture of major roads in the country. This is also what the psalmist referred to in Psalms 25,8: על כן יורה חטאים בדרך, “therefore He shows sinners the way.” Actually, there was no need for this legislation as it follows logically from another legislation. If G–d shows murderers the way to their rehabilitating themselves, how much more will He show the way to people who are righteous and have erroneously committed a sin. This is why the psalmist quoted above immediately continues with: ידרך ענוים במשפט וילמד ענוים דרכו, “He guides the lowly on the right path, and He teaches the humble His way.”
And the cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.
verse value 2428
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "for·you" (לָכֶ֧ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "until·his·standing" (עַד־עׇמְד֛וֹ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·the·avenger" (מִגֹּאֵ֑ל), "until·his·standing" (עַד־עׇמְד֛וֹ), "for·trial" (לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "and·not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "before" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·avenger', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְהָי֨וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + לָכֶ֧ם [for·you] (90) + הֶעָרִ֛ים [the·cities] (325) + לְמִקְלָ֖ט [as·a·refuge] (209) + מִגֹּאֵ֑ל [from·the·avenger] (74) + וְלֹ֤א [and·not] (37) + יָמוּת֙ [shall·die] (456) + הָרֹצֵ֔חַ [the·manslayer] (303) + עַד־עׇמְד֛וֹ [until·his·standing] (194) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + הָעֵדָ֖ה [the·assembly] (84) + לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט [for·trial] (459) = 2428.
Onkelos
The cities shall serve you as refuge from the blood-redeemer, so that the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
Rashi
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.
Chizkuni
למקלט מגואל, “as refuge from the potential avenger of the slain person.” They are to calm the fears of the person who killed unintentionally who worries about becoming the victim of such relatives of the slain person. ולא ימות הרוצח, “so that the manslayer will not have to die.” The Torah had to stress this, seeing that it had written in verse 27 of this chapter: ורצח גואל הדם את הרוצח, “and the avenger of blood will slay the manslayer.” This taught that if these two meet elsewhere, the avenger would be culpable for having killed unless the manslayer had stood trial and been convicted of murder. (Sifri)
Rabbeinu Bahya
למקלט מגואל, “as a refuge from the avenger.” The reference is to a family member of the slain person who would act as his avenger.
And as to the cities which you shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge.
verse value 3317
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·towns" (וְהֶעָרִ֖ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "six·cities·of" (שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֥י). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "you·assign" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·assign', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהֶעָרִ֖ים [and·the·towns] (331) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + תִּתֵּ֑נוּ [you·assign] (856) + שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֥י [six·cities·of] (880) + מִקְלָ֖ט [refuge] (179) + תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה [they·shall·be] (480) + לָכֶֽם [for·you] (90) = 3317.
Onkelos
The cities that you shall give — six cities of refuge shall they be for you.
Rashi
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).
Rabbeinu Bahya
שש ערי מקלט תהיינה לכם, “you shall have six cities of refuge.” We learn from this verse that although Moses already set aside three of these cities (on the east bank) while he was still alive, they did not begin to function as cities of refuge until the other three cities were so designated after the conquest of the land of Canaan. Even though nine and a half tribes resided on the west bank of the Jordan as compared to two and a half tribes on the east bank, both sides had the same number of cities of refuge. This indicates that the relative incidence of murder in the territory of the two and a half tribes was statistically far higher than that in Eretz Yisrael proper. Gilead had a bad reputation in this regard as we know from Hoseah 6,8 :”Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked up with blood.” The provision of three cities of refuge for that part of the land of Israel reflects the goodness of the Lord as we read in Psalms 25,8: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He shows the sinners the way.” If G’d is so compassionate towards involuntary murderers, showing them a path how to escape from their predicament, how much more compassionate must He be towards genuinely righteous people! Nachmanides provides two separate reasons why the Torah provided relatively more cities of refuge for a territory with such a small population as the east bank of the Jordan. One reason cited is that it was in honour of Moses who had set these towns aside already during his life time when there really had not been any need to do so. The second reason is purely functional. Seeing that the territory in which the two and a half tribes settled, i.e. the territory formerly under the control of Sichon and Og was so much larger than that of the nine and a half tribes on the west bank, had the allocation been proportionate to the relative population, the average distance a potential killer would have had to travel to escape the avenger would have been so much greater that his chances of actually reaching a safe location would have been unrealistically small. Hence, the same number of such cities was allocated by the Torah to that region as was allocated to a region which had been ruled over by no fewer than 31 kings.
You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall you give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.
verse value 6458
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "cities·of" (עָרֵ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·three" (וְאֵת֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 856: you·shall·designate, you·shall·designate. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "three" (אֵ֣ת שְׁלֹ֣שׁ), "and·three" (וְאֵת֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ). The root עיר appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "you·shall·designate" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers); "in·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Canaan', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֵ֣ת שְׁלֹ֣שׁ [three] (1031) + הֶעָרִ֗ים [the·cities] (325) + תִּתְּנוּ֙ [you·shall·designate] (856) + מֵעֵ֣בֶר [beyond] (312) + לַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן [the·Jordan] (294) + וְאֵת֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ [and·three] (1037) + הֶֽעָרִ֔ים [the·cities] (325) + תִּתְּנ֖וּ [you·shall·designate] (856) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·the·land·of] (293) + כְּנָ֑עַן [Canaan] (190) + עָרֵ֥י [cities·of] (280) + מִקְלָ֖ט [refuge] (179) + תִּהְיֶֽינָה [they·shall·be] (480) = 6458.
Onkelos
Three cities you shall designate on the far side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall designate in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.
Rashi
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).
Ramban
YE SHALL GIVE THREE CITIES BEYOND THE JORDAN. “And even though 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], Scripture gave them an equal number of cities of refuge, because in Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan] murderers were numerous, as it is written, Gilead is a city of wrong-doers; it is covered with footprints of blood.” This is Rashi’s language, based on the words of our Rabbis. Now even though the [cities of] refuge were only for those who killed in error [and these murderers of Gilead killed deliberately], they would kill in treachery and make themselves appear as if they had done it in error, and therefore it was necessary to increase [proportionately] the number of their cities of refuge, in order to be able to take in all of them, since one could not tell who had killed deliberately. If so, [we must say that] the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded this on account of the future [since He knew that murderers in Gilead would be numerous], similar to that which it says [of the future generations], and this people will rise up, and go astray. Or perhaps the Rabbis will say that the climate of the land of Gilead was conducive to producing murderers since it became a nation. But I wonder! For in the opinion of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, the [cities mentioned in the] verse which says, and beside them [i.e., apart from the six cities of refuge], ye shall give [to the Levites] forty and two cities, were all commanded as cities of refuge, and thus there were thirty-six of them in the land of Canaan, and six beyond the Jordan, and they all offered protection, in the opinion of our Rabbis, of blessed memory! Thus the cities of refuge throughout the Land of Israel were [distributed] justly and equally, for each of the [twelve] tribes received four cities of refuge. He also counted the tribe of Menasheh in the land of Canaan, because the majority of it was there [thus the nine tribes in the land of Canaan together with Menasheh were given thirty-six cities of refuge, i.e., those which constituted the cities of the Levites, plus the original three cities of refuge, making a total of thirty-nine]. Perhaps in [the proportion of] the [six] appointed cities G-d increased [the number of these cities] beyond the Jordan, in honor of Moses, so that he would set aside half of that number [since he could not enter the land of Canaan], but in their totality [of forty-eight cities] they were all divided up by measure and according to proportion [each tribe receiving four cities].According to the simple meaning of Scripture, it appears to me that the land on the [east] side of the Jordan was very large, for it contained [the kingdom of] the two great Amorite kings [Sihon and Og], about whose might the verses speak in superlative terms, and [this kingdom became] even greater when Ammon and Moab became a legitimate [conquest for Israel] through them [i.e., through Sihon and Og w...
Chizkuni
את שלש הערים, “the three cities;” we do not read here about the difference of the status of these cities that Moses had selected on the east bank of the Jordan and the three that were designated as cities of refuge on the west bank. (the word מקלט describing the function of the three cities on the east bank is absent in this verse. Ed.] This had been spelled out, however, in Deuteronomy 4,41-43. Rashi explains that a) the three cities which Moses had designated on the east bank did not become functional as long as the land on the west bank had not been conquered and settled. b) He also points out on our verse that whereas three such cities served in the west bank where nine and a half tribes had made their homes were on the east bank where only two and a half tribes had made their homes were served by the same number of cities of refuge. He views this as proof that Moses viewed the likelihood of these cities being needed on the east bank was far greater as in Gilead murders would be more common than in the “Holy Land” on the west bank. He backs up this surmise by quoting Hosea 6,8: גלעד קרית פועלי און עקובה מדם, “Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked up with blood.” This suggests that initially even intentional killers were in the habit of using these cities as cities of refuge. The Mishnah in Makkot folio 9, states that in the early periods both intentional and unintentional killers used to flee to the cities of refuge, pending a trial to determine who had been an intentional killer and who had been an unintentional killer. This explains what the Torah had written in verse 12 that no one was to be executed until he had stood trial. According to Sifri, the courts would dispatch messengers to bring the offending parties to trial in the location under their jurisdiction, i.e. depending on where the killing had occurred. They would execute the guilty and free the innocent, i.e. bring them back to the city of refuge.
Tur HaArokh
את שלש הערים, “the three cities, etc.” Nachmanides writes that our sages said that Moses designated three cities of refuge on the east bank of the Jordan, a surprisingly large number in view of the few inhabitants (21/2 tribes), as murder was a more frequent occurrence in that part of the country. Although this seems irrelevant seeing that these cities were meant only for people who inadvertently committed manslaughter, there were many people who deliberately committed murder, making it appear that the act had been committed unintentionally. It had therefore become necessary to have such cities available until the true circumstances of the killing had been established. According to this interpretation the legislation took into consideration circumstances that would arise only in the future. Alternately, we could say that up until now the region of Gilead had been known as a region in which murder and manslaughter was a frequent occurrence. Personally, I am amazed at these approaches by some commentators, seeing that our sages (Makkot 10) stated that there were a total of 42 cities either being cities of the Levites, which did double duty, or cities of refuge on the west bank, whereas the total on the east bank, including the cities for the Levites amounted to only 6. There is therefore no numerical anomaly in the allocation of these cities. According to the arrangement just described, each tribe had a total of 4 cities that were capable of serving as cities of refuge. Perhaps the fact that there were 3 basic cities of refuge (out of a total of only 6 such cities) in the region of the east bank was a special compliment to Moses for having allocated three such cities already during his lifetime before the west bank or any part of it had even been conquered. The whole arrangement was not unequal once we realise that the cities of the Levites were part of it, so that there were a total of 48 cities that could provide refuge for inadvertent killers. Looking at it from the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, it would appear that the area of the east bank which became part of the Jewish state was huge, considering that this territory comprised all the lands that formerly belonged to the two Emorite kings Sichon and Og by comparison to the west bank, land which the Torah went out of its way to describe with impressive detail. The lands of Moav and Ammon were also partially included, as the Emorites had captured them.. If judged by area rather than by population, it was certainly not excessive to allocate 3 out of the 6 cities of refuge to that region.
Rashbam
את שלש הערים תתנו מעבר לירדן, the ones Moses had already set aside for this purpose as we know from Deuteronomy 4,41.
Daat Zkenim
את שלש הערים וגו'...מעבר לירדן ואת שלש הערים וג' בארץ כנען “the three towns etc.; and the three towns etc.; in the land of Canaan.” The Talmud tractate Makkot folio 9 raises the question why it was that both on the west bank of the Jordan and on the east bank three towns of refuge for potential inadvertent killers were provided when more than 80% of the population resided on the west bank of the Jordan? The answer given by the scholar Abbaye is that the area known as Gilead on the east bank was known to harbour many murderers. He based himself on what is written in the Book of Hoseah 6,8: גלעד קרית פועלי און עקובה מדם, “Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked up with blood.” Rabbi Elazar there adds that the word עקובה used by the prophet means that people lay in wait, and ambushed those whom they planned to kill. How do these statements answer our question seeing that the cities of refuge were not provided for intentional murders? The prophet accused the people Gilead of committing deliberate murders! The answer is that the fact that seeing that unintentional killings were common place in Gilead, this encouraged intentional killers to pretend that they had committed unintentional killing. G–d arranged for unintentional killers to be residents of that area in order to be able to tell between deliberate murders committed in the absence of witnesses, and unintentionally committed killings. Their victims would be the ones who had previously committed intentional killings but could not be brought to court due to absence of witnesses. The Talmud on the folio next to the one we quoted uses Samuel I 24,14: מרשעים יצא רשע, “wicked deeds have a habit of being performed by wicked people.” [a quote from David who after having cut off a piece of King’s Shaul’s cloak instead of killing him as his pursuer, wanted to convince him that the people who had accuse him as being his enemy had evil intentions. Ed.] If one person had killed unintentionally, without there being any witnesses, so that he did not bother to go to a city of refuge, G–d arranges that he will do something similar with witnesses, but the victim having previously guilty of intentional undetected murder.
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that kills any person through error may flee there.
verse value 5088
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֔מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "anyone·who·kills·a·person" (כׇּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·for·the·sojourner" (וְלַתּוֹשָׁב֙), "six·the·cities" (שֵׁשׁ־הֶעָרִ֥ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·refuge', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: לִבְנֵ֣י [for·sons·of] (92) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל [Israel] (541) + וְלַגֵּ֤ר [and·for·the·sojourner] (239) + וְלַתּוֹשָׁב֙ [and·for·the·sojourner] (744) + בְּתוֹכָ֔ם [among·them] (468) + תִּהְיֶ֛ינָה [they·shall·be] (480) + שֵׁשׁ־הֶעָרִ֥ים [six·the·cities] (925) + הָאֵ֖לֶּה [these] (41) + לְמִקְלָ֑ט [for·refuge] (209) + לָנ֣וּס [to·flee] (146) + שָׁ֔מָּה [there] (345) + כׇּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ [anyone·who·kills·a·person] (545) + בִּשְׁגָגָֽה [unintentionally] (313) = 5088.
Onkelos
For the children of Israel, and for the proselytes, and for the sojourners among you, these six cities shall serve as refuge — for anyone who kills a person unintentionally to flee there.
Ibn Ezra
"For the children of Israel" — this does not connect directly to the first verse, for in the first verse it says that these cities shall be cities of refuge, but it did not say for whom they serve as refuge. Afterwards it clarifies that for the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them shall these six cities be a refuge.
But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
verse value 2355 — הִכָּ֛הוּ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. Notable word values: "he·struck·him" (הִכָּ֛הוּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "murderer" (רֹצֵ֣חַֽ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·if·with·an·object" (וְאִם־בִּכְלִ֨י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 456: and·he·died, be·put·to·death. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·if·with·an·object" (וְאִם־בִּכְלִ֨י), "iron" (בַרְזֶ֧ל). The root מות appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·died" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "and·if·with·an·object" (root כלי, 31x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־בִּכְלִ֨י [and·if·with·an·object] (109) + בַרְזֶ֧ל [iron] (239) + הִכָּ֛הוּ [he·struck·him] (36) + וַיָּמֹ֖ת [and·he·died] (456) + רֹצֵ֣חַֽ [murderer] (298) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + מ֥וֹת [surely] (446) + יוּמַ֖ת [be·put·to·death] (456) + הָרֹצֵֽחַ [the·murderer] (303) = 2355.
Onkelos
But if he struck him with an iron implement and he died — he is a slayer; the slayer shall surely be put to death.
Rashi
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.
Chizkuni
ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו, “but if he struck him with a metal instrument or tool;” why did the Torah have to give us this example if it had already told us that wooden or stone vessels or tools are considered as lethal weapons? Surely it is understood that metal tools are at least as dangerous?! This is to teach us that penalties cannot be imposed on the basis of logic, especially in capital crimes, but only if the written Torah had decreed them. (Compare Rashi quoting the Talmud in Sanhedrin and by the commentaries.) A minute metal instrument, a needle is already capable of causing death, i.e. is a lethal weapon.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו וימות רוצח הוא, “If he had struck him with an iron implement and he died, he is a murderer.” The Torah legislated that if someone killed with a stone or a wooden implement the court will examine if the force used was sufficient to result in death under normal circumstances, i.e. if the victim were healthy. We know this from verse 17: “If he struck him with a hand-sized stone which is sufficiently large to cause death, or with a wooden implement.” These words mean that the court must weigh the relative strength of the blow according to the physique of who administered it and according to the implement employed to strike the victim with. When the blow was struck with an iron tool or weapon, the Torah does not apply such criteria but assumes that anyone who strikes a blow with such an instrument has murderous intentions. Iron instruments, even if as small as a needle are capable of causing death. (Compare Maimonides Hilchot Rotzeach Nefesh 3,1; 3,2, etc.) If the killer pushed the victim so that he fell off the roof of a building and died, this is a situation covered by the words in verse 20: “if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled him from an ambush so that he died,” the killer is automatically assumed to have had murderous intent. If less lethal instruments caused the death of the victim the court has to assess if the blows inflicted were prompted by hostility. This is why the Torah wrote: “or he struck him in enmity with his hand.”
And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
verse value 3087 — הִכָּ֛הוּ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "he·struck·him" (הִכָּ֛הוּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "hand" (יָד֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·could·cause·death" (אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 456: and·he·died, be·put·to·death. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "with·a·stone" (בְּאֶ֣בֶן). The root מות appears 4 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·could·cause·death" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "hand" (root יד, 34x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאִ֡ם [and·if] (47) + בְּאֶ֣בֶן [with·a·stone] (55) + יָד֩ [hand] (14) + אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת [that·could·cause·death] (957) + בָּ֥הּ [by·it] (7) + הִכָּ֛הוּ [he·struck·him] (36) + וַיָּמֹ֖ת [and·he·died] (456) + רֹצֵ֣חַֽ [murderer] (298) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + מ֥וֹת [surely] (446) + יוּמַ֖ת [be·put·to·death] (456) + הָרֹצֵֽחַ [the·murderer] (303) = 3087.
Onkelos
And if with a stone that is held in the hand — of sufficient size to cause death — he struck him and he died, he is a slayer; the slayer shall surely be put to death.
Rashi
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 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).
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
verse value 3215 — הִכָּ֛הוּ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "he·struck·him" (הִכָּ֛הוּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "or" (א֡וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·could·cause·death" (אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 456: and·he·died, be·put·to·death. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "with·a·tool" (בִּכְלִ֣י), "wooden·hand" (עֵֽץ־יָד֩). The root מות appears 4 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·could·cause·death" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "with·a·tool" (root כלי, 31x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: א֡וֹ [or] (7) + בִּכְלִ֣י [with·a·tool] (62) + עֵֽץ־יָד֩ [wooden·hand] (174) + אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת [that·could·cause·death] (957) + בּ֥וֹ [by·it] (8) + הִכָּ֛הוּ [he·struck·him] (36) + וַיָּמֹ֖ת [and·he·died] (456) + רֹצֵ֣חַֽ [murderer] (298) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + מ֥וֹת [surely] (446) + יוּמַ֖ת [be·put·to·death] (456) + הָרֹצֵֽחַ [the·murderer] (303) = 3215.
Onkelos
Or if with a wooden implement that is held in the hand — of sufficient size to cause death — he struck him and he died, he is a slayer; the slayer shall surely be put to death.
Rashi
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).
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
verse value 1946
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "avenger·of" (גֹּאֵ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·encountering·him" (בְּפִגְעוֹ־ב֖וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 12: he, he. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "he·shall·put·him·to·death" (יְמִתֶֽנּוּ). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·put·to·death" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "the·murderer" (root רצח, 20x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·murderer', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: גֹּאֵ֣ל [avenger·of] (34) + הַדָּ֔ם [the·blood] (49) + ה֥וּא [he] (12) + יָמִ֖ית [shall·put·to·death] (460) + אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֑חַ [the·murderer] (704) + בְּפִגְעוֹ־ב֖וֹ [upon·encountering·him] (169) + ה֥וּא [he] (12) + יְמִתֶֽנּוּ [he·shall·put·him·to·death] (506) = 1946.
Onkelos
The blood-redeemer himself shall put the slayer to death; when judgment is rendered against him by law, he shall put him to death.
Rashi
בפגעו בו WHENEVER HE MEETETH HIM [HE MAY KILL HIM] — even in the cities of refuge.
Ibn Ezra
"When he encounters him" — with a chirik under the peh, like "בשברי לכם," because verbal nouns vary [in their vocalization].
And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him any thing, lying in wait, so that he died;
verse value 1615
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עָלָ֛יו, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·if·in·hate" (וְאִם־בְּשִׂנְאָ֖ה, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·if·in·hate" (וְאִם־בְּשִׂנְאָ֖ה), "he·shall·thrust·him" (יֶהְדֳּפֶ֑נּוּ), "on·purpose" (בִּצְדִיָּ֖ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "and·he·died" (root מות, 87x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·shall·thrust·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־בְּשִׂנְאָ֖ה [and·if·in·hate] (405) + יֶהְדֳּפֶ֑נּוּ [he·shall·thrust·him] (155) + אֽוֹ־הִשְׁלִ֥יךְ [or·he·hurled] (372) + עָלָ֛יו [upon] (116) + בִּצְדִיָּ֖ה [on·purpose] (111) + וַיָּמֹֽת [and·he·died] (456) = 1615.
Onkelos
And if out of hatred he pushed him, or cast something upon him in ambush, and he killed him —
Rashi
בצדיה — Understand this as the Targum does: בכמנא, BY LAYING IN WAIT.
Ibn Ezra
"He thrust him" — from a high place. "Or cast something upon him" — like a leaning wall, or a vessel with which one could cause death. "In ambush" — I have explained it elsewhere.
Chizkuni
ואם בשנאה יהדפנו, “and if he had attacked him from above out of a feeling of hatred,” [possibly without intent to kill but only to harm, Ed.]
Targum Yonatan
But if (the manslayer) had assaulted in enmity and intentionally with a club or staff, or thrown stones upon him with purpose of heart, and killed him;.
or in enmity smote him with his hand, that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death: he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
verse value 3239 — הִכָּ֤הוּ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "he·struck·him" (הִכָּ֤הוּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "or" (א֣וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·shall·surely·be·put·to·death" (מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·enmity" (בְאֵיבָ֞ה), "he·shall·surely·be·put·to·death" (מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת). The root מות appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·died" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "with·his·hand" (root יד, 34x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: א֣וֹ [or] (7) + בְאֵיבָ֞ה [in·enmity] (20) + הִכָּ֤הוּ [he·struck·him] (36) + בְיָדוֹ֙ [with·his·hand] (22) + וַיָּמֹ֔ת [and·he·died] (456) + מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת [he·shall·surely·be·put·to·death] (902) + הַמַּכֶּ֖ה [the·assailant] (70) + רֹצֵ֣חַֽ [murderer] (298) + ה֑וּא [he] (12) + גֹּאֵ֣ל [avenger·of] (34) + הַדָּ֗ם [the·blood] (49) + יָמִ֛ית [he·shall·put·to·death] (460) + אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֖חַ [the·murderer] (704) + בְּפִגְעוֹ־בֽוֹ [upon·his·encountering·him] (169) = 3239.
Onkelos
or in enmity struck him with his hand and he died — the one who struck shall surely be put to death; he is a slayer. The blood-redeemer shall put the slayer to death when judgment is rendered against him by law.
But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait,
verse value 1485
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "without" (בְּלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·if·in·a·sudden" (וְאִם־בְּפֶ֥תַע, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·if·in·a·sudden" (וְאִם־בְּפֶ֥תַע), "without·malice" (בְּלֹא־אֵיבָ֖ה), "he·pushed·him" (הֲדָפ֑וֹ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "without" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "upon" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "any·object" (root כלי, 31x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·pushed·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־בְּפֶ֥תַע [and·if·in·a·sudden] (599) + בְּלֹא־אֵיבָ֖ה [without·malice] (51) + הֲדָפ֑וֹ [he·pushed·him] (95) + אוֹ־הִשְׁלִ֥יךְ [or·he·hurled] (372) + עָלָ֛יו [upon] (116) + כׇּל־כְּלִ֖י [any·object] (110) + בְּלֹ֥א [without] (33) + צְדִיָּֽה [intent] (109) = 1485.
Onkelos
But if suddenly, without enmity, he pushed him, or cast any object upon him without lying in wait for him,
Rashi
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).
Ibn Ezra
"Suddenly" — like פתאום (suddenly).
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואם בפתע בלא איבה, “But if with suddenness, without enmity,” The word “suddenly” means that it was caused by an accident. The victim was close by the killer and he did not have a chance to be warned.
or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;
verse value 3673 — וְהוּא֙ = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְהוּא֙) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "or" (א֣וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·he·may·die" (אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֥וּת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 7: or, by·it. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "with·any·stone" (בְכׇל־אֶ֜בֶן), "seeing" (רְא֔וֹת), "not·an·enemy" (לֹא־אוֹיֵ֣ב). The root מות appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "without" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "upon" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "to·him" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·he·died', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Onkelos
or with any stone of sufficient size to cause death, without seeing, he cast it upon him and he died — and he did not hate him, and did not seek his harm —
Rashi
או בכל אבן אשר ימות בה OR WITH ANY STONE WHEREBY ONE MAY DIE, he smote him. 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 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).
Ibn Ezra
"Without seeing" — a verbal noun. "And he was not his enemy" — that is, he did not intend to seek his harm.
Chizkuni
ויפל עליו “and he threw it down upon him;” from the wording of this verse the Rabbis concluded that killing by dropping something on the victim makes the killer subject to spending the rest of his life until the death of the High Priest in a city of refuge. If the killer had looked at what was below him he would have seen that dropping an object or throwing an object down was something dangerous. (Talmud tractate Makkot folio 7) On the other hand, if the victim was struck by the killer having thrown something up into the air, this is considered an accident, and the person who had thrown the object does not have to be confined to the city of refuge. The basic principle is that one has to look in front if there are obstacles, but not behind or above. Normal people do not look in all directions before throwing an object.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויפל עליו, “he caused it to fall upon him.” This verse caused our sages (Makkot 7) to determine that if someone kills unintentionally by dropping something while lowering it he must go to the city of refuge, but if it occurred while lifting the object he does not go.
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;
verse value 1393
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "according·to" (עַ֥ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·rules" (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·they·shall·decide" (וְשָֽׁפְטוּ֙), "the·rules" (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "according·to" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "the·assembly" (root עדה, 79x in Numbers); "these" (root אלה, 76x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·blood', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְשָֽׁפְטוּ֙ [and·they·shall·decide] (401) + הָֽעֵדָ֔ה [the·assembly] (84) + בֵּ֚ין [between] (62) + הַמַּכֶּ֔ה [the·slayer] (70) + וּבֵ֖ין [between] (68) + גֹּאֵ֣ל [avenger·of] (34) + הַדָּ֑ם [the·blood] (49) + עַ֥ל [according·to] (100) + הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים [the·rules] (484) + הָאֵֽלֶּה [these] (41) = 1393.
Onkelos
then the congregation shall judge between the one who struck and the blood-redeemer, according to these laws.
and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled; and he shall dwell in it until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
verse value 6368
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 92 letters. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּ֗הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·shall·protect" (וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 407: him, him. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·they·shall·protect" (וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ), "and·they·shall·restore" (וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּ), "where·he·fled" (אֲשֶׁר־נָ֣ס). The root עדה appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "until·death·of" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "to·city·of" (root אל, 85x in Numbers); "the·assembly" (root עדה, 79x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 9 words.
Onkelos
The congregation shall rescue the slayer from the hand of the blood-redeemer, and the congregation shall return him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall dwell there until the death of the High Priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
Rashi
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 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.
Ibn Ezra
"Until the death [of the high priest]" — some say this means 'until death' in the sense of 'until the investigation,' and they compare it to 'with you wisdom shall die' — but they say nothing [of substance]. For 'with you wisdom shall die' is to be taken at face value, and likewise 'until the death of the high priest' is literal, for he atones on behalf of Israel and this occurrence happened in his days.
Sforno
עד מות הכהן הגדול, the Torah had already made clear that exile is a penalty applicable only to inadvertently committed killing. Seeing that there are different degrees of inadvertent killing, i.e. some border on accidents totally beyond the control of the perpetrator, whereas others are acts of criminal negligence, though unintended, the Torah in determining the penalty does not give us a fixed time, but a variable. When the killing occurred only a short time before the death of the High Priest, the exile spends little time in the city of refuge; on the other hand, there may be times when the exile dies in the city of refuge before the High Priest officiating at the time of the “crime,” dies. These variables are taken into account by G’d Who alone is in possession of all the facts, i.e. the degree of negligence which caused this inadvertent killing. The important reference to G’d’s involvement and calculations in all this is found in Exodus 21,13 והאלוקים אנה לידו, “G’d had caused, directed his hand,” (that of the inadvertent killer.)
Chizkuni
וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול, “and he has to dwell there until the death of the High Priest.” The reason is so that people at large will not accuse the High Priest as not having fulfilled his task of seeing to it that murder does not go unpunished (Deuteronomy 17,12). They would not be able to blame the new high Priest as the killing had not occurred while he was in office.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול, “and he will stay there until the death of the High Priest.” Our sages in Makkot 11 linked the duration of the stay of such an inadvertent killer to the death of the High Priest to the fact that the High Priest is the means of atonement for the people; it had been up to him to beseech G’d for mercy and he had failed to do so (adequately) or the tragedy of this killing would not have occurred. In this manner he shares the guilt of any murder which occurs during his tenure of the office of High Priest. Furthermore, the death of the High Priest serves as a measure of consolation and comfort for the relatives of the slain person who will no longer bear a grudge concerning that killing. The Sifri on our verse also writes that seeing that the High Priest is the cause for the Presence of the Shechinah to dwell in Israel, i.e. the cause that lengthens the lives of the people, the killer had caused the opposite i.e. he caused the Shechinah to depart [by reducing the average life span of the people through killing someone prematurely, Ed.]. It is not appropriate therefore that the killer present himself in the vicinity of the High Priest. Hence he had to remain confined to the city of refuge. אשר משח אותו, “whom one had anointed.” The subject המושח is missing in this verse. It is one of numerous verses where this occurs. Our sages in Makkot 11 derive from this missing word that if a High Priest died during the period that the court had to decide if the killer was an intentional killer or not, and a new High Priest was appointed prior to the end of the trial, the killer has to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the second High Priest. The reason that although the second High Priest was not even in office yet is still associated with this killer is that the new appointee should have prayed that the court would find the killer as innocent of wrongdoing instead of convicting him of manslaughter through negligence. [I believe the underlying linkage is that the killer confined in the city of refuge prays for the demise of the High Priest so that he can go home. Ed.]
Kli Yakar
Until the death of the high priest. And what the Torah said regarding murderers, that he shall dwell there until the death of the high priest, is because Aaron’s attribute was peace. Therefore, he should have prayed for the people of his generation that only peace and truth would prevail in his days, and that such an impure incident would not occur. Therefore, the murderer shall dwell there until the death of the high priest, and then he and his entire household will pray for the death of the high priest so that he may quickly return to his home. For this reason, it says until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the anointing oil — do we not already know that the high priest is anointed with the anointing oil? Rather, because during the days of this priest a murder took place, this murderer extinguished the lamp of God, the soul of man, and extinguished the lamp of commandment and the light of Torah. Surely this priest did not remember the holy anointing oil upon him, half [the measure of which] was 250, that is, twice the numerical value of lamp (ner = 250), for every priest needs to guard these two lamps during his days and pray for this. And since this act occurred in his days, therefore the murderer shall dwell there until the death of the high priest.
Rashbam
עד מות הכהן הגדול; according to the plain meaning of the text the word is used to described the senior judge. The idea of “lifetime” imprisonment referring to the lifetime of the judge who imposed the sentence occurs in this sense also in Isaiah 14,17 אסיריו לא פתח ביתו, “he never released his prisoners.”
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees;
verse value 2431
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Verse gematria: 2431 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "he·goes·out" (יֵצֵ֖א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·if·go·out" (וְאִם־יָצֹ֥א, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·if·go·out" (וְאִם־יָצֹ֥א), "the·limits·of" (אֶת־גְּבוּל֙), "he·shall·flee" (יָנ֖וּס). The root יצא appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "there" (root שם, 75x in Numbers); "and·if·go·out" (root יצא, 68x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·manslayer', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאִם־יָצֹ֥א [and·if·go·out] (148) + יֵצֵ֖א [he·goes·out] (101) + הָרֹצֵ֑חַ [the·manslayer] (303) + אֶת־גְּבוּל֙ [the·limits·of] (442) + עִ֣יר [city·of] (280) + מִקְלָט֔וֹ [refuge] (185) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + יָנ֖וּס [he·shall·flee] (126) + שָֽׁמָּה [there] (345) = 2431.
Onkelos
But if the slayer goes out beyond the boundary of his city of refuge to which he had fled,
Ibn Ezra
"The border of" — here "את" means "from the border," just as in "when I went out of the city" (כצאתי את העיר).
Chizkuni
את גבול עיר מקלטו, “beyond the boundary of his city of refuge;”
Targum Yonatan
But if, while the high priest is yet alive, the manslayer goeth out indeed from the bounds, of his city of refuge whither he had fled,.
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;
verse value 2539 — ל֖וֹ = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "for·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·manslayer" (אֶת־הָ֣רֹצֵ֔חַ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 49: the·blood, the·blood. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·he·kills" (וְרָצַ֞ח), "bloodguilt" (דָּֽם). The root דם appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·him" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers); "city·of" (root עיר, 46x in Numbers); "the·limits·of" (root גבול, 24x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'refuge', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Onkelos
and the blood-redeemer finds him outside the boundary of his city of refuge, and the blood-redeemer kills the slayer — there is no blood-guilt for him.
Rashi
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).
because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession.
verse value 3609
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "refuge" (מִקְלָטוֹ֙, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: the·priest, the·priest. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·city·of" (בְעִ֤יר), "his·holding" (אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ). The root מות appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "until·death·of" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "to·land·of" (root אל, 85x in Numbers); "for" (root כי, 79x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·high', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Onkelos
For in his city of refuge he must dwell until the death of the High Priest; and only after the death of the High Priest may the slayer return to the land of his inheritance.
Chizkuni
אחרי מות הכהן הגדול ישוב הרוצח וגו, ”after the death of the High Priest, the “murderer” will return” (home). All the cities of the Levites are under the direct authority of the High Priest. It is an undisputed law that that such unintentional “murderers” go free at the death of the High Priest. Our sages have a saying that “death brings in its wake atonement.” (Talmud Makkot folio 11), where it is clear that the “death” referred to is that of the High Priest. We find something analogous in Isaiah 14,17: אסיריו לא פתח ביתה, “who never released its prisoners?” [The prophet decries such a cruel practice. Jewish law which basically does not provide for prison as a form of punishment, certainly would not countenance life imprisonment. Ed.]
Daat Zkenim
כי בעיר מקלטו ישב עד מות הכהן הגדול, “for he has to remain in the city of his refuge until the death of the High Priest.” The plain meaning of the verse is to prevent people from complaining about the High Priest doing nothing to avenge the victim of this killer when they see the inadvertent killer leave his city of refuge. Once he has died and another has been appointed in his place, this is no longer a consideration as the murder had not been committed during the tenure of the new High Priest. According to Deuteronomy 26,3: the function of the High Priest is בימים ההם, during each High Priest’s lifetime, he is not held responsible for what occurred before he was appointed or after he had died.
And these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
verse value 2694 — אֵ֧לֶּה = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֧לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֧לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·settlements" (מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶֽם, 8 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "in·all" (root כל, 98x in Numbers); "for·you" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'throughout·your·generations', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְהָי֨וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + אֵ֧לֶּה [these] (36) + לָכֶ֛ם [for·you] (90) + לְחֻקַּ֥ת [for·a·law·of] (538) + מִשְׁפָּ֖ט [judgment] (429) + לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם [throughout·your·generations] (704) + בְּכֹ֖ל [in·all] (52) + מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶֽם [your·settlements] (818) = 2694.
Onkelos
These shall be for you a statute of law throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places.
Rashi
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)
Ramban
IN ALL YOUR HABITATIONS. “This teaches us that a Sanhedrin may function outside the Land [of Israel] as long as one functions in the Land of Israel itself.” This is Rashi’s language. This is indeed correct, because after the destruction [of the Temple] the Sanhedrin cannot function in the Land of Israel nor outside it, just as our Rabbis have said in the Chapter Arba Mithoth Beth Din: “And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days — when there is a priest [performing the Divine Service in the Sanctuary] there is [execution of] judgment; when there is no priest [at the Sanctuary] there is no judgment.” And we have been taught in the Mechilta: “Whence do we know that judicial execution can take place only during the existence of the Sanctuary? Because it says, From Mine altar, thou shalt take him, that he may die. If you have an altar, you may render capital punishment, and if not, you may not do so.”But I have nowhere found in connection with a commandment which is limited to the [duration of the] existence of the Sanctuary that Scripture should say about it, throughout your generations in all your habitations [as it does here], because this [expression] indicates [the contrary, namely that it is binding] even during the exile, outside the Land. Thus [it uses this expression] in connection with [the obligation of abstaining from work on the Festival of Shavuoth, and in connection with the prohibition of [eating from] the new crop [before bringing the omer on the sixteenth day of Nisan], in order to make [these laws] obligatory even outside the Land [of Israel] and even nowadays [when the Temple is destroyed], so that we should not [think that the prohibition against eating of the new crop is] dependent upon [the actual offering of] the omer, and [so that we should not make the commandment to abstain from work on Shavuoth dependent] upon the offering of the new meal-offering [on that day]. Likewise [the expression throughout your generations in all your habitations is used] in connection with [the prohibition against eating certain] fats so that we should not think that it is dependent upon the offerings. [And so here too the expression throughout your generations in all your dwellings would indicate that the execution of judgment including the death-penalty, applies at all times, and is not dependent upon the existence of the Sanctuary!] Perhaps the Rabbis interpreted the words [in our verse here]: And these things shall be for a statute of judgment [as referring not to the criminal cases mentioned in this section, but] to [the general law of] the Sanhedrin mentioned continually in this section, as it is said, [until he stand] before ‘the congregation’ for judgment; then ‘the congregation’ shall judge, and Scripture is thus saying that we should always have, throughout all generations, and even after the destruction [of the Sanctuary], “a congregation that judges” [i.e., a Sanhedrin, or court] ...
Rabbeinu Bahya
והיו אלה לכם לחקת עולם משפט לדורותיכם בכל מושבותיכם, “and these shall be for you a decree of justice for your generations in all your dwellings.” This verse teaches that as long as Jews reside in Eretz Yisrael and they have a Sanhedrin which functions, a Sanhedrin can function outside Eretz Yisrael. This is how Rashi explains this verse. Nowadays that there is no Sanhedrin in Eretz Yisrael, no Sanhedrin (its authority) is competent in the Diaspora either. The meaning of the verse according to the plain text is that even in these times there should be a judiciary wherever Jews reside, competent to rule on matters of financial disputes, compensation for injuries inflicted, etc., etc.; any infringement of laws for which the penalty prescribed by the Torah is 39 lashes such a court is competent to rule on. This is why the Torah writes the words לדורותיכם בכל מושבותיכם. However, in the absence of a Sanhedrin in Eretz Yisrael we are not entitled to rule on capital offenses [even if the host country were to give us such authority. Ed.]. We derive this from Sanhedrin 52 based on Deut. 17,9: ובאת אל הכהנים הלוים ואל השופט...ועשית על פי הדבר אשר יגידו לך מן המקום ההוא, “you will come to the priests, the Levites, and the judge...who will tell you from that place”. When there is a High Priest capital cases may be tried, when there is no High Priest such authority does not exist. We also learned this in the Mechilta (page 126) “how do we know that capital cases may be judged only when the Temple is standing? The Torah writes (Exodus 21,14) “from My Altar you shall take him to die.” When there is a Temple and an altar you may decree a death penalty; when there is no altar we have no authority to decree death by human hands. (Compare also Nachmanides).
Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain on the testimony of witnesses; but a single witness may not testify against any person to bring about his death.
verse value 2968 — אֶחָ֔ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֔ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "on·the·evidence·of" (לְפִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "any·who·slays·person" (כׇּ֨ל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֔פֶשׁ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "witnesses" (עֵדִ֔ים), "shall·be·executed" (יִרְצַ֖ח), "not·shall·testify" (לֹא־יַעֲנֶ֥ה). The root רצח appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "for·a·death·verdict" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "on·the·evidence·of" (root פה, 49x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·manslayer', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: כׇּ֨ל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֔פֶשׁ [any·who·slays·person] (545) + לְפִ֣י [on·the·evidence·of] (120) + עֵדִ֔ים [witnesses] (124) + יִרְצַ֖ח [shall·be·executed] (308) + אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֑חַ [the·manslayer] (704) + וְעֵ֣ד [and·witness] (80) + אֶחָ֔ד [one] (13) + לֹא־יַעֲנֶ֥ה [not·shall·testify] (166) + בְנֶ֖פֶשׁ [against·a·person] (432) + לָמֽוּת [for·a·death·verdict] (476) = 2968.
Onkelos
Whoever kills a person — on the testimony of witnesses shall the slayer be put to death; but a single witness may not testify against a person so as to put him to death.
Rashi
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 BY THE EVIDENCE OF WITNESSES ONE SHALL SLAY [THE MURDERER] — who testify that intentionally and after due warning he killed him.
Chizkuni
ועד אחד לא יענה בנפש, “a solitary witness must not testify against a person (in a capital case).” We might have thought that seeing that the penalty for capital crimes is so severe that the testimony of a single witness is relevant. The Torah tells us that it is not.
Targum Yonatan
Whosoever killeth a man, according to the word of witnesses fit to give testimony against him, the avenger of blood, or the house of judgment, shall put him to death. But one witness only shall not testify against a man to put him to death.
Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.
verse value 4100
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Verse gematria: 4100 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "ransom" (כֹ֙פֶר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·shall·you·accept" (וְלֹֽא־תִקְח֥וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 476: to·die, for·surely. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "guilty" (רָשָׁ֖ע), "for·surely" (כִּי־מ֖וֹת). The root מות appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·die" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "and·not·shall·you·accept" (root לקח, 72x in Numbers); "who·he" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְלֹֽא־תִקְח֥וּ [and·not·shall·you·accept] (551) + כֹ֙פֶר֙ [ransom] (300) + לְנֶ֣פֶשׁ [for·the·life·of] (460) + רֹצֵ֔חַ [a·murderer] (298) + אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא [who·he] (513) + רָשָׁ֖ע [guilty] (570) + לָמ֑וּת [to·die] (476) + כִּי־מ֖וֹת [for·surely] (476) + יוּמָֽת [he·shall·be·put·to·death] (456) = 4100.
Onkelos
You shall not accept a ransom for a slayer who is guilty and deserving of death, for he shall surely be put to death.
Rashi
ולא תקח כפר AND YE SHALL TAKE NO RANSOM — He (the murderer) shall not be freed by a monetary payment (Ketubot 37b).
Ramban
AND YE SHALL TAKE NO RANSOM FOR THE LIFE OF A MURDERER etc. The correct interpretation of [the repetition of the phrase ye shall take no ransom in Verses 31-32] that at first [i.e., in the verse before us] He warned us against [pardoning] a deliberate murderer, [stating]: And ye shall take no ransom of monetary payment for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, for he shall under all circumstances be put to death, and shall not be saved from death by any means, neither by exile nor by stripes nor by any other punishment. And afterwards [in Verse 32] He stated, And ye shall take no ransom to allow him to flee [from the city of refuge] and return to live in the Land, until the death of the priest, and the verse thus refers back to those liable to exile [for unwitting murder] which He had [previously] mentioned, who are the main subject of this section. It is thus as if He would have said: And similarly you shall take no ransom from a murderer [who killed unwittingly] in order that he should flee [from his city of refuge] and return to live in the Land, before the death of the [High] Priest.” It was unnecessary to say that we should take no ransom from him [to free him] altogether from fleeing to the city of refuge, because anyone who kills somebody unwittingly is afraid at first that the avenger of blood might kill him in the heat of his anger, or [might kill him] because he suspected him of deliberate murder [and therefore he will always want at first to flee to the city of refuge]. Scripture, therefore, did not have to speak about [not taking] a ransom to free him altogether, but speaks only about [the prohibition against taking] a ransom after he has fled there, to enable him to return to his land, and so that he should not have to stay there [in the city of refuge] as long as the [High] Priest is alive. For[it is likely that he may desire to leave it, since] after he has fled [there] and stood [trial] before the congregation for judgment and has been acquitted by them [of the charge of deliberate murder], he will no longer be afraid of the avenger of blood, and so he will want to return to his house before the due time [i.e., before the death of the High Priest]. Therefore Scripture warned us against [accepting from him a ransom or bribe for] this [purpose]. Or [it may be] that there is a letter vav “missing” from the word lashuv [in Verse 32 — so that it is as if it said v’lashuv] meaning “or to abide.” But the first interpretation appears to me to be the correct one.
Chizkuni
ולא תקחו כופר לנפש רוצח, “you must not accept a financial ransom in lieu of the life of the murderer.” Seeing that in almost all situations the Torah is willing to accept punishment in the form of money or its equivalent, why does the Torah not accept it as atonement for a life taken? Life, as opposed to limbs, is something that cannot be valued in terms of money, in terms of material things. The only instance in which financial atonement (partial at best) is acceptable is when the penalty for the sin committed is death at the hands of heaven, but not by a human tribunal. This is why the Torah added: אם כופר יושת עליו, (Exodus 21,30) “if payment of a ransom had been imposed upon the guilty party.” This type of punishment is not really a full compensation, but since G-d has reserved to mete out His own judgment, it will fill the bill in the meantime. [You will not find that a person convicted of theft and murder will be assessed the financial penalty, as the loss of his life is the ultimate penalty, and the Torah does not impose anything beyond that. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
ולא תקחו כופר לנפש רוצח, “and you must not accept a ransom payment in exchange of the life of the murderer.” The Torah tells us here that no amount of money is adequate to atone for the death of a Jew; hence a ransom payment is out of the question. The guilt of murdering someone is the greatest sin between man and his fellow man. Solomon told us in Proverbs 28,17: “a man burdened with blood guilt will flee to a pit; let no one help him.” We may learn a lesson from Achav, King of Israel. When the prophet makes comparisons between the levels of guilt of different kings we are told in Kings I 21,25 concerning a very evil king, “there was never one like Achav who committed himself to doing what was displeasing to the Lord, at the instigation of his wife Izzevel.” When Achav’s sins were measured and his merits were weighed against them, the decisive sin held against him was that he had framed Navot and had him executed. This is why we read in Kings I 22,21: “the spirit (of the deceased Navot) came forward before the Lord and said: “I will entice him.” “How?, the Lord asked him.” And he replied: “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Then He (G’d) said: “you will entice and you will prevail. Go out and do it.” (Compare Sanhedrin 102). The story is an illustration that although Achav had not even killed with his own hands and could have pointed to the court which convicted Navot as guilty as responsible for his death, G’d considered the deed as his. How much more severely must someone be viewed who killed with his own hands.
Rashbam
ולא תקחו כופר, he must not be released by paying a financial indemnity to the family of the victim. [whereas the Torah had legislated monetary compensation for injuries caused to the victim, such as loss of eye, tooth, etc. Ed.]
And you shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.
verse value 3456
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. Verse gematria: 3456 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "ransom" (כֹ֔פֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·shall·you·accept" (וְלֹא־תִקְח֣וּ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "to·return" (לָשׁוּב֙). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "until·the·death·of" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "to·a·city·of" (root אל, 85x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·refuge', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְלֹא־תִקְח֣וּ [and·not·shall·you·accept] (551) + כֹ֔פֶר [ransom] (300) + לָנ֖וּס [to·flee] (146) + אֶל־עִ֣יר [to·a·city·of] (311) + מִקְלָט֑וֹ [his·refuge] (185) + לָשׁוּב֙ [to·return] (338) + לָשֶׁ֣בֶת [to·dwell] (732) + בָּאָ֔רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + עַד־מ֖וֹת [until·the·death·of] (520) + הַכֹּהֵֽן [the·priest] (80) = 3456.
Onkelos
You shall not accept a ransom for one to flee to his city of refuge, allowing him to return and dwell in the land before the death of the priest.
Rashi
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 (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?
Tur HaArokh
ולא תקחו כופר לנוס אל עיר מקלטו, “and you are not to accept ransom from someone who fled to his city of refuge.” The meaning is that the city elders must not accept a bribe to allow the person who should await the death of the High Priest while still in the city of refuge, and let him return to his hometown prematurely. There was no need for the Torah to warn that one must not settle for a ransom instead of the inadvertent killer taking up residence in the city of refuge. He would not fail to do so because he had to be on guard against avengers of the slain person’s family, his גואל הדם. Not only that, failure to make use of the city of refuge exposes the killer to the suspicion that he killed intentionally.
Daat Zkenim
ולא תקחו כפר, “and you are not to accept a ransom, etc.” if a deliberate killer had fled to a city of refuge, you must remove him and bring him to trial and convict him and carry out the death penalty. We know that Yoav the chief general of David had taken refuge and had held on to the corners of the altar, but had been removed from there and had been executed for the murder of Avner in peace time, in accordance with Exodus 21,14. David had not felt politically strong enough to carry out this penalty, but he had commanded his son Solomon to do so in due course, as if he would allow him to die in his sleep he would forfeit his share in the world to come, something David did not want to have on his conscience. (Kings I 2,28) Yoav was a very wise man, even among the senior members of the Supreme Court (Samuel II 23,8). According to Bamidbar Rabbah 23,13 and the commentators on that, he had been aware that the altar would not protect him against extradition, (seeing this had been spelled out in the Torah and most children under the age of ten had been aware of this.) He supposedly was aware that anyone executed by the Court for a capital offence was not allowed to be buried with his forefathers, and this would be an everlasting shame, and this is why he tried to escape death at the hands of the Court. When B’nayahu who had been assigned the task of arresting him heard this, he related it to King Solomon, who therefore decided to have him killed on the spot so that he could be buried with his forefathers. (Kings I 2, 30-31) David’s instructions to his son had been not to let him die peacefully, without specifying by what method he was to die. (Verse 5 in that chapter) According to our author, what David referred to when he told his son Solomon that Yoav had done something treacherous to him personally for which he was also guilty of the death penalty, referred to a different occasion, i.e. to Yoav having exposed Uriah hachitti, the first husband of Bat Sheva, to almost certain death in the war against the Ammonites. When Uriah was killed the other soldiers were very angry with Yoav their commander for having allowed a hero such as Uriah to be unnecessarily exposed. Thereupon Yoav showed his soldiers a letter that he had received from King David in which the king who had sat out that battle at home, had instructed him specifically to see to it that Uriah would be killed during a battle. Revealing the King’s secret to one and all was a sin for which Yoav was guilty on another score. These details are hinted at in the Book of Samuel, where Rashi (Samuel II 11,18) comments that he does not know why Yoav’s soldiers were angry at him after Uriah had been killed, and Yoav having warned the messengers in which Yoav reported to the king on the battle during which Uriah had been killed, David would criticize the strategy Yoav had used. If this happened they were told to add that Uriah had been killed during that battle. Somewhat strangely, the Book of Samuel 24,1 continues immediately that G–d was angry at Israel without spelling out what had caused G–d’s anger as a result of which He tempted David with conducting a census of the people. Perhaps the anger was caused by Uriah having been killed. If so, it makes sense that immediately prior to this verse Uriah had been listed as one of the 37 outstanding heroes in David’s army. He was listed there as the last, whereas in the Book of Chronicles I chapter 11 he is ranked higher. (number 15) (Perhaps that was before the incident of his having refused to go home on furlough when King David told him to) We may explain all this by means of a parable. A king instructed his servants to record for him all the men deserving of special distinctions and the reason why they deserved these distinctions. The servants did do, and they presented the list to the king and began to read the list out before him. The king enquired after the present whereabouts of each of these people, and what they were currently charged with doing. This is why each one was mentioned by name, until they came to one of these men who had become guilty of a misdemeanour in spite of having been an outstandingly loyal subject of the king. Due to this misdemeanour, he had been killed due to their not having given him support at a crucial moment. Upon hearing this, the king got angry and tore up the whole list. He gave them the choice of one of three punishments for their negligent treatment of that loyal servant. They could either endure a period of starvation, or be involved in a dangerous war in a distant country, or endure a painful physical beating. They unanimously responded that they left it to the king to decide, as they were confident that seeing that he was a merciful ruler he would know how to deal with them. The king instructed them to write a new list of these outstandingly loyal subjects, but to place the name of the one who had become guilty of a misdemeanour at the very end of that list. After they had received their physical punishment they wrote the new list with the name of the party guilty of a misdemeanour (Uriah) at the end of that list. G–d offered David the choice of three punishments, either famine, for three years, or a war in which he would be swept away by his enemies, or sword by the Lord, i.e. a plague lasting three days. (Samuel II 24,12) In Chronicles I 21,12, David is quoted as telling the prophet Gad who had communicated this choice to him that He knew that G–d was merciful and was prepared to fall into the hands of the Lord instead rather than into the hands of merciless men. (verse 14 there) The reason he chose the plague was that it strikes rich and poor alike, weak and strong alike. Had he chosen years of famine, the people would have accused him of discriminating against the poor who had no money to buy anything, whereas he being rich would hardly have to suffer. Had he chosen war, they would have said that during such a war David would rely on his outstanding warriors to bear the brunt of it. After the plague had passed, the list of all these heroes was recorded in the order of their valour, and Uriah appears in his rightful place. At the end of Kings 2,5 in his last testament to his son Solomon refers to “what Yoav the commander in chief has done to me,” followed by a reference to Yoav’s having killed Avner and Amassah in peace time. How was this something that Yoav had done to David? When Yoav had become aware that David had used subterfuge to have Uriah killed, he concluded that he could get away with killing Avner and Amassah. Once the officers in the army knew that David had ordered Yoav to kill Uriah they believed that it was also David who had ordered Yoav to kill Avner and Amassah, seeing that Avner had been a cousin of King Shaul. This caused David to become very angry and caused him to curse Yoav, as we read in Samuel II 3,29: ואל יכרת מבית יואב זב ומצורע ומחזיק בפלך ונופל בחרב וחסר לחם, “may the house of Yoav never be without someone suffering from discharge (from his genital organ) or an eruption on his skin, or a male who handles the spindle or one slain by the sword, or lacking bread.” Having heard this, the Israelites knew that it could not have been David who had instigated the death of Avner. When David told his son Solomon to see to it that Yoav not die a peaceful death, Solomon did not want to do so, as he was the son of his sister. (Chronicles I 2,16) When B’nayahu, at the command of Solomon, set out to kill Yoav, the latter said to him: “tell Solomon not to kill him on two accounts. If you will carry out Solomon’s command you will become afflicted with the curse with which your father has cursed me. Why don’t you let me die as a result of his curses. When Solomon heard this he changed the instructions he had given to B’nayahu, and told him to kill Yoav on the spot, i.e. at the corner of the altar to which he clung, and to proceed to bury him. (Kings I 2,31). Rabbi Yehudah is on record as saying that all the curses were fulfilled on various members of David’s descendants. Solomon’s son Rechavam, suffered the discharge mentioned, (hinted at in Kings I, 12,18, by reference to Leviticus 15,15,9, the word המרכב). King Uzziah suffered tzoraat, eruption on his legs during the last years of his reign (Chronicles II 26,21) ). King Assa was stricken by a spindle (foot ailment) (Kings I 15,23) King Yoshiyahu was killed in battle, (Chronicles II 35,23). According to the Talmud in tractate Taanit, folio 22, he was shot by 300 arrows. King Yehoyachin was a captive of Nebuchadnezzar and had to depend on his handouts for food until he died. Compare Jeremiah 52,34, as well as Bamidbar Rabbah 23,12, as well as Tanchuma section 12 on our portion.
So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
verse value 5356
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 75 letters. Verse gematria: 5356 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·shall·you·pollute" (וְלֹֽא־תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 697: the·land, the·land. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·not·shall·you·pollute" (וְלֹֽא־תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ), "pollutes" (יַחֲנִ֖יף), "and·for·the·land" (וְלָאָ֣רֶץ). The root ארץ appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·which" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "the·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers); "for" (root כי, 79x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 8 words.
Onkelos
You shall not corrupt the land in which you dwell, for blood corrupts the land, and the land cannot be atoned for the innocent blood that is shed upon it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Rashi
ולא תחניפו means AND YE SHALL NOT [MAKE THE LAND] WICKED, as it is translated in the Targum: לא תחיבון.
Ramban
V’LO TACHANIPHU’ (AND YE SHALL NOT POLLUTE) THE LAND. Because He had said at the beginning: And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your habitations, meaning that these judgments apply also outside the Land [of Israel], therefore He mentioned additional stringencies applying to the inhabitants of the Land [of Israel], in honor of the Divine Presence which is [especially] present there, and He warned us not to pollute it and not to defile it. And the meaning of the term chanuphah [mentioned here, which literally means: “flattery,” or “pollution”] is that which is said with reference to the imprecations: Thou shalt carry out much into the field, and shalt gather in little; Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink of the wine; Thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with oil; All thy trees and the fruit of thy land shall the locust make bare, for all expressions of chanuphah indicate doing the opposite of that which is seen by or appears to the eyes. This is the punishment [which will come] to the Land because of idolatry, bloodshed, and immorality, just as it is said, will not the Land ‘chanoph techenaph’ (become polluted)?; the earth also ‘chanepha’ (is polluted) under the inhabitants thereof; ‘vatachniphi’ (and thou hast polluted) the Land with thy harlotries. And the meaning of the term “defilement” [used in the next verse — And thou shalt not ‘defile’ the Land] is that the Land will become defiled so that the Glory of G-d will not dwell therein if there is innocent blood [shed] in it which has not been atoned for by the blood of him that shed it. Thus the Rabbis have said in the Sifre: “‘V’lo tachaniphu’ the Land — this is an admonition against flatterers.” For at first [in Verses 31-32] He warned us against taking a bribe from murderers, and then [in Verse 33 here] He warned us against flattering them because of their high position or their power, or the honor of their family, even without taking a bribe, because if we flatter them, we will thereby cause the Land to “betray” its inhabitants [as explained above].
Ibn Ezra
"Defiles" — to act wickedly in secret. "Its shedder" — a verbal form, like "and his redeemer shall come" (ובא גואלו).
Chizkuni
ולא תחניפו את הארץ, “this verse is to be understood at face value, i.e. “you shall not flatter the land;” this is a warning for wealthy people who had become guilty of the death penalty not to be allowed to plead to a lesser charge, and to make generous financial restitution to the party whom they had harmed or to the family of that person. 'כי הדם הוא הוא יחניף וגו, “for the blood spilled (and not atoned for) would contaminate” the soil of the Holy Land. This is why G-d warns us not to contaminate the land he has given us by allowing bloodshed to go unpunished according to the principle of נפש תחת נפש, “a life for a life,” a principle spelled out already in Genesis 9,6, a principle applicable to all of mankind. ולארץ לא יכופר, “and no expiation can be made for the land;” the Torah, of course, refers to the inhabitants of the land even more so, [seeing that the earth had been completely passive. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
ולא תחניפו את הארץ, “you must not bring guilt upon the land.” The word חנף means to commit evil secretly. ולא תטמא את הארץ, “so that the land will not be defiled.” The letter ת in the word תטמא is a feminine form third person. The verb is in a passive form. The Torah means that we must not allow the חנופה, the secretly committed sins, to contaminate the Holy Land. Alternatively, the letter ת is masculine, second person active future tense and means: “each one of you is charged with not defiling the land.” The reason why such a sin would be grave is because “I the Lord dwell in it amongst the Children of Israel.”
Kli Yakar
And you shall not contaminate [tachnifu, which can also mean flatter] the land. The explanation of this matter is as follows: The land appears as if it has opened its mouth without limit to swallow everything upon it, as it is said, Therefore the grave has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure (Isaiah 5:14), and it is written, The earth that is not satisfied with water (Proverbs 30:16). For truly, the earth is never satisfied, and the wicked murderers flatter the land by giving it something to swallow, and this is flattery. For anyone who gives something to one who is unworthy of it, so that they in turn will give him something back — this is called flattery. And so it is that the land flatters the wicked by giving them its produce for all their needs which come from the earth, and also a place to dwell and establish themselves upon it, even though the wicked are not worthy of all this, as it is said, The earth is contaminated/flattered beneath its inhabitants (Isaiah 24:5). And this is what is meant by the blood will render the land contaminated/flattered, because the wicked person gives blood to the land to swallow so that it will give him in return its finest flour and oils. Therefore, the land cannot be atoned for except by the blood of the murderer. And this atonement is for having supported the murderer even for a single moment, because this is considered flattery for the land, and people will say that both are flattering each other. And the reason why Cain was not killed was for the sake of populating the world, as he was alone in the world. Nevertheless, the land removed itself from this suspicion by causing thorns and thistles to grow for him, and he became a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth. Thus, it no longer gave him the two types of benefits he had previously received from the land. Even this was specifically an act of kindness toward Cain, as mentioned. But for future generations, the land cannot be atoned for except through the blood of the one who shed blood, to remove it from this flattery.
Tur HaArokh
ולא תחניפו את הארץ, “you shall not pollute the land.” Nachmanides writes that seeing a little while ago (35,29) the Torah wrote והיו אלה לכם לחוקת משפט לדורותיכם, “these shall be for you a decree of justice for your generations,” we might have thought that the legislation of cities of refuge is applied also beyond the boundaries of the land of Israel; to prevent us from making this error the Torah now stresses that its concern with this legislation is that the Holy Land not become polluted, not that the whole globe not become polluted. The yardsticks of conduct and account- ability for failing to maintain the proper standards that the Torah applies to residents in the land of Israel are stricter than those applied to people riding outside that land, seeing that the presence of G’d, i.e. the Shechinah, does not hover over the Diaspora. Lands that are not holy in the first place, but are halachically ritually impure at all times, cannot be polluted by murder committed by man. The residents of the Holy Land are charged with the duty to preserve the holiness of that land. The choice of the term חניפה by the Torah here, a term that is usually applied to flattery, which is a form of misrepresentation of the true facts, is deliberate. as treating an intentional murderer as if he had killed accidentally, by accepting monetary compensation, is a form of distorting the facts. Allowing murder, even unintentional killing, [which by the way the Torah does not describe as הורג, “killing,” but chillingly, as רוצח בשגגה “murdering unintentionally,” Ed.] is apt to drive away the presence of the Shechinah unless the legislation written here is observed in all its details. In the Sifri the expression לא תחניפו את הארץ is understood as a warning to habitual flatterers not to treat the unintentional or intentional killer with flattery, i.e. by accepting a fine from him instead of what the Torah has demanded. The warning is repeated when the Torah writes כי הדם הוא יחניף את הארץ, implying that the guilt of the killer (intentional) must not be downgraded (a form of flattery, misrepresentation) by treating it as if it had only been an unintentional killing. The warning is that if we, the inhabitants of the Holy Land will deceive in this fashion, the land itself will deceive us by withholding its yield after we have toiled with ploughing, seeding, watering, etc
Rashbam
כי אם בדם שפכו. As if the Torah had written כי אם בדם האיש אשר שופך את הדם, ”only blood spilled by the killer of the murdered party does not contaminate the Holy Land but cleanses it from blood spilled innocently.” [this is the way I understand the author. Do not forget that normally spilling blood in the Holy Land contaminates its soil, whereas here the blood of the murderer does the very oppsosite. Ed.]
And you shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I Hashem dwell in the midst of the children of Israel."
verse value 5378 — יְהֹוָ֔ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·land" (אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: in·which, in·which. The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "in·which" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·its·midst', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Onkelos
You shall not defile the land in which you dwell, in the midst of which My Shechinah abides; for I am Hashem, whose Shechinah abides in the midst of the children of Israel.
Rashi
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 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).
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall not defile" — [the subject is] the profanation [that defiles] the land; or it is a command — because I dwell among them, and not for the honor of the land but for the honor of the children of Israel. Therefore it says "dwelling in the midst of the children of Israel."
Targum Yonatan
Therefore defile not the land in which you are; for My Shekinah dwelleth in the midst of it; for I am the Lord whose Shekinah dwelleth among the children of Israel.
Onkelos