Dear Friends;
I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;
” Parsha in a Nutshell ”
The Torah names all 42 encampments of Bnei Israel on their 40-year journey from the Exodus until the crossing of the Jordan River into Eretz Israel.
G-d commands Bnei Israel to drive out the Canaanites from Eretz Israel and to demolish every trace of their idolatry.
The boundaries of the Land of Israel are defined, and the tribes are commanded to set aside 48 cities for the levi’im, who do not receive a regular portion in the division of the Land.
Cities of refuge are to be established: Someone who murders unintentionally may flee there.
The daughters of Tzelofchad marry members of their tribe so that their inheritance will stay in their own tribe.
“ Dvar Torah “
In this week’s Parsha, we read about the cities of refuge. A man who kills someone accidentally is exiled to an “Ir Miklat”, a city of refuge. In additions to killers, a very distinguished group of people, the Levites, lived in those cities. Their job was something similar to today’s Rabbis. They traveled throughout Israel, teaching and preaching the Jewish laws. The sentence imposed on the killers was also very unique. It was not defined by time, but rather by circumstance. The killers would only go free when the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) would die. In Talmud it says that the Kohen Gadol’s family were quite worried. They were not concerned that there would be an assassination plot against the Kohen Gadol, but rather, they were worried that the convicts would pray that the Kohen Gadol would die before his time, thus releasing them early. In order to deter the inmates from praying for the death of the Kohen Gadol, the mother of the Kohen Gadol would distribute food and clothing on almost, daily basis, and made sure the inmates were taken good care of.
Well, this law seems a little strange and needs some clarification. The questions that come to mind are as follows: Why should the freedom of an inmate depend on the death of the High Priest?? Why did the Levites have to live in the cities of refuge? Why was the inmate’s prayer so powerful that the Kohen Gadol’s family were so worried?? And above all, why should Kohen Gadol’s Mom’s homemade cookies be sufficient to bribe the inmate not to pray for his son’s death??
Once again, Rabbi Mordekhai Kamenetzky comes to the rescue and gives the following beautiful explanation: The cities of refuge were not jails, nor were they mere detention camps. They were environments in which reckless people became aware that careless actions have serious consequences. They were constantly under the influence of their neighbors, the Levites. They would observe how they have dedicated their lives to teaching and helping others. They would see the importance of awareness and care for fellow beings.
The mission of the Kohen Gadol’s mother was not just to bribe the inmates with food. It was to develop a bond with those people whose carelessness ended a life. The inmates saw the love a parent had for her son as she subconsciously pleaded with them to spare her child. They saw how a total stranger, despite her self-esteem, would make sure that their needs in the city of refuge were taken care for. They may have even thought of the loved one they have killed and his family. After developing an awareness of the importance for life, they would never be able to pray for the death of anyone else, even if it meant their own freedom. In fact, they may have offered their years for the merit of the Kohen Gadol’s life.
And finally, you may ask yourself, what did the Kohen Gadol do wrong that his life is jeopardize by an accident which took place without him being aware of?! Rabbi Kamenetsky says, one of the duties of the Kohen Gadol was to pray for welfare and the well being of the entire congregation. If the Kohen Gadol was completely pure in his mind and his body, then ALL of his prayers were heard and accepted by Hashem. The fact that an accidental death happened during his time, shows that he was lacking purity or “Kavana”, concentration, during his prayers.
So, the whole purpose of the cities of refuge was not to punish the killer, but rather, it was a comfortable place to teach a killer the importance of life. The inmate saw how the levites care for the other people and how a mother cares so much for the life of his son. The inmate learns about the importance of love, starting from loving an immediate family, all the way to loving a stranger!
Yes my friends, once again, the Torah is teaching us the importance of life. Taking a life away is considered one of the gravest sins. Even an accidental death has its consequences. Life is so precious that we should cherish every moment of it. We should love and respect other people’s life and we should be against hatred and killing. We should pray for the well being of everyone around us, and pray that no one should lose their lives before reaching the old age, just like the way the Kohen Gadol used to do!
At these difficult times, when our young dear soldiers are risking their lives in order to protect our land and our people, let us pray for their safety and for their lives! It seems that our dear soldiers already know the importance of life, since even in the battlefield, they have respect for the enemy’s lives and they try to avoid civilian casualties! If only the enemy would have had the same respect for their own lives, then there would never be a war!!
Shabbat Shalom & Regards;
Martin